Review: Sweep with Me

Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First, its Ilona Andrews - buy it!

Second, its Innkeeper - buy it!

Third, three words, Philosophising Space Chickens - you must surely buy it now!

I read this when it was serialised on Ilona Andrews' blog and loved it then, its a cute funny novella featuring the aforementioned space chickens, a trip to see a TV chef in action and an alien general. It's holiday season and super sweet.

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Review: The Incident

The Incident by Elle Kennedy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The first night Dean and Allie hook up. Free from Elle Kennedy.

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Review: Loving a Lost Lord

Loving a Lost Lord by Mary Jo Putney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Yet another book which I have read, and half re-read yet failed to write a review.

Mariah Clarke's father won their home, Hartley Manor, in a gaming hell. Finally, after years of travelling from one gaming hell to another, one country to another, one country house to another they have put down roots. But no sooner have they settled down than Mariah's father disappears and George Burke, the original owner of the house tells Mariah her father is dead and is trying to intimidate her into marrying him.

Adam Lawford, the seventh Duke of Ashton was born and brought up in India, with an Indian mother. He has always been treated as a bit of an outcast as a result. One of his latest experiments backfires badly and he almost dies. Mariah rescues him but he has lost his memory. Mariah takes the opportunity to spin the yarn that Adam is her husband, returned from his travels.

As I often find with the first book in an historical series such as this, this was a bit clunky. Adam and Mariah didn't have the wit or the charm of later characters, there was inevitably a lot of backstory and introducing the other Lost Lords as a prologue to their books. Also, there seemed to be too many plots, either there should be dastardly deeds surrounding Mariah's father's death or Adam's accident, not both!

According to Goodreads I haven't read any of the others in this series either - do we think that's right or did I just fail to write a review?

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Review: The Cool Aunt

The Cool Aunt by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How many books are there, let alone 12 page short story/snippets, that lead you to buy a lipstick? Not many in my case but as soon as I read Arabella's description of her Chanel lip balm I knew I had to have it - even better, I wasn't disappointed!

If you read Emerald Blaze then you will know that the book ended on what I described as a humongous WTF at the end that will have you gnashing your teeth and wishing you could travel through time to read the next book RIGHT NOW. Well no need, I believe that The Cool Aunt was a freebie in the print version of the book which was released shortly afterwards as a freebie on the website. It resolves those WTF issues and shows Nevada giving birth and what happens next.

Ilona Andrews never cease to amaze me, the storytelling they fit into 12 short pages is a miracle.

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Review: Sweetest Scoundrel

Sweetest Scoundrel by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gah, read it, forgot to review it, can't remember whether I liked it or not! But I'm trying to clear out all the books I read in 2020 ready for a new year.

Eve Dinwoody's brother has left her in charge of his finances. He expressly told her not to interfere with Harte's Folly but she can't sit by while Asa Makepeace spends money like water.

This is the trope where a man initially thinks a woman is ugly and shrewish but, as he gets to know her, changes his mind over time. At first Asa is coarse and unkind about Eve but gradually he comes to appreciate her qualities and finds her attractive - not because she changes her appearance, but because he sees the good in her.

Asa is desperately trying to rebuild Harte's Folly and open it in time for the season, but a series of accidents start to escalate and it seems as though someone doesn't want the Folly to re-open.

I'm not sure whether I knew who was behind the sabotage (and why) because I have read the books out of order, or because I have read something similar before, it may even have been that I have read this book before and (yet again) failed to write a review!

Anyway, the book was engaging and a fun read, but as I said, the plot was familiar.



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Review: Gerard Demille and Helen Meet

Gerard Demille and Helen Meet by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Freebie from Ilona Andrews. A story of how Dina's father Gerard Demille meets his wife Helen.

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Review: Someone to Care

Someone to Care by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Draws in deep breath ... Viola was married to the Earl of Riverdale for over twenty years and bore him three children. But after his death she discovered theirs was a bigamous marriage, her son has been disinherited and the entire family has been disgraced. 42 years old and with her identity for the past two decades stripped away from her Viola has abruptly abandoned her family in Bath desperate to be alone. When her hired carriage breaks down she finds herself forced to stay the night at an unprepossessing inn.

Fourteen years ago Marcel Lamarr, now the Marquess of Dorchester, flirted with Viola and, despite her personal feelings, she told him to leave her alone. Now, he and his brother are en-route to his country estate when their carriage also suffers a malfunction requiring them to spend an hour or two at the same inn. Marcel immediately recognises Viola and perhaps piqued by her previous dismissal determines to dally with her and perhaps entice her into bed.

The two of them are running away from their lives and responsibilities and the disappointments of the past - together they decide to spend a week or two together, a brief affair away from the prying eyes of family and friends.

I am a sucker for a second-chance romance and I have to admit that I read some of this with tears rolling down my face. Both Viola and Marcel come to realise that they were in love fourteen years ago and both soon realise that they are in love now, but they are both too proud to admit that their dalliance has become much more. Loved it.

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Review: Miss You More

Miss You More by Anne McAllister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Jack Masterson and Celina Harris fell in love fast and got married even faster. But the wheels came off their romance when Celina couldn't handle the rock 'n roll lifestyle. Two years later they are divorced but have been thrown together at the wedding of Jack's best friend the Prince of the tiny principality of San Michele, where Celina happens to be the personal assistant to San Michele’s Serene Dowager Margaret.

Jack's over his self-righteous anger and wants to explain to the only woman he's ever loved what really happened, if only she'd sit still long enough to listen. Maybe the forced proximity of a wedding party is just the opportunity he needs?

I liked this but I didn't love it. I felt that the truth behind the incident that caused the breakup was pretty weak - even if I knew the truth and my husband wasn't a famous rock star I'd be pretty ticked off. There are far better ways of achieving the same objective. Similarly, Jack's abrupt decision that he wasn't good enough for Celina felt equally manufactured.

Having said that, this was a sweet, fun romance. I mean European royalty mixing with rock stars? What's not to love right?

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Review: Someone to Wed

Someone to Wed by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wren Heyden was adopted by her aunt and uncle when she was ten years old. Before that she had a different name and was treated abominably just for having a large birthmark on her face, what we used to refer to as a port wine stain. Wren has spent the past 20 years being loved and cared for by her aunt and uncle but hiding her face from all bar a handful of people. Since the deaths of her aunt and uncle in quick succession Wren has become an extremely wealthy woman, albeit her fortune is derived from trade, but she is very lonely, so she has determined to find (aka buy) a husband.

Alexander Westcott was very happy in his life, moderately wealthy, he had through careful stewardship brought the family property back into the black after years of losses. But when he inherited the title Earl of Riverdale he also inherited a vast estate in need of serious investment, but the wealth went to the late Earl's daughter by his first, and only legitimate, marriage. The only way that Alex can put the estate to rights is to marry a wealthy woman.

At first Wren's blunt marriage proposal shocks Alex, but no sooner has he started to seriously consider the idea than she rescinds her offer, the thought of having to meet people without the shield of her veil to hide her birthmark is too much to contemplate.

