Review: We Three Kings

We Three Kings by Kristen Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maggie Field is head of a small IT team. Although initially horrified by the guys in the team, over the last four years she has gently smoothed some of their rough edges and now they are like family, united against the rest of the firm who banished IT to the basement and forgot about them (at least until they forget a password).

An only child, her parents have gone on a cruise for Christmas so Maggie was resigned to spending the holidays alone, until her team take it upon themselves to share their very different Christmas plans with her. First Maggie is Frank's 'plus one' at a family wedding, then she spends a few days with posh Jasper and his family at their stately home, and then she spends Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with Leo and his family oop North.

But just before she leaves for Christmas, HR break the news to Maggie that she needs to make one of her team redundant. As she spends time with each of the guys she realises how much they each need their jobs, and how can she break such awful news at Christmas?

I read Kristen's last book Five Gold Rings, and although I enjoyed it it was a little too full-on for me, too many Christmas puns etc. Consequently, I was not sure whether to request an ARC when I saw this on NetGalley. I needn't have worried, whilst there is plenty of humour here, and it too is Christmas-based, it is altogether gentler, less frenetic.

Overall, a lovely, funny, holiday romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Review: The Last Word Is Death: Historical mystery novel, perfect for fans of cozy crime

The Last Word Is Death: Historical mystery novel, perfect for fans of cozy crime by Faith Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second outing for Arbie Swift, gentleman of leisure and author of the wildly successful travel book The Gentleman's Guide to Ghost-Hunting and his childhood friend/nemesis, vicar's daughter Val Coulton-James.

Arbie is visiting the Dashwood House Hotel, a newly refurbished hotel in the seaside town of Galton on the South coast. When he wrote the book he would spend a few days mooching around, doing a bit of fishing and the like, and frequent local hostelries to get tall tales of ghosts and ghoulies from the populace. He then wrote a chapters about the hotel and its surrounds and his comical attempts to spot the Headless Horseman or the White Lady. Being both informative and humorous,the book proved very popular and so his publisher is keen for Arbie to repeat his success.

As one might imagine of a vicar's daughter, Val is organised and relentless. She also has a bit of pash for Arbie. So when she discovers that Arbie is visiting the same hotel as the one her friend Beatrice has hired to celebrate her engagement, she agrees to join the engagement party. As a single woman of a certain age, her parents are hinting heavily that she should find a nice young man to marry so she thinks if only she could persuade Arbie to take her on as his assistant she could do something exciting and keep him on the straight and narrow.

The guests at the hotel, and the proprietors are a mixed group. Wealthy self-made men, society Bright Young Things, elderly but wealthy widows, antiques dealers, down-on-their luck divorcees, middle-aged women fond of a tipple, middle-aged couples, etc, its like an Agatha Christie novel brought to life.

I've really enjoyed these two books, although I find Arbie and Val hard to pin down as characters. Arbie would like to do nothing more than loaf around doing as little as possible, yet when it comes down to it he's the one with the razor sharp mind. Whereas Val might be practical and kind but she's a bit dim. DIgressing hugely, I feel that if Val did somehow trap Arbie into marriage he would be very unhappy, hounded from pillar to post by a domineering but intellectually inferior woman - he'd turn into the sort of man who hides behind a newspaper in his club. Couldn't Faith Martin give Val some qualities to make her his equal, like understanding human nature better? Even when the two of them discover clues Arbie's is front and centre whereas Val's happens offstage as it were.

Anyway, if you enjoy a sort of Brideshead/Bertie Wooster character ambling around solving crimes while trying to avoid doing any real work while a well-meaning vicar's daughter chivvies him along then you'll love this. The crimes are fiendishly complicated, lots of people have motives, but as Loyd Grossman used to say on that 1980s TV show 'The clues are there'.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Protecting What’s Mine

Protecting What’s Mine by Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes when you've got a pile of ARCs to read and none of them grab your fancy you need a palate cleanser of small-town sexy romance.

Fire Chief Lincoln Reed first meets Doctor Mackenzie O'Neill at a freeway pile-up when her helicopter airlifts the man he rescued from a burning car to hospital. Linc has lived in small-town Benevolence all his life and he loves playing the field with his flirty manner and classic good looks, he's the ultimate good time guy (with a heart). Lately however, he look around and all his friends are married and loved-up and he's starting to think he wants some of that for himself.

