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Showing posts with the label three and a half stars

Review: The Gentleman's Dilemma by Jane Dunn

The Gentleman's Dilemma by Jane Dunn Blurb from Goodreads : Ferdinand Shilton, the dandiest, most eligible bachelor of the ton, has decided it is time to abandon his carefree youth. Determined to resist the unruliness of romance however, he prepares to embark on a highly proper betrothal, trading his flamboyant fashions for a sensible, if passionless, life. Orphan Madeleine Rose survives on the reluctant charity of her aunt, while escaping her dreary reality by secretly penning a romantic novel. But when Madeleine discovers a mysterious foundling on Ferdinand Shilton’s doorstep, real life suddenly takes on the excitement of her fiction. When an astonishing twist transforms her from a poor relation into a woman of consequence, and with her fate now unexpectedly thrown together with Ferdy’s, everything Madeleine has accepted as her future is upended....

Review: Beignets and Big Feelings by Leslie Gray Streeter

Beignets and Big Feelings by Leslie Gray Streeter Blurb from Goodreads : A grandma’s dying wish results in a weeklong scavenger hunt designed to reunite a family in a heartfelt and hilarious journey by the author of Family & Other Calamities. When Grandma Olivia Hollis passes away, her funeral reunites four generations of heirs, complete with a surprise will. Grandma has orchestrated a New Orleans scavenger hunt for her female relatives, determined to bring her family back together if it’s the last thing she does. Everyone game? If not, no one gets a dime. Of course, Grandma, bless her meddling heart, has other motives in mind for all of them. Especially for her guarded sister, Mona, who fled decades ago and never looked back. Following a preplanned itinerary for one revelatory week, the women find themselves on a Mississippi River jazz cruise, br...

Audiobook Review: Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak, Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker

Look What the Cat Dragged In by Jason Rekulak, Narrated by Stephanie Németh-Parker Blurb from Goodreads : Meet Penny Padgett, a twenty-seven-year-old cartoonist in Philadelphia who agrees to pet-sit a very peculiar cat named Godfrey in her home. At first, he’s a warm and affectionate companion who follows Penny all around the house and insists on sleeping by her side every night. But soon strange things are Penny is haunted by disturbing and violent nightmares. There’s a terrible insect infestation in her basement. Her cute cartoon illustrations turn dark and surreal, as if influenced by some invisible hand. And her health starts failing, as if her mind and body are under attack by a sinister, malevolent force. Penny may be a cat person, but she’s starting to think Godfrey is no ordinary cat. . . . n he trust himself to uncover the truth amid their gr...

Review: Engineering a Love Story by Kathleen Reidy

Engineering a Love Story by Kathleen Reidy Blurb from Goodreads : It's the year 2000—dot-coms, Bush v. Gore, and sky-high San Francisco rents. But while the country swoons with irrational exuberance, Chelsea Lefevre's life is collapsing faster than a tech bubble. She'd had everything she thought she was supposed to want: a house on Boston's North Shore, exquisite wedding china, a Waspy mother-in-law. A steady, safe marriage. But after a mortifying slip-up, Chelsea finds herself heading into the 21st century alone. Her lifeboat? A new job advising tech execs, taken to escape the misogyny she endured as a software engineer—only to discover she has a surprising knack for spotting the next hot thing. In this heady new world, Chelsea meets Seth Murphy, a magnetic sales executive at one of the country’s hottest startups. Professional boundar...

Review: Never Lasting by Angela Bourassa

Never Lasting by Angela Bourassa Blurb from Goodreads : A scorching-hot romance about what happens when you break a golden rule: Don’t get hooked on your hookup. When Lucy, a recent NYU law grad with plans to work abroad, and James, a caterer who dreams of opening a small-town restaurant, indulge in a summer fling, they know there’s an expiration date: They’ll be moving to opposite sides of the planet in six weeks. But is their fantasy sexcapade screwed when real feelings get in the way? Or do they let whatever is blossoming between them trump their career ambitions?   I liked this from the first page.  Fairly low drama, and the ending was perfect.  Lucy and James were great together and the story unfolded organically.  Will look for more from this author!  If you still haven't picked up an 831 Stories novel, what are you w...

Review: The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose

The One Who Walked Away by Karen Rose Blurb from Goodreads : A bounty hunter must outrun her past before it catches up to her in this pulse-pounding new standalone thriller. Bounty hunter Elle Randolph takes on every case she can, in an effort to outrun herself. Three years ago, she was the only one who walked away from a car crash that killed her husband and two others. Although she was cleared of any wrongdoing, she is fueled by guilt and dedicated to solving other people’s problems. But her running is over when she’s identified as a person of interest in a murder investigation. Detective Ronan Clarke, a single dad for fifteen years, has been laser-focused on raising his daughter and serving the people of Mendocino County, California. He’s got everything under control—until a bounty hunter enters his jurisdiction, keeping secrets and bringing murder...

Review: Indie Darling by Lauren Nossett

Indie Darling by Lauren Nossett Blurb from Goodreads : A brilliant breakout novel from ITW Thriller Award–winning author Lauren Nossett—a mystery set in Nashville, where a Dolly Parton–loving private detective is drawn into the disappearance of an enigmatic pop star. Nashville is a city of two faces, where the glitter often masks the grit. Kelly Williams helps women. Sisters in search of lost siblings. Wives determined to uncover affairs. Daughters haunted by men lingering outside their windows. Clients trust her because she listens, she believes them, and over the years she’s honed a specialized skill set. Kelly is a Dolly Parton–loving, sports-car-driving private investigator in Nashville, Tennessee. Her latest client, Sarah-Faith Owens, comes to her after receiving threatening messages. Something about the woman feels familiar, and Kelly realizes sh...

Review: Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

Fruit Fly by Josh Silver Blurb from Goodreads : Anyone can write a bestseller. Here’s how: GO GAY It’s been seven years since Mallory shot to fame as a literary sensation. But after years of struggling with writer’s block, she’s desperate to resurrect her career before it spirals into obscurity. She needs inspiration to strike – and fast. GO SAD Enter a young struggling addict sleeping under bridges and trading sex for survival. He’s vulnerable. He’s enigmatic. He’s exactly what Mallory has been looking for. GO DARK Mallory needs Leo if she wants another bestseller. Authenticity sells, and there’s nothing more authentic than real life. She’s the perfect person to tell Leo’s story. Gay, sad, dark – just what the world needs right now. But as secrets threaten to unravel more than just her career, Mallory must just how far will she go to pen the perfe...

Review: Embrace (Off the Ice #4) by Bal Khabra

Embrace (Off the Ice #4) by Bal Khabra Blurb from Goodreads : An unexpected spark between a hockey player and the coach’s daughter might cause them to cross the line in the next Dalton University book from international bestselling author Bal Khabra. Kian Ishida is all about parties, hockey, and living in the moment. But when he realizes he’s headed to the NHL without his degree, his late dad’s one wish for him, he’s determined to make up those last few credits. Desperate for help, he joins a study group led by none other than Scarlett Kilner. She’s as gorgeous as she is smart. Too bad he doesn’t know yet that she’s his coach’s daughter. After making a reputation for herself, all Scarlett wants for her senior year is to prove she’s more than her mistakes and graduate without tarnishing her well-respected father’s name. But when Kian Ishida, one of her ...