REVIEW: Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

Title: Southern Spirits (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #1)
Author: Angie Fox
Publisher: Moose Island Books
Publication Date: January 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: One simple mistake…
For a girl who is about to lose her family home,
Releases the ghost of a long-dead gangster,
And opens Verity Long’s eyes to a whole new world.

When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

Ellis Wydell is in possession of a stunning historic property haunted by some of Sugarland Tennessee’s finest former citizens. Only some of them are growing restless—and destructive. He hires Verity to put an end to the disturbances. But soon, Verity learns there’s more to the mysterious estate than floating specters, secret passageways, and hidden rooms.

There’s a modern-day mystery afoot, one that hinges on a decades-old murder. Verity isn't above questioning the living, or the dead. But can she discover the truth before the killer finds her?

My Thoughts: Originally published back in 2015, the first three installments of The Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries was offered to me. Though I haven’t read this author before, she has been on my radar for a while as this series and her Demon Slayer series are tropes I am typically drawn to.

This was a fun book that had a lot of interesting elements. Woman betrayed by her fiancé is trying to save her grandmother’s home in Tennessee from being foreclosed. She and her pet skunk, Lucy, are trying to make a life for themselves when our heroine, Verity, inadvertently releases a ghost. Not just any ghost, but the ghost of a gangster with a bullet hole in his forehead. As a result, she can now see and speak to other ghosts.

She is soon hired by none other than her ex-fiancé’s brother, Ellis, to rid his home of ghosts who are becoming destructive and ruining his remodeling. Seeing this as a golden opportunity to acquire the funds to save her grandmother’s home, Verity agrees though she and Ellis are nowhere near to being on friendly terms.

Verity soon discovers that some ghosts are still around because they have unfinished business, usually having to do with their own unsolved murder. It isn’t long before Verity and Ellis become targets and they have to act fast if they are going to solve the murder and save not just Ellis’s home, but her grandmother’s.

This was an entertaining start to a series that is currently at fourteen installments. I liked Verity and Ellis and loved, loved, loved that she has a pet skunk. I really hope that Lucy features prominently throughout the rest of the series. Verity and Ellis have quite a bit of chemistry, but that’s as far as it goes in this story, so there is more to develop and explore there. I’m also looking forward to getting to know Frankie, the 1920’s gangster ghost, better and finding out more about his background as well as the other ghosts.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this is a charming start to a series that I will enjoy reading more of. I recommend this story to fans of cozy mysteries as well as stories that feature paranormal elements. Fans of skunks should give this series a go too because she is just too adorable.

Thank you to the publisher, Moose Island Books, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: These Deadly Games by Diana Urban

Title: These Deadly Games
Author: Diana Urban
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: February 2022
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Teen
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Let’s play a game.

You have 24 hours to win. If you break my rules, she dies. If you call the police, she dies. If you tell your parents or anyone else, she dies.

Are you ready?

When Crystal Donavan gets a message on a mysterious app with a video of her little sister gagged and bound, she agrees to play the kidnapper’s game. At first, they make her complete bizarre tasks: steal a test and stuff it in a locker, bake brownies, make a prank call.

But then Crystal realizes each task is meant to hurt—and kill—her friends, one by one. But if she refuses to play, the kidnapper will kill her sister. Is someone trying to take her team out of the running for a gaming tournament? Or have they uncovered a secret from their past, and wants them to pay for what they did…

As Crystal makes the impossible choices between her friends and her sister, she must uncover the truth and find a way to outplay the kidnapper… before it’s too late.

Author of All Your Twisted Secrets, Diana Urban’s explosive sophomore novel, These Deadly Games, will keep you riveted until the final twist is revealed.

My Thoughts: Wow! I needed several minutes to pick my jaw up off the floor after finishing this book. New to me author, Diana Urban, delivers a very twisty, heart pounding, pulse racing story about a teenage girl who is racing the clock to play a sick and twisted game or her little sister dies. Who is behind this nightmare? Why are they are doing this? How far is Crystal willing to go when the choices between hurting her friends and allowing her sister to die become more painful.