Mack was used to rescuing people in war zones, until she totally burned out on the adrenaline, now she's accepted a six-month part-time locum post at a small-town medical practice although keeping up her first response activities with the helicopter will continue. She's done with the meaningless one-night stands, but not yet ready to settle down - maybe a short-term no-strings fling is in order, but not with the fire chief - he's got commitment written all over him. Too bad they turn out to be neighbours ...

Obviously there's off the charts sparkage, and in a small town its inevitable that Linc and Mack are going to keep running into each other at parties, the diner, and town events. But Mack's past is murky and abusive, nothing like the Norman Rockwellesque family and friends Linc has, she has to hide her past from him.

Loved it, small town romance between the Fire Chief and the Doctor, BBQ parties, dogs and children, nosey friends, a bit of drama, lots of smexy times.

Available on KIndle Unlimited.

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Review: The Cold Light of Day

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

June 1920, Verity and Sidney are in Ireland at C's request, searching for Verity's friend and fellow wartime spy Captain Alec Xavier who has disappeared while trying to infiltrate the IRA. Tensions are mounting in Dublin as much of the populace sympathises with Sinn Fein and is actively resisting the English rule. Everyone suspects wartime hero Sidney is there in some military capacity and Verity hopes her presence will be overlooked as she frequents (in disguise) the various bars and hotels that Alec told his handler were frequented by the enigmatic Michael Collins.

Luckily, the Kents have the perfect smoke-screen for their investigations, the Viceroy has asked them to investigate the assault and subsequent suicide of the daughter of a prominent barrister, Miss Kavanagh. And of course, they are still hunting for those blasted missing gas canisters.

Verity and Sidney might love King and country, but they are not blind to the criminal mismanagement during the Great War which resulted in many more dead., and their eyes are opened wider during their stay in Dublin where English troops are practically being allowed carte blanche to terrorise the population in retaliation for the IRA's murder squads killing policemen. Walking about Dublin the Kents see the harassment and brutality first hand, so when they discover that Alec is not a spy, but now has become a member of the IRA they are shocked but not surprised.

I appear to be in the minority on NetGalley, I found this book difficult to get through. Anna Lee Huber has clearly done a lot of detailed historical research on the fight for independence in Ireland. Unfortunately, for me this research was regurgitated as a history lesson which overshadowed the story. I learned a lot about what happened, but the story got lost in translation so to speak. I've seen this before, in the previous book A Certain Darkness and I fear Verity is turning into another Maisie Dobbs who eventually became involved in what seemed like every historical incident after WW1. Do you know what, I actually welcomed the appearance of the dastardly Lord Ardmore!!

Also, Verity is very self-satisfied, accepting everyone will look at her because she's so beautiful, bleurgh.

This sort of ends on a cliffhanger, with Verity and Sidney solving the mystery of what happened to Miss Kavanagh but resolving to stay in Ireland. I do wonder whether Alec will eventually turn out to be a double agent.

Overall, a fascinating glimpse into a tumultuous time where people did unspeakable things but it needed to be a more subtle backdrop to the plot for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Gold Digger

Gold Digger by Susie Tate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THIS DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!

Sorry about the shouting, but when I read Daydreamer I REALLY wanted to read Gold Digger and find out why Oliver love/hates Lottie so much and now I have and it was awesome.

Lottie is a young woman, trying to look after her younger sister Hayley who has selective mutism. She's working several jobs, including cleaning the Duke of Buckingham's London townhouse. She might even have a bit of a crush on his Grace, but then who wouldn't have a crush on a tall, fit, good-looking billionaire? Oliver knows its inappropriate to lust after his employees, but Lottie is just so cute, and nothing like the sort of girls he normally dates.

But Oliver has been burned by girlfriends before and so when he thinks Lottie has betrayed him, without knowing all the facts, he jumps to the wrong conclusion and banishes her from his life. Unfortunately, his little sister Vicky has hired Lottie as her Executive Assistant. Oliver is convinced Lottie is trying to scam Vicky, but that pesky attraction just won't go away.

As a girl who grew up in foster care, Lottie knows she can't rely on anyone to have her back, and she needs to keep everyone happy so that she can juggle her minimum pay jobs and keep a flimsy roof over their heads. But it also made her a good reader of people and their body language, skills that she uses to help Vicky (who has autism) to navigate social situations.

