Book Review: The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn

The Body in the Attic by Judi Lynn is the first book in a new mystery series. House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage—a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes. Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda—and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms—and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good.

The Body in the Attic was and engaging read and had a good balance between introducing a wide variety of characters and telling a compelling story. I liked the characters, I found Jazzi and her family and friends to three dimensional and interesting. I thought the mystery was well built, and while there were a few good red herrings it did not get overly complicated. I will say that I am thoroughly sick of mystery solving ladies always needed a relationship, but I will let it slide here because he was more support for Jazzi than taking over the mystery or her life. The mystery, characters, and story as a whole made me happy and I found myself grinning often while reading. I did spend a couple chapters expecting one more horrible thing to happen, and fully expected one more moment of danger or an injury or something. I liked the way readers discovered the mystery and followed along with Jazzi as helped solve the case, and learn more about her family in the process.

Now for something that kind of bugged me. I got a kick out of how Jazzi and family say they are not rich but can buy houses to flip with cash and can buy the quantity and quality of food they do without even batting an eye. Furniture shopping, landscaping, supplies for renovations are not exactly cheap and they just go out on a whim to buy a king size sleigh bed and a slew of stuff. Their version of wealthy and mine vary greatly.  I loved the recipes and amount of cooking Jazzi does in the book, but my grocery budget would have been decimated for at least a month just by buying the ribs for one of her dinners.  I wish I could shop and cook like her.

The Body in the Attic was a good start to a mystery series. It was not perfect (what is?) but I really enjoyed the read and fully plan on continuing to read this series as it is published. 

Book Review: Risky Play (Red Card) by Rachel Van Dyken

Risky Play is the first book in the Red Card series by Rachel Van Dyken. What else can a virgin do when she’s ditched at the altar? Seattle heiress Mackenzie Dupont is treating herself to a single-girl honeymoon in Mexico and a desire to relinquish her innocence to a gorgeous one-night stand. But when she wakes up alone, Mackenzie realizes just how much anger is left in her broken heart. Suffering a tragic personal loss, pro soccer player Slade Rodriguez has his reasons for vanishing without a goodbye. Right or wrong, he’s blaming the beautiful and infuriating stranger he never wants to see again. They’re both in for a shock when Mackenzie shows up as his new personal assistant. And they both have a lot to learn about each other. Because they share more than they could possibly know, including a common enemy who’s playing his own games. 

Risky Play was an entertaining read, with plenty of humor vand heartbreak. I liked that Mackenzie and Slade are dealing with personal tragedies and trying to move forward with their lives.  While neither makes consistently good or bad choices. They are fully humanized- making good and bad choices in turn and dealing with family and relationships in realistic ways. Although I will admit to being significantly angry with Mackenzie's father more than once, I think family and friend dynamics were realistically portrayed and well written. I like that there was no magic bullet, but that every character had to stand up and deal with their issues-   and that even with the proclaimed happy ending it was clear that life would be real rather than perfect and that in working things out they would be stronger. I am interested to see where the future takes some of the secondary characters and will be keeping my eye out for more from the author. 

Risky Play is a solid contemporary romance with a good balance of humor, heat, and heart. I will be following up with more reads from this author.

Book Review: The Cowboy Next Door (Montana Strong) by R. C. Ryan

The Cowboy Next Door is the second book in the Montana Strong series by R. C. Ryan. I did not read the first book, and I think each can stand up well on its own. However, returning readers are likely to have a better understanding of some of the secondary characters and enjoy seeing Ben and Becca's story continue. 

After weeks on the trail, Sam Monroe is looking forward to a hot bath, a home-cooked meal, and a real bed. In that order. But he's greeted by something even better when he opens the door to his family's ranch house. Seems the new housekeeper is a gorgeous young woman who cooks like an angel and wrangles his family like a pro. If only she didn't dislike him so much. Penny Cash is down on her luck, and the last thing she needs is a flirtation with a wild, carefree cowboy. Sure, he's funny and sexy, but they're as different as whiskey and tea. And she'll be leaving town as soon as she finds a full-time teaching position. But when trouble comes calling, Penny will find out how serious Sam can be when it comes to protecting the woman he loves.