This is as much a novel about having the courage to be yourself as it is about a marriage of convenience turned love-match. Through Alex's prompting and encouragement, assisted by his family, Wren learns that her birthmark is startling but does not make her into a monster that frightens children (or animals for that matter). It even gives her the courage to confront her past.

I am reading this series rather haphazardly. Suffice it to say that there is an army of Westcotts, siblings, cousins, step-cousins, aunts etc. No-one could ever keep them straight so my advice is don't even bother LOL.

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Review: Christmas at the Island Hotel

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to the tiny Scottish island of Mure. As Christmas approaches Flora Mackenzie is desperately trying to get The Rock, the hotel on the tip of the island, ready for its grand opening. Flora is supposed to be on maternity leave but her brother Fintan, the owner of The Rock, hasn't got over the death of his husband/partner Coltan and is as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Meanwhile, Konstantin, the errant Norwegian son of the Duke of Hordaland, is given an ultimatum by his father: do a real job or he will be disinherited. Konstantin is stripped of his credit cards, his cars and his mobile phone and sent to work as a kitchen hand at The Rock.

Can Konstantin grow up, work hard and find romance? This is Jenny Colgan, you bet he can!

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Review: The Burry Man's Day

The Burry Man's Day by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dandy Gilver and her friend Daisy are invited to visit an old school friend Freddy who has married an American (Cadwallader) and returned to Queensferry where the two of them have rebuilt a ridiculous castle, complete with dungeons. Their visit coincides with the centuries old Ferry Fair, a tradition which is the cause of much strife since it involves a local resident donning a costume made of burrs and walking around the town taking a nip of whisky at every stop. For some reason, although they are newcomers to the town and there are several other families with more right to host the Fair, Freddy and Cad have been invited by the townsfolk to open the Fair and hand out prizes for bonniest baby and best fancy dress costume etc. Their sudden elevation may have something to do with the vociferous protests of the local temperance supporters and as a consequence Robert Dudgeon, Burry Man for the past 25 years, has come to Cad the night before the Ferry Fair to resign. Cad and Dandy manage to persuade Robert to continue but that could have been a mistake when Robert drops dead from alcohol poisoning at the end of the day.

At first Dandy feels guilty about persuading Robert to be the Burry Man with such tragic results but a series of strange incidents suggest there may be more to his death than first suspected.

I am really pleased because I guessed part of the plot quite early on, but I didn't guess all the elements (or indeed the murderer) and what makes these stories so good in my opinion is the way that the clues are scattered through the book, there to be picked up by the discerning reader or to be recalled ruefully when their relevance is disclosed later in the book - I'm thinking specifically of the two Conshies.

What I also love is the ring of authenticity about these books, if I didn't know better I would believe that they were written in the 1920s. Now I'm not claiming any great knowledge of the period, the books may be completely anachronistic, but they feel real. The attitudes of the landed gentry, the way in which Cad behaves quite reasonably but is looked at askance by the locals, the interactions between rich and poor etc.

Really enjoying this series.

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Review: Bury Her Deep

Bury Her Deep by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Our intrepid private detective Mrs Dandy Gilver is invited by one of her husband's friends the Reverend Mr Tait to his small hamlet near Fife to investigate a series of attacks on women as they leave the monthly Scottish Women's Rural Institute (SWRI or the Rural) meetings. The local police have dismissed the claims as hysteria, others claim the attacker is a spirit in thrall to the Devil, others claim it is a newcomer to the area, Jockie Christie, some wonder if it is a local man trying to prevent the Rural from meeting.

Dandy enters a region of superstition and secrets, but there doesn't seem to be any pattern to the attacks, although there seems to be a tenuous connection to the excavation of a local ancient burial chamber and the discovery of a skeleton of a young girl lying on the floor of the chamber. Half the villagers want to give her a christian burial in the churchyard, the other half fear she was a witch or other criminal and don't want her on sacred ground.

As her trusty side-kick Alec masquerades as an artist drawn to the local scenery things build to a crescendo.

I liked this least of the four books I have read in this series. I found it difficult to distinguish one farmer's wife from another and the premise was a bit fanciful, or perhaps I should say there were two plots each of which was a bit fanciful, put the two together and I was left a little underwhelmed. However, I loved the insights into the reason for a morning room (makes so much sense) and I was amused that neither Dandy nor Alec had ever made coffee in their lives!

On to the next one.

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Review: Forged

Forged by Benedict Jacka
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've read the Alex Verus series from the beginning, I have to say I miss the old Alex, the almost powerless mage who kept his head down and sold magical items in Camden Town. Then as the books went on he didn't really get any more powerful but he gained a whole slew of very powerful enemies. the books got darker and darker, it seemed like Alex was doomed. I have to be honest, I gave up part way through book 9 because it was too bleak and Alex looked like he was losing badly. Then I saw this ARC available on NetGalley, not even realising that I had completely missed book 10, and requested it on a whim.

Things have changed for Alex, he's turned to the dark side, gained a fateweaver and become more powerful. He's lost some wonderful friends (farewell Arachne) and some have aligned with others and become adversaries (Anne), he's fighting back and if the Light Council won't back off then he'll make them.

Honestly there is no downtime in this book, from the very first pages to the last Alex is battling one enemy after the other. It's fast, its frantic and OMG he's changed.

It was a struggle to remember who was who, I won't lie, but that didn't matter as I was bowled along in one magical battle after another, hoping that Alex can wrestle Anne from the clutches of the Jinn, scared that he won't. Trying to second guess which of Alex's allies might be an agent for one of his enemies, bouncing from shadow realm to reality and back again.

Obviously don't start reading this if you've not read of the previous books, but if you like magic and intrigue and battles and double-crosses then this is definitely the one for you.

Word of caution, I was expecting this to be the big finale, it isn't and it ends quite abruptly but I'm absolutely desperate to read book 12.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.



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Review: Best Made Plans

Best Made Plans by Jessica Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

This is the second in a series of four books written by different authors centring around the marriage of an English woman called Hope Kennard to Jonas Reval, the Prince of a small country called San Michele. Max is Hope's older brother and owner of Hasebury Hall in Wiltshire, since he inherited the property he has done his best to extricate the family from the financial difficulties caused by their profligate/criminal father. He's just about solvent but the announcement that his sister wants to get married in the local church and have the reception at Hasebury Hall has thrown a spanner in the works. Max will do anything for his little sister but this is going to stretch him financially and socially.

Flora Deare is a renowned chef, particularly of pastries and one of Hope's best friends, usually based in London she came home to look after her grandparents until they died, running her cake business from their cramped kitchen. She has been chosen to cater the royal wedding and to facilitate matters she has moved her business into the Hall's spacious kitchens. Flora has always had a crush on Max but a curly-haired, curvaceous chef can't compare to the cool, leggy, ex-models like his wife that Max is used to date.