When Oliver realises his mistake he'll do anything to get Lottie back, even fake an engagement (well at least until Lottie accepts he means it), but can Lottie trust him after he broke her heart before?

I loved this. Loved Olie, loved Lottie, loved Hayley and I can't wait for Mike and Vicky's book.

I received an ARC from the author via BookFunnel.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

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Review: A Very Irish Christmas

A Very Irish Christmas by Debbie Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

Cassie O'Hara is a New York events planner, but (fairly) recent events have really put her off her game. Her fiance dumped her at the altar and then married someone else, her beloved Nana Nora died just short of her 100th birthday, and of course COVID. She's been demoted to children's parties rather than the swish corporate events she used to plan and basically she can't get over it all. The approach to Christmas is the worst because her wedding was to have taken place on Christmas Eve. The thought of Christmas shopping, or spending the holidays with her judgemental mother and sister, is just too much.

Cassie's best friend June suggests Cassie spends Christmas away, visit her Nana's home country of Ireland, maybe meet Hugh Grant or one of the other English actors she used to obsess over. And so, much like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday, Cassie finds herself in the Cotswolds four weeks before Christmas. Unfortunately there has been a terrible mix-up, the charming cottage she booked and paid for is cold, dirty, and damp. Intending to console herself with a pint of Guinness in the local pub, she is beset by a stray dog, and rescued by a charming, flirtatious Irish man called Ryan and an elderly woman called Eileen who taker her in and help her get straight before going to the pub. Bemoaning her accomodation to the handsome man beside her, Cassie is horrified to discover that he is none other than her landlord Charles, Lord Bancroft. As an apology for the cottage (which was being refurbished) being left up for rental, Charles invites Cassie to stay with him and his family at the Manor.

Can the attentions of two very different men help Cassie to forget about her broken heart? Can Cassie help Charles to bring the Manor back from the brink of insolvency with her clever event planning ideas?

This is a classic feel-good holiday romance. It's gentle, there's no unnecessary drama, just a cosy small town HEA. Classic Debbie Johnson.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Things We Hide from the Light

Things We Hide from the Light by Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Police Chief Nash Morgan got into law enforcement to ensure people like his friend Lucian were treated fairly and with compassion, the very opposite of his predecessor. At the end of the first book he was shot at the side of the road and left to die. Ever since then he has felt disassociated, as if he's just going through the motions, he's having panic attacks, he can't remember the attack, and he's short-tempered. Nash is prime husband material, he wants to live in Knockemout, have kids, coach softball etc, etc.

Lina Solavita is a high-skilled insurance investigator who retrieves high-value assets for clients. She is in Knockemout looking for a stolen asset, which is linked to the man suspected of shooting Nash (although she's keeping quiet about that). After a childhood health scare Lina's parents have tried to wrap her in cotton wool and call her at least once a day, so Lina lies to them about her job and how risky it is. Oh, and she was Nash's brother's girlfriend once upon a time. Lina loves fast-paced life, travelling most of the year, the excitement, the thrill of the chase. Family and settling down aren't in her future, but if the sexy police chief who happens to live in the apartment next door wants a fling she's all in.

Add in the hunt to discover who shot Nash and this sexy, opposites attract romance is a winner.

Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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Review: Things We Left Behind

Things We Left Behind by Lucy Score
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sloane Walton is Knockemout's librarian. As a teenager she was close with their next door neighbour Lucian Rollins. Whilst Sloane's family was kind, loving, and generous, Lucian's father was a drunk and abusive. 'Something' happened when they were teens and since then they have been sworn enemies. However, when Sloane's father dies, Lucian is thrust back into her life (even more than he is normally because they have mutual friends in KNox and Nash and their significant others) and these enemies decide they have to at least pretend to play nice in the lead up to their friends' wedding.

Sloan is small-town, she wants a husband, a family, a dog, the white picket fence. Lucian is big city, a wheeler dealer with the power to make or break politicians, and enough money to make things happen, after his upbringing he doesn't want a family, afraid he could be just like his father.

They might loath each other but these opposites can't deny the sparks that fly between them - is the best way to get over it to have a one-night stand?

Sexy, funny, cute. Loved it.

Read on my Kindle Unlimited subscription.

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Review: The Camborne Killings

The Camborne Killings by Sally Rigby
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

The fourth outing for DI Lauren Pengelly and DS Matt Price. Two female former police officers have been found murdered in identical circumstances with cryptic notes left besides their bodies indicating that they may only be the first two of possibly ten murders.