First of all, I really enjoyed the back story of Crystal and her friends all being avid online gamers. I appreciated the detail the author put into this story to illustrate how important the gaming community is to gamers and how focused they are on the game, sometimes to the detriment of other aspects of their lives. No judgment here at all, but the author did a brilliant job of showing how the gaming life can evolve from a fun hobby to an obsession.

Secondly, this story is full of twists and turns that I actually started to wonder if this was really happening or was it all in Crystal’s head. The kidnapper does an excellent job of making Crystal believe a reality other than her own at times and it also got me questioning it.

Thirdly, the games Crystal has to play start out fairly innocent and innocuous. Steal a test and put it in a locker. Make some brownies and go take a drive to a lake. Make a prank phone call. The detail the kidnapper puts into their plan was brilliantly executed and I could feel Crystal’s fear and frustration as every angle she thinks of to get to the bottom of this has already been thought of and blocked by the villain. They can see her. They can hear her. While reading this story, I was giving my cell phone dirty looks.

The plot was so mind-boggling, but so easy to follow. The story switches between the present and five years in the past. The characters were well developed and behaved appropriately and as expected, given the events around them. Everyone was a suspect in my mind at various points, including Crystal. When the reveal occurred, I was shocked, but it didn’t end there. When the entire truth came out, I was floored and this story ends with me wondering if there will be a sequel or some kind of follow-up involving Crystal. You know, like in Jaws, when you think it’s safe to go back into the water? If I were Crystal, I think I would give up all electronics, social media, gaming and live off the grid.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this story was fantastic! Interesting and intriguing storyline paired with characters who are easy to relate to are a booklover’s dream. I highly recommend this story to readers who enjoy mysteries and thrillers. The majority of the characters are teen and young adult and readers in this age group will enjoy it, but also older adults, like me, will be pulled in and have a difficult time looking away.

Thank you to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Until Love Do Us Part by Anna Premoli

Title: Until Love Do Us Part
Author: Anna Premoli
Publisher: Aria
Publication Date: June 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | Audible

Description: What happens when two people who hate each other are forced to cooperate by law?

Amalia and Ryan met at Yale Law School, from which their mutual dislike for one another was born.

Amalia Berger is a successful, high society New York lawyer. Chicago based lawyer Ryan O'Moore is the eldest of four sons whose chaotic family run a pub in the heart of the Big Apple.

New York beckons after Ryan is offered a promotion. But when the defense lawyer of his first case is the one and only Amalia Berger, things become complicated.

The courtroom clash escalates between them to the point that the judge sentences them both to a punishment of community service, forcing them to spend time together...

My Thoughts: Ryan and Amalia have known one another since their Yale Law School days. Both Amalia and Ryan are extremely head-strong over achievers and that’s pretty much where their mutual commonalities end. Amalia sucked up the courage back in college to ask Ryan out for a drink, for which she was rejected by Ryan in a most condescending manner. Afterward, Ryan gets the coveted spot as the editor for the Yale magazine. It’s safe to say that when Amalia and Ryan meet a decade later in court on opposing sides of the aisle, neither one is happy. Their acrimonious bickering doesn’t sit well with the judge either so he finds them both in contempt and sentences them to 50 hours of community service each, to be served together. This forced time spent together will either result in them killing each other or falling in love.

This was a fun, cute and charming story. Amalia comes from a family of wealth and has a trust fund but she doesn’t want to succeed on her family name or their money. Her relationship with her parents are that of practical strangers. Ryan comes from a large close-knit Irish family that works hard for everything they own and don’t have the luxury of wealth. I was really surprised by how much Ryan resented Amalia for her wealthy upbringing and thought it highly unfair how much he judges her for it.

I was anxious to know how they would resolve their issues to not only work professionally with one another, but also see if the chemistry they are feeling can amount to something special outside the courtroom. The community service they are forced to work was quite entertaining, from cleaning up a park with inmates, making and serving meals at a soup kitchen, volunteering at a kindergarten, retirement home and the Humane Society shelter. I liked that Amalia wanted to show Ryan that she wasn’t above getting her hands dirty or afraid of hard work. I didn’t like that Amalia felt like she had to prove anything to Ryan because of his bias against wealthy people.