Max is a harassed, somewhat grumpy, single dad (can you say that if the children generally live with the mother?), drawn against his will to the effervescent Flora, distributor of real coffee and creator of delicious cakes, who lights up his gloomy Hall.

Flora feels like a frumpy, short, troll compared with the procession of sophisticated women that Max's ex-wife sets him up with, but she can't help but feel a frisson of something every time they get close.

When Hope tells Max he must have a plus-one for the wedding and pre-wedding celebrations in San Michele what could be simpler than going with Flora? And faking a relationship to satisfy Jonas' uptight sister-in-law isn't difficult? But with Max set on living in Wiltshire and Flora determined to return to London can this opposites-attract romance get off the ground?

I had a Kindle full of NetGalley ARCs to be read, plus loads of other books but after Saturday afternoon's announcement of London going into Tier 4 COVID restrictions (effectively cancelling my plans for Christmas Dinner with my parents), I was looking for something comforting, something gentle and life-affirming, and this was just the ticket.

Recommended if you are looking for a opposites-attract romance set in a picturesque village, with a royal wedding thrown in.

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Review: After the Armistice Ball

After the Armistice Ball by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Having read an ARC of the latest Dandy Gilver book I was interested enough to go back to the very beginning and see where it all began.

The year is 1922, Dandy Gilver is invited to her friend Daisy's annual Armistice Ball, an event which has become increasingly tense as Daisy and her husband Silas Esslemont seem oblivious to the penury of their guests and blithely raise funds for charity, pondering whether to decline this year Dandy is called by Daisy herself with a garbled request for assistance. There has been some unpleasantness involving Mrs Lena Duffy and her fabulous diamonds, she claims that the diamonds were stolen when she stayed the night at the Esslemont's house (albeit not discovered until much later) and is demanding that Silas' insurance company pays up, despite a little irregularity with the premiums. Daisy wants Dandy to find out what really happened to the diamonds, before Mrs Duffy follows through on her threat to disclose some unnamed secret to the world.

At first Dandy doesn't know who to believe, is Silas being unreasonable and a bit common in hiding behind the rules of the insurance company, one which he owns? Or is Mrs Duffy asking him to commit fraud? How were the diamonds taken out of the safe several times since the stay at the Esslemont's without anyone realising that they were fake? Why did Mrs Duffy's younger daughter Cara take the diamonds to a strange jeweller to be valued rather than to the family jeweller?

I won't divulge anything further, suffice it to say that the theft leads to a murder in which Dandy becomes embroiled. I enjoyed watching her theorise one way and then another, I absolutely hate it when the detective just delivers the culprit as a fait accompli - at school we were always told to show our workings LOL. I did guess the murderer and the motive, sort of, but I really enjoyed the way the threads were unravelled and that Catriona McPherson didn't actually spell out the truth at all - it was all left to the reader to deduce.

If you are a fan of historical detective stories featuring the upper classes, if not actually the aristocracy, such as Ashley Weaver's Amory Ames, or Allison Montclair's Sparks and Bainbridge, or Anna Lee Huber's Verity Kent series then I think you will love these as well.

Off to book 2.

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Review: Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection

Tales from the Folly: A Rivers of London Short Story Collection by Ben Aaronovitch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How to describe this anthology? First, if you are new to the world of Peter Grant and the Rivers of London series I DO NOT recommend reading this to see if you like the premise. This is a mixture of short stories, vignettes and tantalising ideas featuring Peter and some of the minor characters from the novels, some written at the request of the British bookshop Waterstones, others for specific purposes like the London 2012 Olympics (although I believe that may also have been at the request of Waterstones).

Some stories I had read before, others were new to me. At the current reduced price of £1.99 I thought it was very good value but I think I would balk at paying the full price for something which is only 227 pages long and includes some material which is already available FOC on Ben's website.

Having had my obligatory moan about the price of ebooks, if you love the Rivers of London then I think you will enjoy meeting stroppy ghosts, a Christmas spirit, seeing the 'birth' of two rivers, and meeting the original Dedicated Follower of Fashion.

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Review: An Ivy Hill Christmas

An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Two and a half stars.

This Christmas novella is clearly part of an ongoing series, I haven't read any of the preceding novels and whilst I happily read it as a standalone I wonder whether I would have derived more enjoyment if I had met the characters previously.

Richard Brockwell is a satirical writer and secret novelist, he lives the happy life of a bachelor in London until his mother forces him home to Ivy Hill for Christmas with the threat of cutting off his income. Richard only has bad memories of Ivy Hill, memories which have made him determined not to marry.

Of course when he arrives it transpires that his mama has been matchmaking and has invited Arabella Awdry and family to stay for Christmas. Richard is determined to thwart his mother's plans, but finds himself attracted to Arabella despite himself.

For her part, Arabella is a bit of a prig, wanting to do good and work for charity yadda, yadda. An old family friend, she overheard a conversation involving Richard years ago which painted him in a very poor light, she has never spoken of it to anyone but has thought the worse of Richard ever since. Then she has no sooner arrived than she overhears him being insufferably pompous and rude about her sister (as an aside, she overhears a lot of things, I suspect she is an eavesdropper!).

As the festivities progress Richard finds himself being drawn into more charitable behaviour, and reconciles with the family of his childhood friend, but there are misunderstandings to overcome before he can find his way to love.

What spoilt this for me was the vaguely sanctimonious air, a bit like some of those Victorian novels where only belief in god and a pious life will save you. Although the religion was light there were a few too many references to god for my liking. (view spoiler)[Also, who puts the scene where the hero and heroine finally fall into each other arms in the epilogue FFS? (hide spoiler)]

Overall, it was a slog to finish this book and although not badly written I don't think I would choose to read another book in this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Someone to Romance

Someone to Romance by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gabriel Rochford left England in disgrace 13 years ago, like the A-Team accused of a crime that he didn't commit (well actually two crimes). He settled in Boston and went into business with his uncle, making a small fortune of his own. He had no intention of returning to England, despite having inherited the title Earl of Lyndale and a stately home six years ago on the death of his uncle, until he receives notification that a dear family friend is being evicted by the heir presumptive. He returns to England reluctantly, under his mother's maiden name of Thorne, determined to do what is right, even if it means marrying and producing the requisite heir and a spare.

Lady Jessica Archer has finally determined to seek love and marriage at the grand old age of 25 years, long after her doting family have despaired of her ever marrying, but none of her coterie of eligible gentlemen has roused even the slightest flutter in her heart. Then two very different gentlemen arrive on the marriage mart: the mysterious and mildly grumpy Mr Thorne; and the devastatingly attractive and charming Anthony Rochford, who just happens to be the son of Manley Rochford, the heir presumptive to the Earl of Lyndale. If the missing heir does not materialise within seven years of inheriting the title he is presumed dead and Manley will inherit everything; apparently he is jumping-the-gun and moving in early.

When Gabriel first meets Jessica he finds her snooty and entitled, yet oddly she is the woman he decides to marry, perhaps her entitlement will help smooth over the old rumours about his past. For her part, Jessica is attracted to Gabriel but she is frustrated that he only seems to value Lady Jessica's position and not the real her. If he wants to marry her he will have to 'romance' her, get to know and like the woman behind the title and the aristocratic family.

