jjares reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 3264 more book reviews

Evelyn Finch is twenty-nine years old and has decided to face the truth: She is a spinster. When a child in the family embarrasses Evelyn by commenting on her unmarried state, Mr. Finch decides to take action. He asks Gideon Payne to conduct a short courting with his daughter.

Gideon has black marks against him. A young woman was compromised through none of his doing, and Gideon was blamed. The girl's family knew the truth, but Gideon must remain silent to protect the young lady's good name. People know he's unsavory, but they don't know why. Now that Gideon has taken over his father's bank, he has difficulty because of the rumors.

Lewis Fitch, Evelyn's father, sees a potential solution to both Evelyn's singlehood and Gideon's tarnished reputation. He believes that the two can help each other and, thus, proposes the idea to Gideon. After a brief internal debate, Gideon agrees to meet Evelyn. Their first encounter is set at a party, an event orchestrated by Mr. Fitch to bring them together.

Of course, like all previous M A Nichol books, characters grow and evolve. This story was beautifully written. This leaves me to grieve the loss of Ms. Nichols. I await her latest novel (A Light in the Dark -- due on May 24, 2024). Then, I will have read her whole backlog of stories at least once. She is a wonderful writer.

Finches
The Jack of All Trades (2021)
Tempest and Sunshine (2022)
** 3. The Christmas Wish (2022)

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robin M. (robinmy) - , reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 2047 more book reviews

Torr Latimer and Abby Lyndon met at a Japanese Flower Arranging Class. Torr's arrangements were a beautiful, streamlined design. Abby had a more haphazard approach to her flowers. Torr was immediately smitten with Abby and asked her on a date. As they get to know each other, Torr discovers that someone is blackmailing Abby. He vows to protect her and find out who is behind the blackmail.

This was Jayne Ann Krentz's debut novel. I'm happy to say that her writing improved after this effort. This story was first published in 1984 and is very dated. Torr is an Alpha-Jerk who insists on always doing things his way. He is also very possessive. I don't know how many times he made statements like "I'm going to make you mine", "You belong to me", and "You're mine". I would have kicked him to the curb, but Abby was pretty much a doormat and let him get away with it. They did argue a lot throughout the book, but she would always let him have the last word.

The blackmail portion of the story wasn't well thought out. There were only two possible suspects, so it wasn't hard to figure out which person was behind it. Overall, I'd pass on this book unless JAK is a favorite author. My rating: 1 Star.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Nice family story with a father showing his love.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 1177 more book reviews

A DROP OF THE HARD STUFF is the 17th book in the Matthew Scudder series and it is also the last full-length novel in the series. It's actually a throwback to an earlier version of Scudder where he has only recently quit drinking and attending AA meetings. The novel starts off in the present with Matt having one of his late-night conversations with his friend, Mick Ballou. The discussion hinges around old times and Matt goes on to relate a story that happened to him years ago about a childhood friend named Jack Ellery. At the time, Matt was close to being one year sober and was in a relationship with his girlfriend, Jan. Jack is also a recovering alcoholic who Matt runs into at an AA meeting. Matt hadn't seen Jack since they were kids together and while Matt became a policeman and solved crimes, Jack went the other way and committed them. Ellery has changed though and is trying to make amends in line with the AA program. But then, he is killed by being shot once in the head and once in the mouth. Since he was trying to atone for past sins, chances are he had some knowledge that someone didn't want shared. Matt is hired by Jack's AA sponsor to look into his death which may also end up putting Matt and others in peril. And could this be what drives Matt back to the bottle?

This was another very good entry in the Scudder series and I'm sorry to see it end. I've now read all of the full-length novels in the series. This one sort of does a full circle and goes back to Scudder's earlier life. In fact some of the earlier cases are mentioned in the book including A STAB IN THE DARK, about an ice-pick killer. Of course this, as well as the entire series, focuses on Scudder's fight with alcoholism and shows how during his first year in AA he was constantly around drinking and struggling to stay sober. The novel also has a theme of change and how time changes everything and everyone. Many of Matt's old haunts are no longer there and many of his friends and acquaintances have passed on. This overall is a great series that I would highly recommend.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

Donna C. (g-ma) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 3091 more book reviews

this one is just an ok book

I didn't like that Johnstone put too much emphasis on the scottish 'brogue' it made it hard to read as you have to decipher every sentence they say because Johnstone went too heavy on the accent, just write it in English and then explain they are Scottish

There are 2 storylines here but it comes together at the end, there are parts that are tedious/boring but I kept reading to the end

My rating is barely a 3, there are far better westerns out there to be read

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Pamela C. (pj-s-bookcorner) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 859 more book reviews