In spite of Ryan’s bad attitude, I liked him and understood his feelings about wealthy people were more a self-projection of himself and his feelings of inadequacy and wanting to be successful without a trust fund. I liked Amalia and how she comes to terms with what being in a serious relationship means and whether she is brave enough to take the leap.

These characters were very believable and easy to relate to. I really liked getting to meet Ryan’s family and Amalia’s grandmother. The plot moves at a good pace and kept me engaged and curious to see what would happen. This is my first book by Anna Premoli and I thoroughly enjoyed her writing style and voice. I look forward to reading more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Overall, the opposites attract trope can work if done correctly and this story illustrates that very well. I highly recommend this book to readers of contemporary romance as well as stories involving characters who are outspoken in their opinions and staunch defenders of their positions.

Thank you to the publisher, Aria, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: The Vow by Debbie Howells

Title: The Vow
Author: Debbie Howells
Publisher: Avon Books UK
Publication Date: October 2020
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Everything was perfect. And then her fiancé disappeared…

Two weeks before her wedding, a stranger stops Amy in the street and warns her she’s in danger. Then that night, Matt, her fiancé, doesn’t come home. Desperate, Amy calls the police – but when Matt fails to emerge, she’s forced to call off her wedding day.

Then another man is reported missing, by a woman called Fiona – a man meeting Matt’s description, who was about to leave his fiancée for her. He was supposed to be moving in with her – but instead, he’s vanished.

Amy refuses to believe Fiona’s lover can be her Matt – but photos prove otherwise, and it soon becomes clear that Matt has been leading a double life. As the police dig deeper, two conflicting, yet equally plausible stories emerge from two women who allegedly have never met.

The wedding day never happened. But the funeral might.

My Thoughts: 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

The Vow by new to me author Debbie Howells is a twisty domestic suspense novel that asks the question of how well we know the people closest to us. Our friends certainly, but more importantly, the people we are planning to marry.

Such is the case for Amy Reid. She is two weeks away from marrying Matt Rouche when he suddenly disappears without a trace. Frantic, Amy is beside herself with worry. Slowly, the reader is introduced to events that happened almost thirty years in the past that obviously are connected to Amy but is not made clear for over two-thirds of the book. In addition, the reader is also made aware that Matt is seeing another woman behind Amy’s back and is apparently set to leave Amy for this woman when he disappeared.

Throw in the fact that in addition to learning about this woman, Amy also learns that Matt made advances to her best friend and had a fling with the wedding planner. My head began to spin and I started to feel dizzy from all the back and forth.

Insights into the relationship between Amy and Matt also reveal a sinister side that depicts Matt as an abusive man who regularly gaslights Amy. Amy’s daughter, Jess, doesn’t trust Matt and thinks he was out to get Amy’s money, due to his repeated attempts to pressure Amy to sell her house. When evidence starts to appear that implicates Amy in Matt’s disappearance and numerous people convey to the police during questioning that Amy is unstable, it became hard for me to know who the real victims and suspects were.

I thought this story was engaging and interesting. I was anxious to find out what was going on. I didn’t want to believe Amy was behind Matt’s disappearance and the story begins right around his disappearance so it was difficult for me to get to know Matt. All I had was hearsay, theories and opinions from other people. Amy comes across as frantic, who wouldn’t be given the circumstances, and a bit whiny when trying to convince the police she is innocent and being set up.

I never liked the other woman, Fiona at all. I had no respect for this character and felt she had no integrity for messing around with a man she knows is already in a relationship. I was a little surprised when the connection between Amy and Fiona is made clear, but I was still confused about what it all had to do with Matt’s disappearance.

My favorite character was Amy’s daughter, Jess. For a university student who doesn’t have a lot of years of life experience, she displays a cool head, steady emotions and sharp logic in her attempts to get to the truth and help her mother. Amy is lucky to have such a wonderful daughter.