I have read other reviews which have complained that seven Westcott novels have resulted in a cast of, what feels like, hundreds of aunts, uncles, cousins, step-siblings et al. I have sympathy with those views, it seemed as though every other chapter had a dinner or a ball in which myriad relatives of Jessica's conspired, interfered and generally tried to remind the reader of the previous novels. I have only read two of the previous novels and so much of the reminders were lost on me, although I did remember Anna and Avery.

Overall, Mary Balogh does not disappoint with her sassy heroine and principled hero, her dastardly villains and her gorgeous portrayal of the British aristocracy. Loved it.

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Review: The Mirror Dance

The Mirror Dance by Catriona McPherson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

2020 has been the year that resurrected my love of the historical mystery aka the cosy mystery. In my teens and 20s I devoured some of the greats: Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Dorothy L Sayers etc. If there was a member of the British aristocracy solving a crime then I loved it. Time passed, my tastes changed, and TBH they all started to feel a bit same-same. Then 2020 happened and suddenly all I wanted to read (apparently) were historical detective stories. Ashley Weaver, Allison Montclair and Anna Lee Huber appeared on my radar. I think the stylistic covers drew me in to start with. Anyhoo, a long-winded way of explaining why I requested an ARC of this book, despite it being the 15th book in the series!

Dandy Gilver lives on a country estate in Scotland. A 50-something year old woman with a husband and adult children, in fact a grandmother. She and a (younger) male neighbour called Alec have had some success in solving mysteries with, I gather, some assistance from her husband Hugh and her lady's maid Grant. One sleepy Sunday afternoon Dandy receives a call from a magazine owner in Dundee asking her to intervene with a Punch and Judy show which is using copyrighted images of their cartoon characters in its act.

A rainy Bank Holiday Monday excursion with her female employees to Dundee to see the Punch and Judy show ends in tragedy when Dandy discovers his body, foully murdered (as they say). An impossible murder, with an invisible murderer in front of an observant audience, a plethora of red herrings and impossibilities, a link to a similar murder 50 years earlier and a behind-the-scenes look at the art of the theatre.

I came to this book fresh and, although it is the 15th book in a series, I found it easy to read as a stand-alone. I love the harking back to a different era, with different moral values, different standards and yet still an era in a state of change.

On to the mystery, I was on the right lines, I caught some of the clues, and yet I didn't guess the murderer. Satisfying, plausible, clever and ultimately satisfying. I will definitely read more of this series.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Little Christmas Hope

A Little Christmas Hope by Kathryn Freeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What do you get if you mix a newly-promoted headmistress of a small town school, a bad boy actor who has just been written out of a hospital soap opera and a Christmas school play? Why, a charming holiday romance with all the feels, that's what.

Anna Dalton has suffered years of interminable Christmas school plays directed by a worthy, but unimaginative teacher. Dan Ramsey's reputation is in the gutter following his being written out of a long-running hospital soap opera which led to a series of photos of him stumbling out of nightclubs with scantily-clad women and an article which accuses him of abandoning his son. In an attempt to improve his image Dan's agent suggests he volunteer at his childhood school, as the Head, Anna sees Dan's offer as an opportunity to revive the school play, she is under no illusions as to the reason for his offer.

As a single mother, Anna is horrified by the article about Dan, but after seeing him with the kids at her school she starts to mellow. If ballroom dancing lessons with OAPs, cute moppets rehearsing for a Christmas play, charming actors and a feel-good romance sounds too good to miss then I recommend this book.

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Review: Chasing Cassandra

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gah! Read it, loved it, forgot to write a review.

Tom Severin is a self-made man, a railway magnate, used to getting everything he wants. As soon as he lays eyes on Cassandra Ravenel he wants her and is determined to get her. Cassandra may find Tom fascinating but she has no intention of marrying without love, until her reputation is in jeopardy - then she accepts a marriage of convenience but only on her own terms.

The battle of wits between these two was fun, the reader can see that Tom is in love with Cassandra but he just doesn't realise it.

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Review: Sexton Blake's Allies

Sexton Blake's Allies by Mark Hodder
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I recognised the name Sexton Blake, although I had not read any of the books or seen the 1960s tv series, and so I took a chance and requested an ARC as I am a fan of late 19th/early 2oth century detective novels.

What I hadn't appreciated was that the Sexton Blake 'franchise' (for want of a better word) spanned 85 years, 4,000 stories and around 200 different authors (thank you Wikipedia). This book is a collection of three short stories featuring three of Sexton Blake's allies.

The first story, featuring James 'Granite' Grant involves a trip on the Orient Express, a cockney criminal, stolen jewels and a secret society. I quite enjoyed it, but I actually thought it would have been better as a full-length novel because it relied quite heavily on two different people having the same 'thing' in order to unravel the mystery. It also felt as though the story was over before it was begun, too much 'cor blimey guv' dialogue and desperate chases across Europe and not enough detection. I also found it telling that the editor felt it necessary to tell the reader that he had excised numerous repetitions of 'Sonny' from Granite Grant's dialogue.

I'm afraid I gave up on the second story as it featured a mysterious murder by what appears to be death driving a truck, and then inexplicably cut to a criminal being released from Sing-Sing after spending 7 years in jail for robbery. The difference between the two writing styles was too jarring and as an entry into Sexton Blake's world I found it all a bit bewildering.

Overall, this felt a bit like fan fiction, featuring minor characters, set the story in any place at any time, change up the writing style and just tag it 'Allies of Sexton Blake'. I would say this is aimed more at fans of Sexton Blake who want something more. I certainly didn't get any indication that Sexton Blake was as brilliant as Sherlock Holmes or as daring as James Bond in what I read, in fact he seemed incidental to the plots.

Lovely cover though.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Not the Duke's Darling

Not the Duke's Darling by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Freya de Moray has been living undercover for five years as a lady's companion in her role as Macha for the secret society of Wise Women. She has been recalled to Scotland but has one last mission, to prevent a Witch Act being passed in Parliament that will result in Wise Women being persecuted as witches rather than the progressive, feminist, intellectual society that they are. The person championing the Witch Act is Lord Randolph and Freya hopes to find something untoward about his wife's death and hasty burial that may result in his disgrace. She manages to persuade her employer to accept an invitation to a house party at Baron Lovejoy's country estate, which just happens to lie close to Lord Randolph's home.

On a mission to rescue a baby being withheld from his mother, Lady Brightwater, by her brother-in-law, Freya runs across her childhood crush, Christopher Renshaw, now the Duke of Harlowe. Fifteen years ago there was a terrible incident (fair warning it is never truly explained and is clearly an arc across several books), dubbed the Greycourt Tragedy, in which Freya's brother Ran was badly maimed, Freya blames Christopher for this tragedy and is incensed to see that he is wearing Ran's signet ring. Or is she more incensed that he doesn't recognise her from the 12 year old girl she was when they last saw each other?