The Cowboy Next Door is a solid story. While a contemporary romance, because of the location there was a slight historical flavor. I liked Penny's determination and strength, and how hard she worked to do right for everyone around her. I liked the idea of Sam's character, but I felt at times that he was not fully fleshed out. Readers learn about his past, and how he tries to live his life, but I was still left feeling like his character could have been more three dimensional. Penny and Sam are clearly attracted from the moment their eyes met, and I connected with Penny right away, even when I did not agree with her choices. On the other hand I felt like Sam was fascinated with Penny because he should not be, and because she was a challenge. While he did things to prove otherwise, it still felt off to me in some way. While he went to great lengths to protect her, and do the right thing for his family and her, it felt almost calculated at times. Too often he made decisions for her good or that affected her without discussion, which would have driven me crazy in her place.  Perhaps it is just my own personal issues that colored this part of his character, but it still irked me. As did the fact that once at no point in their private moments did anyone mention or use birth control- or I missed it somehow. Two responsible adults that had less than stellar childhoods should have at least spoken about this.

The Cowboy Next Door is a good romance with cowboy and small town flavors. There was also a religious undertone, but it only really made itself known a few times. 

Early Book Review: Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth by Marc ter Horst

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth by Marc ter Horst is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on April 9 2019. This is a journey into everything young readers would want to know about the planet we call home, and the universe around us. Readers are invited to learn about what makes up the many layers of the Earth—from the core to exosphere—traveling all the way out into the solar system and our many neighboring planets and moons. The content is offered in a vibrant mixed medium design that combines original illustrations with photographs of everyday items, allowing readers to engage and grasp scientific concepts covered, while encouraging them to inquisitively uncover the answers to all of their planetary questions.

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth is a well balanced non fiction book for young readers. The information is laid out in an easy to understand way, without talking down to the readers, but with humor and fun illustrations to keep the attention of readers that might otherwise lose interest. The book does not go into great depth in any subject, but gives a good foundation on a large variety of subjects. I think this book might peak the interest and curiosity of readers and inspire them to research further on a topic that interested then more than others, or help them discover what topics they have the most interest in for further reading. I enjoyed the read, and some of the humor made me smile. While there were no new facts for me, some of the mnemonics and hints for remembering were- which might come in handy when trying to help my own kiddos with their homework and projects.

Hey There, Earth Dweller!: Dive Into This World We Call Earth is an engaging and informative read. I found it well balanced and interesting.

Book Review: Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight is the next Charley Davidson book by Darynda Jones. You do need to have read the previous books in the series at this point, since the characters and backstory are getting to be very important and complicated. 

A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all.

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight is  a solid continuation of Charley's story. I feel like the story is starting to get a little out of Charley's control and things are getting increasingly hard for her to stay on top of everything. Her friends and family all have their own issues going on, and no one (including Charley) seems inclined to share their individual worries and issues. Just like in real life, trying to handle everything yourself or shield others from problems tends to lead to bigger issues and complications. Charley tries to keep up the humor and flippant manner that has worked for her so well in the past, but even that seems to be falling out of her control. However, things are coming together, and I can see a conclusion on the horizon.

If you have read this far, you are going to want and need to finish off this series. You are almost there and I think the ride is well worth it.

Book Review: Delicate Crochet: 23 Light and Pretty Designs for Shawls, Tops and More by Sharon Hernes Silverman

Delicate Crochet: 23 Light and Pretty Designs for Shawls, Tops and More by Sharon Hernes Silverman

Light, airy pieces crocheted in fine yarns show off the beauty of your crochet stitches and are a dream to wear! The shawls, cardigans, tops, and other designs in this collection are light as a feather, super soft, and made to drape beautifully across your body. These lacy pieces are fun to crochet and very versatile. Change up the yarns to create looks for day or night, work or play, city or suburbs. Pattern contributors include Kristin Omdahl, Robyn Chachula, Marty Miller, Amy Solovay, Vashti Braha, and others known for their innovative, gorgeous crochet designs. Each of the 23 patterns includes full written instructions and charts as needed. All special stitches are fully explained and skill levels range from easy to advanced.