When Reed Ferguson gets his first client looking to confirm that her husband is indeed dead and not just missing, he gets the distinct feeling that he may regret taking on this client.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Lynda C. (Readnmachine) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 1440 more book reviews

While investigating the murder of a college theater actor, shot dead on stage, Spenser seems to just wander around through most of the book trying to make connections between the college, human smuggling, and Chinese tongs. More low-key than most of the Spenser books.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 1437 more book reviews

The book links a fast-warming Arctic, where wild polar bears and human communities live with melting ice, and American zoos where Nora, a young polar bear, struggles for survival in a human structured world. From a multi-generational polar bear family, she has emotional and physical problems identified when she was a newborn. There are few who are familiar with polar bear anatomy, physical and mental development yet do their best to keep her healthy. Nora has trouble coping with other polar bears so it takes awhile for her to find a friend so she is moved about a bit. Always a marketing draw, her story is promoted in the media to attract visitors to whatever zoo in which she resides. Note, too, that zoos became more sophisticated as humans learn how to best accomodate the bears.

The author includes descriptions about those who hunt polar bears to survive and how climate change and decreasing ice pack affect them. Few recognized when climate change really began and its long term affects on the animals that depend on it. Likewise, how it affects Inuit traditions and social structure. A good read, this book leaves us with much to consider as we cope with our changing world.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Nice mystery that keeps you wondering, what's going to happen next?

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Fine story of a man's dedication for aa child, making it a good Christmas.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

A fine book on keeping your body in shape.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Nice story about how we can survive, despite the odds against us.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Audrey A. (Arosea) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 392 more book reviews

Wow. This was not the typical Debbie Macomber I was expecting. I cried. I laughed. It was fantastic. Just the right amount of pull on the ol heartstrings. It's 4am and I couldn't put it down. Don't start this book before bed.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Interesting book about what might have been, or is it a reality?

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Good story about a woman's trials during the war.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Sallie M. (oldrockandroll) - , reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 283 more book reviews

Great read with Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. I really like the books with these two characters. They play well off of each other. I look forward to more books with these two. This book does not disappoint.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 721 more book reviews

Seven Faceless Saints by M.K. Lobb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Fantastic debut for a new young adult fantasy series!

Seven Faceless Saints is the first book in author M.K. Lobb's new YA fantasy series of the same name, grabbing me from the start and never letting go until its tease of an ending! Ombrazia has been embroiled in the Second War of Saints for decades, and the downtrodden populace has had enough of being fodder for the prolonged fight with Brechaat. The book is an intriguing high fantasy with a compelling backstory starting with the First War of Saints and leading up to the simmering civil unrest within the country's main city.

I enjoyed the premise of the seven saints of old and that only some of the members of their bloodlines inherited their ancestor's magical traits. Those so gifted are known as disciples and lead lives of privilege. However, there are apparently some drawbacks to their lifestyle, such as working in the temple, which are only explored briefly through the eyes of the main heroine, Rossana âRozâ Lacertosa. Those individuals skipped in the genetic lottery are referred to as the unfavored. Their existence is much more difficult, and they seem to disappear into the unwashed masses, forgotten and disenfranchised.

The story unfolds in alternating chapters through the viewpoints of Roz, a disciple, and her former childhood friend, Damien Venturi, unfavored but the son of the leading general in Ombrazia. Their budding romance as teenagers was interrupted when Damien was sent north to fight in the war with Brechaat. The fallout from the war results in tearing the couple apart, setting them on opposing paths in the future, and creating huge conflicts for them to overcome when they must work together to solve a series of murders. They are both damaged people, and I rooted the entire story for them to have a second chance and to heal with each other at their side.

The author has a wonderful writing style: descriptive yet easy to read. The dialogue flows well throughout the novel and is one of the author's strong suits. Exchanges between characters felt natural, even under tense or unnatural circumstances. I can't wait to read more by this author.

With its wonderfully imaginative fantasy world, compelling plot, and endearing main characters, I recommend SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS to readers who enjoy high fantasy, magic, and stories with a second chance romance.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author or publisher through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 639 more book reviews

Dollycas's Thoughts

Spring on Mackinac Island means the "fudgies" are coming! It also means it is time for Allie McMurphy's best friend Jenn Carpenter to deliver her baby, but it seems Baby Carpenter is in no hurry to exit the safe, warm, comfort of Mama's womb. Her midwife and doula assure her that being two weeks late is no big deal but she is more than ready for the baby to embark on their trip down the birth canal so she can see her toes again.

Movement is a good way to start labor whether it be walking or waddling so Jenn and Allie walk down to the Coffee Bean to meet her doula, Hannah Riversbend. But when they take a shortcut down an alley they find Hannah holding a gun and her fiance, Matthew Jones dead on the ground. It is clear the woman is in shock and she says she didn't kill him but she was holding the gun.