Christopher was disgraced by the Greycourt Tragedy and he was summarily married and exiled to India by his parents. After a series of unfortunate events Christopher was orphaned and inherited the Dukedom with all its wealth, but it hasn't brought him happiness. His wife died in exile and he is being blackmailed by someone who has some of her love letters. He agrees to meet his blackmailer at a country house party, hosted by his brother-in-law, Baron Lovejoy. He has no friends and no family and has lived as a recluse ever since he returned to the UK.

To add further intrigue, two of the other house guests are Messalina and Lucretia Greycourt, sisters of Aurelia Greycourt whose death lies at the heart of the Greycourt Tragedy.

I've read a lot of negative opinions about this book, not least that it is set at least 50 years prior to the Regency period in which it is advertised as being set (I hope that sentence makes sense). All I have to say is that I read the second book in the series and found that much easier to understand once I had read this book and gleaned the backstory. Yes, I disliked the Wise Women story which seemed a lot of detail just to create a reason for Freya to go to the house party, but otherwise I like the idea of three families of childhood friends rent asunder by a terrible tragedy when they were all still in their late teens by a terrible tragedy, one which has left their mark (literally and figuratively) on all of them.

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Review: Thank You, Next

Thank You, Next by Sophie Ranald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I first met Zoe in Sophie Ranald's novel Just Saying where she was the heroine's boyfriend's gorgeous ex-girlfriend (the one that got away), so it was a bit of a shock to see her re-imagined here as a short frizzy-haired girl whose hair is more ginger than auburn.

Zoe hasn't been on a date in forever and hasn't had sex in even longer so when her sous-chef Robbie suggests she uses Tinder to find a date she decides to combine it with her horoscope app and date men according to their star-sign. Just so that she doesn't mess it up, she decides to start with the signs that are least compatible with her as an Aquarian. What follows is a series of painful dates (and non-dates) with some truly weird men. Maybe this resonates with women closer to Zoe's age but I didn't find it funny, more cringeworthy, and Zoe's inability to extricate herself from these situations just felt like she was a bit of a doormat.

Then Zoe finds someone who feels like he could be 'the One', they like the same food, the same films, the same causes, the same music. But could it be that having the same taste doesn't necessarily lead to love?

Centred around a South London pub called the Ginger Cat where Zoe works as a chef, this book doesn't shy away from some of the less pleasant aspects of dating.

I liked it but I didn't love it.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Finding Love at the Christmas Market

Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Connie is a divorced single mother of a college-age son. She delivers sub-standard meals on wheels for her employer to the residents of a care home for the elderly, supplemented by her home baking. She has been dating half-heartedly but has been conned out of her life savings by a man who ghosted her. Then one of the residents signs her up to online dating and Connie has been messaging a man called Heinrich who lives in Germany.

When her son announces that he is spending Christmas with his new girlfriend and her family skiing, Connie agrees to drive the care home residents to Germany to scatter the ashes of one of their friends at a Christmas market, they suggest combining the trip with a visit to meet Heinrich.

This book was a slow burn for me. I requested an ARC when I was in a festive mood but then didn't really engage with the interfering old people and found Connie to be a rather unbelievable 41 year old woman, too naïve and keeping a checklist of admirable qualities in a date just because her son told her to! But once the group reached Germany and the charming Christmas market the book began to pick up pace.

Overall, I did enjoy reading this but I would definitely place this in the Hallmark Christmas movie category. No-one ends up alone or unhappy, everything is resolved with a little bit of Christmas cheer. Recommended to read while sitting in front of a log fire, eating mince pies and drinking hot chocolate. If that sounds like your worst nightmare I would suggest avoiding this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: A Wedding in the Country

A Wedding in the Country by Katie Fforde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Warning - this book is set in the 1960s.

Lizzie is a sheltered Home Counties middle-class girl who comes to London in 1963 to attend Cookery School in her mother's fervent hopes that she then be able to catch Mr Right (eg a man in a well-paid job). If you have ever seen the start of the film Thoroughly Modern Millie, the start of this book is very similar as Lizzie gets a radical new asymmetric hair cut and dolly bird clothes (strange that Lizzie thinks that being a Dolly Bird is glamorous!). At first Lizzie is living with her aunt Gina in up-market Chelsea but when that falls through she ends up sharing a dilapidated house in Belgravia with two of her class mates, a small dog and an actor.

See the swinging sixties through the eyes of a young woman as she leaves home for the first time. Can she forge a life for herself in London, gasp and get a job, or will her mother get her engaged and married off in no time?

Setting this book in the 1960s works well for Katie Fforde's brand of heroine, because they are always artistic (Lizzie is a genius with a sewing machine and she has a talent for arranging flowers), and slightly innocent, ie married at a young age or only ever had one serious boyfriend, ill-at-ease with men, and this works well in the context of a sheltered girl from the Home Counties being introduced to wicked London. There are dinner parties and country house parties and beatniks and aristocratic gels just doing the Season don't you know!

This was lovely, just what I expect from Kate Fforde and I practically read it in one sitting. Two minor niggles. One is a bit spoilery (view spoiler)[running away? Really? (hide spoiler)] and the other is that I'm not sure the title is right. Otherwise, sublime.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Ride the Tide

Ride the Tide by Julie Ann Walker
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 39%.

OMG, how can I have read nearly half a book and all I can remember is angst about some woman trying to lose her virginity to a special forces operative with more angst than a teenage girl.

There's a fine line to tread with spec-ops romances. The men have to be tough and sexy and maybe a bit mysterious, the women have to be 'special': clever, feisty, talented, or something else. There has to be danger, high octane action, tension and crackling chemistry between the hero and heroine. Maybe it's me, maybe its because I started reading this book four months ago but honestly I didn't get any of the above.

As a personal aside, as a 50-something year old woman, the idea that a woman worries about losing her virginity and makes a big deal of it seems (frankly) pathetic. You either care or you don't. I honestly don't think anyone else is the slightest bit bothered or would even notice.

Overall, if I'm 39% into a book and I have no clue as to the plot, the bad guys, and I don't have the feels for the hero and heroine then I'm going to pass.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: When a Rogue Meets His Match

When a Rogue Meets His Match by Elizabeth Hoyt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Gideon is the Duke of Windermere's fixer and bully boy, born in the slums of St Giles he has done whatever he has to in order to claw his way out of the gutter. Now, he's ready to quit but the Duke has one last request, and the reward is beyond Gideon's wildest dreams, the hand in marriage of the Duke's niece Messalina.

The Duke of Windermere is vicious and conniving but he has blackmailed Messalina into accepting Gideon's hand by threatening to force her younger sister into marriage instead. Then Gideon offers her a compromise, a marriage in name only unless she chooses otherwise.

This is an enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, opposites attract kind of romance. Gideon may be a commoner and have done some very questionable things in his lifetime, but he has a heart as big as a house and is determined to help others. Messalina may be a kind and gentle aristocrat but she has never thought about the plight of the poor.