Detailed investigation suggests the only link between the two women, who lived in different parts of Cornwall, is that they both worked out of Camborne Police Station in the 1990s. With the fear of further murders happening in quick succession, the team have to find out the truth fast, and it might lead them to higher echelons of their own force. But with the truth buried back 30 years ago it won't be easy.

This series is growing on me, Matt is becoming less of a smug git (albeit his sanctimonious mansplaining to Lauren of historical sexism and harassment of women in the police was a bit OTT), and Lauren is becoming a more rounded character.

Looking forward to the next one, although I would like to see more development of personal lives, at the moment its a bit same-same Matt works and can't be with his daughter Dani, Matt, Dani, Lauren and her two dogs go to the park, rinse and repeat each book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: Bad Actors

Bad Actors by Mick Herron
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Where to start?

The UK has entered the COVID years, there's an oily Downing Street disruptor (think Dominic Cummings) leading the Prime Minister around by the, let's say, nose, and a Swiss Superpredictor has vanished into thin air. Claude Whelan, former First Desk of MI5 has been tasked/blackmailed into looking into her disappearance and tries to lean on Lady Di (Diana Taverner, current First Desk at Regent's Park) with predictable results.

Rather than his usual misdirection (of which I have complained in previous books) Mick herron instead tells this story in flashbacks and real time, without giving the reader clues as to which is which.

I loved this, a combination of Slough House ineptness/bad luck and Jackson Lamb's insights keep this story gripping to the end.

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Review: A Pocketful of Diamonds

A Pocketful of Diamonds by Pam Lecky
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Three and a half stars.

This is the fourth book in a series, I haven't read the others but I didn't find that an issue.

Lucy Lawrence, now Lucy Stone, and her new husband Phineas Stone were supposed to be on their honeymoon in Paris, but Phin's sister Elvira has sent a message that her husband Conte Luca Carmosino has disappeared, the police have dismissed it as a domestic disagreement but she is beside herself with worry.

Phin is an insurance investigator, it's how he met Lucy, so the two of them rush to Lake Como in Italy to help Elvira search for Luca. Luca and Elvira were a love match, something his starchy Italian family disapproved of.

Why did Luca travel to Milan at the height of the August heat when his hotel empire was at its busiest? Who did he meet? Why did he leave his valet without a word to return to Lake Como? What was the contract he wanted to discuss with his lawyer? Why did he keep his intentions secret from his brother, and business partner, Matteo.

This was a perfectly pleasant historical cosy romance. There were certain suspects highlighted from the start and honestly, much like the stage play The Mousetrap, it could have easily been any one of them as the explanation/motive could have worked for all. I would be happy to read others in the series.

I requested an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Review: My Secret Vice: An Escapist Political Romance

My Secret Vice: An Escapist Political Romance by Alicia Wilder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cindy Wight is a newly elected Democratic member of Congress, one of the so-called Freshman Six who were swept in on a progressive three-pronged marijuana platform which seeks legalisation, decriminalisation for banking, and pardons for those previously convicted of marijuana offences. She knows that there is probably sufficient cross-party support for legalisation but that doesn't help those whose lives and incomes have been adversely affected.

Alexander Drake is dubbed the world's most eligible bachelor being the single Vice President of the United States. He's his party's inevitable nominee when the President's second term ends, provided he doesn't rock the boat. He sees the grass-roots support for legalising marijuana but getting anything else through risks alienating different factions, but he has a soft spot for the outspoken new representative so he's willing to try to reach a compromise.

Cindy's known for being a hot-heat, all too quick to speak before she thins, and it seems every thing she says to the Vice President sounds just a leetle bit flirty. But when she's championing a just cause there's no room for romance ... or is there?

But of course rumours abound in Washington and a single handsome man under sixty is a rarity sounds the rumours about Alex abound, is he gay? Is he dating a film actress? A member of the royal family? Any remotely single (or not) woman he sits next to at a formal dinner? So when Alex and Cindy are put together to try to find common ground on her bill the rumours are bound to fly.

This was an enjoyable political romance. I liked both characters, they came across as genuine grown-ups who cared about their careers as well as each other. This was the first book I have read by Alicia Wilder (I was drawn by the cover) and I will certainly look out for more.

I requested an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

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