Delicate Crochet is a well written collection of patterns, and the special stitches are well explained. I liked some of the patterns very much; the Flirt Cardigan, Lacy Sleeveless Cardigan, and Lotus Wrap were my favorites. I also liked some of the lace stitches and borders that were used elsewhere. The beadwork in the necklace pattern and the Tunisian crochet are skills that might be new to many, and are not something I have yet mastered- however only because I have not invested the time into the process. I also have to say that a lace or open crochet stitch skirt is something I never thought to make or wear, even to wear with leggings, except if one were wearing it more as a wrap or something with a dress or pants. So, at least one of the patterns was a hard no for me.

However, none of the patterns rally struck me as completely new or fresh. For crocheters that do not have access to resources like Ravelry this might be worth the investment, but for most crafters I would recommend visiting the local library to borrow this book to learn a few new stitches and try their hand at some of the patterns. 

Book Review: Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed

Definitely, Maybe, Yours by Lissa Reed is the first book in the Sucre Coeur series. Seattle-based baker Craig Oliver leads a life that is happily routine: baking cupcakes for an enormous family reunion, managing Sucre Coeur for its frequently absent owner and closing out his day with a pint at the local pub. He has a kind heart, a knack for pastry and a weakness for damaged people. Habitual playboy Alex Scheff is looking to drown his sorrows, but instead discovers that he may have a weakness for Englishmen who carry cookies in their pockets. Can a seemingly incompatible pair find the recipe for love in a relationship they claim is casual?

Definitely, Maybe, Yours is a book that had me fully engaged from the very first page. I simply loved Craig- and connected with his desire for routine and helping others. He had a great work ethic and just cared about other people, sometimes to his own detriment. Alex is heartbroken and self loathing personified. He has made mistakes and blames himself for all of them, and those that he did not make. Seeing this pair come together, fully in denial about it for most of the time, and find their way was a roller coaster. While reading there were times I found myself grinning, frowning, or ready to throttle one of the characters. I loved how realistic the characters feel, not to mention their mistakes, fears, and relationships. I wish we could all have a circle of friends as invested and caring as the group in this book. I enjoyed getting to know the characters, watching them grow and interact, and seeing them open up to each other. As always, the book that gets to me the most has well written and realistic characters that I feel like I might run into in real life. 

Definitely, Maybe, Yours is both a heart breaking and warming read. I loved it, and the cast of secondary characters. I am off to find the rest of the series since this book was published a few years ago and the digital box set was recently released (February 12).

Book Review: The Book of Secrets (The Last Oracle) by Melissa McShane

The Book of Secrets is the first book in The Last Oracle series by Melissa McShane.

Helena Davies just wants a job that will get her out of her parents’ basement. Abernathy’s Bookstore is disorganized, out of the way, and smells funny, but it pays well and promises to at least be interesting. By the end of the first day, Helena has a dead boss in the basement, an unexpected promotion, and the news that she is now a part of an endless war against creatures from another reality. As Abernathy’s newest custodian, Helena is responsible for its secrets, including the most important one: Abernathy’s isn’t just a bookstore. It’s the world’s only living oracle, producing prophecies to help fight the war against alien invaders bent on draining this world of its magic. Helena’s job is to find books to answer questions put to the oracle by the Wardens, fighters in the Long War. It seems simple enough, but Helena’s new job is anything but. She has allies: her best friend Viv, from whom she has no secrets; Harry and Harriet Keller, elderly magi skilled at uncovering secrets; and the enigmatic Malcolm Campbell, warrior magus and one of the few who have faith in Helena’s abilities. But not everyone is thrilled that an outsider now has charge of one of the world’s most powerful magical entities. Helena must defend herself against the antagonism of Judy Rasmussen, who’d expected to be the next custodian of Abernathy’s, and her father William, powerful leader of the Wardens and someone with an agenda of his own. Without training, without any knowledge of the magical world, and facing the hostility of those who’d wanted someone else to be Abernathy’s custodian, Helena must navigate the treacherous waters of her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there’s still a murderer on the loose, someone who intended to control Abernathy’s by killing its custodian—and Helena might be next on his list.