After their marriage Gideon finds he has agreed to perform a task which will alienate Messalina forever, he also has to cope with multiple attacks on him and Messalina are they coincidence or the work of the Duke? Or even Messalina's two brothers?

I enjoyed this novel, as I do most of Elizabeth Hoyt's books. The characters are believable, engaging and the dialogue is sharp and snappy. I had two small niggles. Firstly, I felt I had read the plot before (I honestly thought it was an Elizabeth Hoyt book as well) and therefore the identity of the person behind the attacks was not in the least bit a surprise to me. Secondly, I thought the intimate scenes were a bit rinse and repeat and therefore a bit boring. Finally, a personal foible, I loathe the words quim and cunny and I wish they could be expunged from all historical romances!

As always, I focus more on the negatives than the positives. Gideon was a dark, dangerous, yet vulnerable hero. Messalina was a kind, family-orientated woman who is willing to see the truth when her eyes are opened. There are cute moppets, ridiculously cute dogs, irritating siblings and scheming uncles. All the perfect ingredients for a rip-roaring historical romance.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Crown in Time

A Crown in Time by Jennifer Macaire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the far future time travel has been perfected, but it is only for the wealthy elite, except when a visitor from the future has altered the timeline, then they send in a convicted criminal, a 'Corrector' to restore the timeline.

Isobel is serving life in prison, being used as a human egg donor, for a heinous crime. Then she is offered a one way trip to 1270. A time-travelling historian accidentally discussed the child crusades in front of a hot-headed young noble, although personally insignificant his descendants should have eventually ruled France but by overhearing a conversation not meant for his ears Jean de Bourbon-Dampierre was aset on a course which would lead to his death fighting the Infidels in Tunis.

Isobel's mission is clear, get Jean to return to his home in France safely and thereby save the crown of France. If she achieves her mission she cna live out the rest of her life in the past. Fail and she will be erased from time.

Isobel has received some training, mainly through the Tempus University's Corrector's Handbook, unfortunately it turns out to be full of plain wrong or unhelpful advice such as try to stay indoors at night and avoid taverns and rowdy gatherings.

I'm a sucker for a time-travel novel and I was intrigued by a novel focused on the time of the Crusades, just before the Inquisition had taken hold of France when society had very different views about sex and nudity. I found it all fascinating. As a keen reader of these novels however, I was not surprised at the plot twist (if I can call it that), but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I really enjoyed the way in which Jennifer Macaire brought to life the difference between an intellectual knowledge of the fate of historical figures and knowing those individuals personally and being affected by their deaths.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and I will be looking for Ms Macaire's back-catalogue to read more.

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Review: In Pursuit of Happiness

In Pursuit of Happiness by Freya Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jo Campbell is leading a very safe life in her beloved Derry. Presently living with her mother and six-year old sister while her father is working in Dubai, she co-owns a bar with her brother Noah but dreams of one day being a famous writer. She hasn't even dated since she came back from her job as a holiday rep in Spain a few years ago.

Safe, but maybe a bit boring? Definitely in a rut.

Then two things happen to shake up Jo's life. Her neighbour's grandson Lorcan comes to visit from England and her BFF, who happens to own the local bookshop, sends Jo's manuscript to a famous author who is about to visit the bookshop for a book reading. Suddenly Jo is faced with some very real and exciting opportunities, but does she have the courage to take them? And are they mutually exclusive?

I've been in a bit of a slump with the cozy British romances recently so I started this book with trepidation, and I have to admit it didn't grab me at first. But soon the novelty (for me) of a contemporary romance set in Northern Ireland and the engaging characters won me over. I believe this is the second book in a series but it could definitely be read as a stand-alone.

Cute, charming, funny and choc full of lovable characters without trying too hard this was just the book to lift me out of my reading slump and make me feel good.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Remedy In Time

A Remedy In Time by Jennifer Macaire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Robin Johnson is a scientist who has made a study of typhoid. The year is 3377, the world is very different and is being ravaged by a deadly variety of typhoid which is 100% fatal. When time-travelling scientists believe the strain has somehow been brought forward from the last Ice Age Robin is hand-picked to be sent back 12,000 years to bring back samples that might help to create a vaccine.

But things rapidly go downhill. Robin's companion, the survival specialist dies almost as soon as they arrive in the past, apparently killed by the implant designed to dissolve any evidence of the future, an implant which was not supposed to trigger until after they had returned to the present. When Robin reviews her companion's backpack, she is surprised by what he has (and hasn't) brought with him but she soon discovers that he was not what he seemed to be. Now she must fend for herself until she is rescued, fighting off Sabre-toothed Tigers, Mammoths and other extinct creatures.

I see that Jennifer Macaire has written several other time travel novels, I'm not sure whether this is a spin-off series or a continuation of an existing series, but it was easy to read as a stand-alone novel. I liked that Robin had all the accoutrements of her modern life in the Ice Age, her medbot and her floating screen.

Can Robin survive long enough to gather the data to create a vaccine?

I liked the cover art, reminded me of Jodi Taylor's books, so when I saw the endorsement from Jodi I had to request an ARC, good job because I bloody loved this, I don't want to spoil the story by giving away anything more, suffice to say the Ice Age bores me to tears and dinosaurs the same, yet this was poignant, dramatic, intriguing and yet (despite the subject matter) totally believable.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: A Surprise Christmas Wedding

A Surprise Christmas Wedding by Phillipa Ashley
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

DNF at 55%.

Lottie was devastated when her fiancé Connor broke off their engagement, especially when her beloved sister is diagnosed with cancer. One year later and she has a new job as events manager at Firholme, a newly restored country estate. She is thrilled when she is asked to arrange a wedding at short notice, it will be a chance to showcase the beautiful house at Christmas. But she is devastated to discover that the groom is non-other than her ex. His mother is ill and they want to arrange a surprise wedding before they return to Australia.

Lottie is drawn to the new, rather reclusive, Firholme estate manager Jay who lives in the estate cottage next door to her, but Jay has issues of his own.

This just felt so slow for me. I kept picking it up, reading a few chapters and putting it down. Eventually I decided if I had read over half and it hadn’t grabbed my attention, it was time to give up. Not even curiosity about Connor’s dodgy behaviour is enough to keep me reading.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: Hell's Spells

Hell's Spells by Devon Monk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Welcome to Ordinary, the small town where gods and goddesses come to vacation.

Delaney Reed is the police chief of Ordinary, she removes the gods’ powers from them when they come to the town to live like normal people.

In this book, Delaney is dealing with a demon queen, who likes to masquerade as a pink unicorn, a demon trying to force her to break a contract, and a series of mysterious thefts. Oh, and Death (aka Than) has a common cold. Also Ryder, her boyfriend, is avoiding her. Did I mention the Dragon pig?

This series is quirky and funny and just gets better. Apparently this is the start of a new series arc - I can’t wait.