With her doula in the slammer, Jenn is freaking out. She begs Allie to find the real killer fast. She can't give birth without Hannah. She is going to be busy making fudge but she can't let her friend down, so she decides to find out how to do it all, and oh, did I forget to mention her mother is in town with an agenda of her own?

____

McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop owner Allie McMurphy has her hands full in Three Fudges and A Baby and she rolls with just a couple of missteps, just as I have come to expect. Business is brisk and she needs to hire an assistant as soon as possible. Her mother makes a surprise visit and expects her to drop everything so that she can get back together with her old boyfriend because he has money and her current boyfriend, Officer Rex Manning is not good enough for her. Jenn is cranky and rightly so, being nine and a half months pregnant is not fun. And now Allie has a murder to solve. She is a fantastic protagonist and all the people Ms. Coco has put in her orbit are cleverly created and true to life, even Allie's mother.

The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists. Rex wasn't totally on board with Heather Riversbend being the killer but he had to follow the evidence. He takes a huge chance to help Jenn. He is such a good guy. Hear that Mrs. McMurphy! Allie gets help from the "seniors" as she and her puppy Mal try to figure out who has a motive to kill Matthew Jones.  Gossip starts to run rampant on the island and in a surprising turn Allie makes a deal with the devil. So much happens within the pages of the book that the pages were absolutely flying. The takedown was scary but I had the right guilty party at the top of my personal suspect list and that always feels good.

Mackinac Island is a special place that I have always wanted to visit. I may never actually make the trip so for now I settle for the virtual trips Ms. Coco takes me on in this series. I know there is nothing like fudge made by a professional like Allie, but the author includes easy recipes at the start of several chapters. I suggest picking one to make before you start reading because you will be craving fudge.

Three Fudges and A Baby is a wonderful addition to this series. It is full of engaging characters, sans a meddling mother and an intriguing mystery set on the #1 Best Island in the Continental U.S. The final paragraphs of the book are not going to make Allie's mother happy but I am thrilled. The teaser chapter has me longing for April 2025 when Fudge and Murder is set to be released.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

Karen S. (BoysMom) - , reviewed on 4/27/2024 + 721 more book reviews

A Bad Bout of the Yips: From the Case Files of Steve Rockfish by Ken Harris

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A riveting crime fiction tale that I was unable to put the book down until I reached the last page.

A Bad Bout of the Yips is the third book in author Ken Harris's crime fiction series featuring PI Steve Rockfish. From the start (of this book or any in the series), readers old enough to know will immediately feel his kinship with the old-school investigators and the nod to and nostalgia of the classic PI television shows from the 1970s, such as The Rockford Files. If you loved those shows, this is the series for you! If you don't know what I'm talking about, this is still a series you'll want to give a look-see.

Steve Rockfish is a cool customer, a tough guy, and he needs to be in his line of work, especially as he's going up against the mob in this real estate development-themed crime fiction tale. His young partner, Jawnie McGee, is still reeling after the previous book's events. This normally steadfast and stand-up gal shows some vulnerability in her fragile state, but although she struggles early on to regain her footing, she comes on strong later in the story.

This third book has multiple storylines, some involving old nemeses that harken back to previous books. However, the third time's the charm as storylines converge and are wrapped up. The Baltimore and other Maryland and New Jersey settings were comfortable yet fresh (I'm just done to death sometimes with Chicago and NYC). I loved the cultural nods and the guessing game to identify the source of the references with Lynn.

The case that lands Rockfish and McGee in dutch involves a lesbian couple who have purchased a rundown miniature golf business out from under the nose of a large real estate development corporation with mob ties. Immediately after taking possession, threatening messages appear, and an escalating series of vandalism plagues the property, including anti-gay slogans spray painted across the buildings and inflammatory fliers pepper the neighborhood to stir up trouble with the locals. What follows on the way to resolution are twists and turns, tense action and danger, told with a riveting vim and vigor that I found myself smiling as I read, completely engaged and unable to put the book down until the last page was turned.

I recommend A BAD BOUT OF THE YIPS to readers who enjoy crime fiction, old-school PI heroes, a Baltimore setting, and fans of the previous novels in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Nice story about two sisters and a medical, and ghost problem.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Very thrilling mystery as to what would happen next.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Good lessons in getting along with a woman doctor.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Interesting flower tale that we don't realize can happen in different ways.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member

Marcia C. reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 622 more book reviews

Much more compelling than some of the recent Alex Delaware novels, which I found tiresome. Just a bit too detailed descriptions of sex for my taste, though.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member
See more reviews of this book

Robert K. R. (rikker) reviewed on 4/26/2024 + 200 more book reviews

Good story of a time that we can look back on, as we compare it with our lives.

Share/Like this Review?
See all reviews by this member