The Book of Secrets is a book that was not quite what I was looking for, but in a good way. I tend to pick up or request books based on a quick look and then put off reading them until I do not remember the blurb- so I had no clue what was I was getting into- and I loved the ride. Helena is a complex character with a good balance of stubborness, flaws, and courage to make her a realistic and relatable character. I loved her pragmatism and ability to think things through as the world goes crazy around her. If only we could all do that. I think she, her family, and her friends were introduced well, and I think her circle will continue to be interesting secondary characters as the story continues. I think that members of the magical community, and the complicated society they have, was also well laid out. Things were introduced in small portions, as Helena learned them, and readers discovered the information along with her. I was not sure of the guilty party- although I had some suspicions toward the end, and think that the mystery was extremely well done. I think this hits the mark for a great coming of age novel for adult, in particular the new adult market (although I am well past that demographic and loved it). I am a little annoyed that the teaser for possible future romantic interest was included- because a life changing new job and introduction to making as you come into your own is not enough- she apparently need the possibility of a man in her life to make it all worth it. This is my current pet peeve, and it does work in the book, but it still bothers me.

The Book of Secrets is a great paranormal mystery and urban fantasy. I think young adults, new adults, and us technically adult adults will all enjoy this read.

Book Review: A Rose in the Highlands (Highland Roses School) by Heather McCollum

A Rose in the Highlands is the first book in the Highland Roses School series by Heather McCollum. Each book in this series is also a stand alone novel.

Evelyn Worthington leaves England behind to create a school for ladies in her brother's newly purchased Scottish castle. After the long, difficult journey north, Evelyn is shocked to find that not only has the castle been scorched by fire, but a brawny, half-dressed highlander bars her entry – at sword point. Clan chief Greyson "Grey" Campbell would rather die than see his family home, Finlarig Castle, fall into English hands. So when the beautiful Sassenach flashes a bill of sale before him, it's war. But when the battles between them grow hotter, passions flare. Grey has more to worry about than a headstrong English lass and as secrets are revealed and muskets are lit, everything – the fates of the Campbell Clan, Evelyn's school, and their lives – are in jeopardy.

A Rose in the Highlands is a historical romance that hit all the right notes for me. Strong and determined characters with good hearts that need to fight incredible odds to find happiness. There was a good mix of humor, danger, and heart touching moments. I love the independence, strength, and compassion that both Evelyn and Greyson show- even when they are being stubborn and engaged in battle. I liked the depths that even the side characters are given, making the entire story more compelling. I found the fact that once Eve and Grey admitted their feelings to themselves they gave each other the benefit of the doubt and talked over miscommunications or issues rather than ignoring them or believing the worst. I also like that they each could admit their faults, and were not blind the the prejudices that they (and those around them) had and how it might affect everything. That awareness and openness to change was nice to see. The only thing that jarred me a little was the initial jump into bed between Eve and Grey, but it really did work in the story. I think it just felt like they went from zero to sixty in an instant with no shyness or awkward moments that one might expect. However, if that is the only thing that did not flow perfectly for me, that still makes this a wonderful book.

A Rose in the Highlands is an enjoyable and engaging read. I am going to have to pick up a copy of the next book, which tells Scarlet's story, very soon.

Early Book Review: Ida and the Whale by Rebecca Gugger, Simon Röthlisberger

Ida and the Whale is a picturebook written by Rebecca Gugger and illustrated by Simon Röthlisberger. It was recently translated into English and will be released in the states on April 2 2019. What lies behind the sun, the moon, and the stars? Ida can’t stop thinking about these and other very important questions. Then one night, a flying whale wakes her and takes her on an amazing journey—where some of her questions are answered and even more created.

Ida and the Whale is a beautifully illustrated story about wonder and imagination. It is worth looking at for the artstyle alone, to be honest. I loved the colors and use of motion and line on each page. The story is gentle and soothing, and I think it would work well as a bedtime story or to help settle young readers for a quiet play or story time. I did find the text to be a little dull in comparison to the artwork. However, I think that was more because of translation than anything to do with the author.  In picturebooks word choice is so important to the flow, and translations do not always hold the intended rhythm and feel as the original.