REVIEW: Charlotte Redbird, Ghost Coach by Sharon Buchbinder

Title: Charlotte Redbird, Ghost Coach (Cat’s Paw Cove, #10)
Author: Sharon Buchbinder
Publisher: Author Collective 20
Publication Date: June 2020
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Fantasy
Buy the Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: Driven out of Chicago by a spiteful heiress, life coach Charly Redbird is ready for a change. She moves to Florida to be closer to her family and vows to be more selective about future clients.

With the help of Dylan Graham, a hunky real estate agent, Charly finds a perfect home across the street from a cemetery. When he shows up with a plant and two tiny balls of fluff as a housewarming present, Charly thinks she might be smitten with more than the kittens.

A new client appears at her door and asks for Charly's help, but the woman happens to be a permanent resident of the cemetery. Can Charly convince the restless spirit to move to another neighborhood—or will she take on a new role: Life Coach for the Dead?

My Thoughts: Originally published in an anthology, Charlotte Redbird, Ghost Coach is part of the Cat’s Paw Cove series, written by several contributing authors. This installment was my first encounter with Sharon Buchbinder’s work. I’m usually a stickler for reading a series in order—skipping ahead feels mildly criminal—but I read this one as a standalone and followed along with ease.

I liked Charlotte. Her side hustle betting on the ponies might raise a few eyebrows, but her integrity won me over. When one of Chicago’s elite expects her to compromise her professional ethics, Charlotte stands her ground. Unfortunately, her would-be client takes rejection with all the grace of a cat in a bathtub and has Charlotte blacklisted from future referrals. Charlotte packs up and heads to Florida to be closer to her grandmother, whose retirement home appears to have more cats than vacancies.

Series regulars will know that this retirement home houses quite the supernatural lineup: trolls, gods, goddesses, witches, dragons, genies, and brownies. The cats serve as guardians, making the feline takeover rather more purposeful than it first appears. Charlotte, meanwhile, has missed the magical memo—including the fact that her grandmother has abilities Charlotte has inherited. She catches on quickly after meeting a woman in the cemetery who turns out to be both her home’s previous owner and a ghost. Apparently, even the dead could use a life coach. The job title may need some work.

I enjoyed the story, especially the sweet romance between Charlotte and Dylan and the exploration of Charlotte’s heritage and her ghostly client. Still, while this visit to Cat’s Paw Cove was pleasant, it didn’t leave me eager to book a return trip. For me, this works best as a standalone.

My Final Verdict: Sweet romance, a spirited heroine, and ghostly business made Cat’s Paw Cove a fun stop, but not a series I’m eager to continue. I’m content to leave the interesting characters of Cat's Paw Cove in good company and enjoy this as a standalone.

Thank you to the publisher, Author Collective 20, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

REVIEW: #Toots by Linh Le James

Title: #Toots (#Toots, #1)
Author: Linh Le James
Publisher: Linh Le James
Publication Date: January 2019
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Description: A British romantic comedy built on white lies, pink elephants and grey areas.

LONDON: Four sisters swipe left on everything they hate, one cocktail at a time.

Louise dreams of an exotic lifestyle, miles away from Hackney. Nick comes along. Famous, fit, funny and filthy rich. Louise will stop at nothing to seduce him. Louise will fake it till she makes it. All the way to the ka-ching bling ring. But the little white lies soon snowball into a mountain Louise’s Louboutins can’t climb.

Jess juggles work, two babies, a cheating husband and nannies from hell.

Carla goes on a bender and wakes up next to her young assistant. Freddie.

Emily is getting over her cheating ex by throwing herself into the dating scene.

When work, dating and proposals all go wrong, the four sisters’ friendship is their only lifeline.

My Thoughts: Though no longer in print, this book delivered hours of laugh-out-loud fun. It was my first taste of the author’s work, and now I’m hoping this book and the rest of the series make a comeback. A comedy this entertaining deserves more than an out-of-print disappearing act.

The story follows four sisters—Louise, Jess, Carla and Emily—as they navigate life and chase their happily ever afters, with plenty of comic detours along the way. I loved hearing from all four women; their distinct perspectives made it easy to get to know their personalities. Emily’s roommate, Lola, was another highlight. Her approach to life and leaving toxic men behind had me laughing until the tears rolled down my face.

These sisters may share a family tree, but each is firmly out on her own branch. Their contrasting personalities and outlooks kept me entertained, and I loved watching their different approaches to life play out. I’m eager to read the next book in the series and so happy I have a copy in my TBR.

My Final Verdict: Four sisters, four distinct personalities and enough laughter to give my tear ducts a workout—#Toots was a thoroughly enjoyable introduction to the author’s work. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy witty stories about sisterhood and the messy pursuit of happily ever after. If you can track down a copy, grab it. As for me, the sequel is already in my TBR, and these sisters have earned a return visit.

Thank you to the author, Linh Le James, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.