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Review: A Deception at Thornecrest

A Deception at Thornecrest by Ashley Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amory and Miles Ames are living at their country estate, Thornecrest, in Kent awaiting the birth of their first child. Then a young woman arrives claiming that she is married to Milo and a series of events are put in train, leading to two deaths in the village centred around the village fete.

I do enjoy these mysteries. Having read all of Agatha Christie's novels (I think) I can see the influence, the gathering together of all suspects at an event, the multiple motives, the finale where all the suspects are brought together once more. More than anything however, I enjoy that whilst I couldn't see which of the (very) likeable characters was the murderer, the denouement was very satisfying.



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Review: Shame the Devil

Shame the Devil by Rosalind James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jennifer Cardello got pregnant at 15. Now, eighteen years later, she is the property manager for former NFL quarterback Blake Orbison's Wild Horse resort, now that the resort is finished Blake doesn't need her anymore. Blake is a good guy, he's offered Jennifer jobs elsewhere or to set her up with some of his former teammates who need a personal organiser, to help her think through her options he offers her a holiday in Yellowstone Snow Lodge with her boyfriend, but Jennifer chooses to take her daughter Dyma instead.

Harlan Kristiansen is an NFL wide receiver. He's spending time with Owen, one of his younger teammates, rather than with his family or friends in the run-up to the Superbowl after flubbing a catch which means his team is sitting out this year's game.

Harlan and Owen, Jennifer and Dyma are all staying at the lodge when their paths cross, practically literally, whilst skiing. There's an instant attraction between Jennifer and Harlan and between Dyma and Owen, but motherhood and caution and all that good stuff could get in the way.

This was such a satisfying romance: plenty of angst and drama, lots of steamy scenes (phew were they steamy! As Alan Bennett would say, I had to go and make some scones), mother and daughter tension, real-life versus NFL fantasy, chasing your dreams, learning to listen to your heart all the good stuff. I honestly can say I would happily read a novel featuring any of the side characters from this book: Owen; Dyma; any of Harlan's sisters.

I can't articulate how this series differs from her New Zealand Ever After series other than to say it feels grittier. Both series feature some fundamental life-changing events and yet for some reason this series feels bleaker, as though their lives are somehow darker. Maybe it's because the townsfolk are less kind?

Anyway all I know is that I got a banner notification on my iPhone at just gone midnight on Friday that the book had been delivered to my Kindle and I just had to start reading immediately.

Loved it.

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Review: Midnight Smoke

Midnight Smoke by Helen Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series just gets better and better!

Supe detective DC Emma Bellamy is called to reports of a suicidal vampire on top of the London Eye, then to reports of werewolves holding a bus full of humans hostage on Westminster Bridge. Both turn out to be diversions from the robbery of the Supernaturals' Bank (think Gringotts Bank) in which a number of humans and supernaturals were killed. After a disastrous day of chasing leads and getting nowhere, Emma takes a decision that will change things forever.

I think this book progresses many of the previous story arcs, except perhaps how she became a phoenix, although even that has some slight progress and the opportunity for something to be uncovered in the next book, it even signals the start of a new spin-off series.

Loved it.

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Review: Rescue Me

Rescue Me by Sarra Manning
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margot is a 36 year old, plus-sized fashion designer who lives in fashionable North London. Will is a former investment banker, burnt out, and working in his family's floristry business in North London.

After Margot is rejected by both her boyfriend and her cat she decides she is more of a dog person anyway and wants to rehome a rescue dog, something small and fluffy that she can fit into a Louis Vuitton dog bag (okay I totally made up the Louis Vuitton bit, but you get the picture). She has very clear ideas about the sort of dog she wants, the way in which the dog will fit into her life and how things will change for the better, you know lots of fun walks and dog-friendly pub lunches not so much late-night wee walks in the pouring rain and poo-bags (speaking as a dog owner).

Will has spent the last year in therapy and is desperate to break free, he feels he has made great progress in reconnecting with his family, okay he hasn't got any friends or any thoughts of a significant other (or even a date), but baby steps. In fact, Will thinks that offering to spend time with rescue dogs, maybe even take one home for a day or two could be the first steps towards engaging with others.

Margot and Will end up co-pawrenting (yes they went there) a shy female Staffy called Blossom. They are different in almost every conceivable way, apart from their devotion to Blossom. At first handover days are more akin to divorced parents exchanging children, but gradually they become closer, they could even be friends.

I don't know how Sarra Manning did this, she took frankly unlikeable individuals and slowly over the course of the book turned them into loveable characters. This book clearly shows the difference between our imagination and reality when it comes to dog owning, and makes you love Blossom anyway.

If you like gentle romances, annoying families, interfering friends and soppy dogs then I think you'll love this as much as I did.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: How To Fail at Flirting

How To Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After her abusive relationship with a fellow academic ended three years ago Dr Naya Turner has retreated into her shell, choosing to concentrate on her career as a professor specialising in maths education for English-language learners. Then her two BFFs write a crazy To-Do list for her and she ends up chatting to a handsome stranger in a bar.

Naya and Jake embark upon a relationship while he is visiting Chicago for a friend's wedding, but then it turns out that he may have an influence on Naya's future career, can she take a chance on love?

I felt that this was three different books jammed together and it didn't always work for me.

The first book was the nerdy academic has a one-night stand, humorous romance, complete with embarrassing drunkenness. It was okay but I have a low tolerance for the 'Oh, Miss Jones you are beautiful when you take off that cardigan' genre.

The second book was more rounded. The romance with a stranger who turns out to be your boss type of thing. One where the characters have ex-wives and protective friends and serious jobs. I liked this book.

The third book is where the ex-boyfriend was abusive and has come back to work in the same faculty, sending her creepy texts and threatening her. These novels have to be really well done if they don't come across as if the ex is a villain from a silent movie.

Overall, while I enjoyed the romance I didn't feel the three storylines flowed together seamlessly.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: ROCK SOLID Bonus Scenes

ROCK SOLID Bonus Scenes by Karina Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three little snippets from the ROCK SOLID series, outtakes if you will, free from Karina Bliss.

Zander meets Elizabeth's family.

The band spend Christmas in LA at Zander's home.

Lily gets pre-wedding jitters.



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Review: In The Beginning

In The Beginning by Karina Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Free 17 page novella from Karina Bliss showing that scene between Stormy and Zander, but more importantly foreshadowing Luther's novel which is coming in 2021.

Loved it.

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Review: Redemption

Redemption by Karina Bliss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you haven't read any of the previous books in this series, a brief recap. Zander was the lead singer and front man for one of the world's greatest rock bands, twice. Then his decision to lip-sync at a concert to raise funds for military veterans, to conceal the fact that his voice was failing, caused him to become rock's most loathed man and practically bankrupting himself as a result. While all this was going on, Zander engaged Elizabeth, a military historian, to write a warts-and-all biography of him. When that crashed and burned Elizabeth turned it around and wrote a best-selling memoir called In Bed With A Rock God, somewhere in the middle the egotistical singer and the academic fell in love.

But real life isn't all Happily Ever After, Zander is terrified that Elizabeth will realise that he isn't a very nice person and spends his days reading what he calls relationshit books to try and improve, although TBH most of them end up thrown on the floor in disgust. Meanwhile Elizabeth is thousands of miles away on a book tour, oh, and Zander seems to have picked up a stalker.

I love this series. I laughed (especially at Luther's dry witticism), I cried (view spoiler)[there's a funeral (hide spoiler)], there were steamy scenes and cute moppets, and a deranged stalker lest I forget. And who wouldn't want a rock god belting out Hallelujah in the shower?

And guess what? Luther, the ex-special forces bodyguard is getting his own book soon. I can't wait.

I am extremely grateful to Karina Bliss for giving me a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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Review: Six Furlongs

Six Furlongs by Mark Hayden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Tom Morton and Conrad Clarke team up to investigate the grisly murder of a mage which inevitably brings them into conflict with the magickal world.

I have to be honest I love this series but I am starting to lose track of all the characters, especially since Conrad seems to acquire a new partner in every book. Mark Hayden has foregone the list of characters at the front of this book, something I usually overlook, but this time I could have done with its assistance, especially when some characters seem to have three or four names!

This book is written predominantly from the alternate viewpoints of Conrad and Tom, I get that they are the two key characters but I also couldn't really tell their voices apart which made reading confusing. Also, despite the myriad goings-on this felt like a filler book, one that sets the scene for the upcoming battle. Enjoyable but ultimately leaving me feeling wanting.

I definitely feel I need to reread this series in preparation for the next book!

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Review: A Dangerous Engagement: Glamour and murder in Prohibition New York

A Dangerous Engagement: Glamour and murder in Prohibition New York by Ashley Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amory and Miles travel to New York for a wedding and get thrust into a world of intrigue, suspicion, bootleggers and illicit nightclubs.

Staying with the bride-to-be and her father at his swanky mansion Amory detects a lot of uneasiness. Her friend Tabitha seems uneasy about the upcoming wedding, Tabitha is worried about her father, one of the groomsmen is rumoured to be socialising with gangsters (and worse). Drawn into things against her will Amory soon finds herself playing detective again when one of the wedding party is gunned down on the steps of the mansion.

This series is growing on me, initially I thought the identity of the murderers were pretty obvious but they have become less obvious as the series progresses. I also enjoy the slow reveal of Amory and Miles' marriage as they progress from distrust and division towards something closer, I like that they no longer seem to reset to distrust at the start of every book.

I can't wait to read the next chapter of their relationship.

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Review: Once Upon a Winter Wedding

Once Upon a Winter Wedding by Jeannie Watt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In a bizarre plot twist Kara Gilroy and her fiance want to get married in a hurry but are posted overseas so rope in Kara's big brother Brant and best friend Stevie to arrange everything. As a sidebar, if you can't even spare the time to plan your own wedding then are you actually invested in the marriage?

Anyhoo, Stevie and Brant are polar opposites. Years ago Brant ripped Stevie a new one for leading Kara astray, something that hurt Stevie very badly because she was only trying to distract Kara from the pain of her parents' deaths. Forced to grow up too fast, Brant is a driven career man, even working on his annual leave. By contrast, Stevie doesn't have a full-time job, preferring to volunteer here and there.

Can these enemies stop fighting long enough to plan Kara's dream wedding?

I loved the premise, aside from the idea that neither one of a couple can be bothered to take any interest in planning their own wedding, but this just didn't have any heat or tension to pique my interest. It was pleasant enough but the steamiest it got was a brief kiss and handhold. Sadly there seemed to be more interest in setting up other books for Stevie's sisters than creating any dramatic tension.

I received a free copy of this book by the publisher Tule in return for an honest review.

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Review: Write Before Christmas

Write Before Christmas by Julie Hammerle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dani is a divorcee, former teacher, desperately looking for a new job/career to support her and her 19 year old daughter.

Matt is a fantasy writer whose series has been made into a hit TV show (think G.R.R Martin and Game of Thrones), but he seems to have a bad case of writer's block and his personal assistant has shipped him off to a holiday rental house/mansion to meet his Christmas deadline for the third and final book in the series.

Worlds collide when Matt's assistant hires Dani to be Matt's private chef and housekeeper, the added bonus, she has no idea who he is ... other than the stranger she kissed one night while out walking her dog!

Matt is fighting the TV producers who want him to write dragons in the third book and the last thing he needs is a distracting woman making his bed and cooking him delectable treats. But suddenly the words seem to flow more freely, is Dani his muse?

I really enjoyed this, but I can't put my finger on why TBH because there wasn't really any major drama, even the tension seemed muted. Maybe it's a facet of the protagonists being over 40 that they don't go for all the hand-wringing angst of the 20-somethings. Anyway, it was a charming read with likable and genuine-sounding characters. Perfect feel-good holiday romance without the saccharine.

I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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Review: An Act of Villainy

An Act of Villainy by Ashley Weaver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Our detective duo Amory and Miles are drawn into another murder investigation.

One of Amory and Miles' friends, the investor Gerard Holloway, is directing a new play in London's West End and invites them to watch the dress rehearsal. The leading lady, Flora Bell, who turns out to be Gerard's mistress, is receiving threatening, albeit vague, letters but before Amory can persuade her to contact the police she is brutally murdered on the stage while the cast and friends are attending a first night after party.

Amory and Miles investigate with the consent of their favourite detective but it seems as though everyone had a motive. Could it be her understudy Dahlia? Or the lover and co-star she spurned for Gerard? Or Gerard's wife? Or Gerard himself? Or even her ne'er do well brother Freddie? Or the villain in the play?

I have to say this ended in a way I did not see coming. Arguably no-one could have predicted the motive for the murder from the clues, and yet it didn't feel like a con on the reader. As with many readers I would like to better understand Milo's behaviour, but I think we have seen a small glimpse into his heart - only the next book will tell.

If you like Colombo and Poirot and 1930s British aristocracy then I think you will love this series.

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Review: Pansies

Pansies by Alexis Hall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alfie returns to his home town of South Shields (North of England) for his best friends' wedding. An investment banker, big, muscled and tattooed he looks the typical alpha Northern male, but he's also gay, something that his working class father is having trouble dealing with.

Overwhelmed by the contrast between his glamorous, superficial, wealthy life in London and the grittiness of his home town Alfie leaves the wedding and goes into a typical pub, only to see a delicate man wearing a pink jumper and hipster glasses with pink tips to his hair drinking a glass of rose wine. What starts off as a one-night stand turns strange when Alfie's lover turns out to be a boy he mercilessly bullied at school. He might have bullied Fen back then, but at least Fen knows who he is and is comfortable with himself whereas Alfie has no idea how to reconcile being gay with his inner voice and his ingrained beliefs.

In fact, this book is all about reconciliation for Alfie. Reconciling his career in the South with his home in the North, his relationships with his family and friends, being gay with his instincts, what he likes with what he thinks he should like.

I loved Alfie and I loved Fen, I loved their tentative relationship which is very much two steps forward and one step back, I loved everything about this romance.

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