The plot moves a bit slow but begins to pick up as more happens. I began this book with the audio format and really tried to restrain my annoyance at Amy’s whining knowing that I most likely would come across the same way in her shoes. I finished the book with the Kindle format and recommend this format over the audiobook for that reason.

My Final Verdict: Overall, readers who enjoy stories that are twisty in the suspense and thriller genre should grab this book. If this genre isn’t your cup of tea, this author has published several books in the women’s fiction and romance genres as well. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author as she writes in all of my favorite genres.

Thank you to the publisher, Avon Books UK, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Title: Lessons in Chemistry
Author: Bonnie Garmus
Narrator: Miranda Raison
Publisher: Random House Audio
Publication Date: April 2022
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible

Description: Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

My Thoughts: One of my observations throughout this entire book is that Elizabeth Zott seems to go out of her way, almost expertly, to keep people at a distance. She doesn’t demonstrate any of the social niceties one expects, especially from women. Most of us are automatically social and go out of our way to be courteous and mannerly. Elizabeth isn’t rude or hostile, but she isn’t someone you could call nice or personable. It could put a reader off of this story because it may be difficult to relate to Elizabeth or have any empathy for her.

This highly thought-provoking story takes that theory and tosses it right out the window. Getting to know Elizabeth wasn’t necessarily easy but once I began to see glimpses of who she was behind the chemist lab coat, I found her to be very intriguing. A woman who is seeking a career in the 1950s over marriage and children is not heard of. What’s wrong with this woman? How dare she try to break the barrier of the patriarchal society of the chest beating men? Men who have no problem expecting her to make their coffee on demand and willing to resort to violence to keep a woman in line.

Thankfully, not all men share this view. Calvin Evans is the male version of Elizabeth Zott. Like Elizabeth, he is very committed to his work and dedicated to science. He recognizes in Elizabeth a kindred spirit and she recognizes the same in him. I thoroughly enjoyed the way they met and despite the initial conflict and their butting heads, their relationship was wonderful to see develop.

The supporting characters were a great addition to the story and added more depth and detail in and out of the lab. I especially loved the dog, Six-Thirty, and enjoyed his thoughts and assessments. Elizabeth’s daughter, Mad, is smart beyond her years, but that comes as no surprise, given who her mother is.

The story moves at a wonderful pace and the reader is not bogged down in details or trying to keep everyone straight. This story gave me all the feels. I laughed and cried. I was intrigued, curious, pleased and angry at different points in the story. It bothers me that our society pretends to have its act together, but not that long ago, women were treated like property. Her place was in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant. The workplace was not accepting of women and a woman’s employment was typically terminated if she became pregnant. Unfortunately, gender and race equality are still a problem in society.

My Final Verdict: Lessons in Chemistry is a debut novel and Bonnie Garmus delivers an amazing story. I highly recommend this story be read by all women, naturally, but also men as a reminder that women also have meaningful contributions to our society and that should be celebrated.

REVIEW: Rosie's Little Cafe on the Riviera by Jennifer Bohnet

Title: Rosie’s Little Café on the Riviera
Author: Jennifer Bohnet
Publisher: Harper Collins UK / HQ Digital
Publication Date: March 2017
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN

Description: A summer of taking chances!

Rosie Hewitt’s dream of opening a little French café on the Riviera is finally coming true. She’s giving up on love and instead chasing her own perfect recipe for happiness…

Only, she never expected the oh-so-sexy, award-winning chef, Sebastian Groc, to set up a rival restaurant next door – or for his freshly-baked croissants to smell quite so delicious.

But with just a few days until she opens her doors and all her sugar-coated dreams crumbling around her, Rosie isn’t prepared to give up without a fight!

My Thoughts: When I started reading this story, it felt like it was part of a series as the main character has already begun her adventure of opening her café on the Riviera. It appears this is a stand-alone novel. I also thought this story was going to be an enemies to lovers trope with Rosie facing some heavy-duty competition from Sebastian, but that was never the case. I definitely felt that the back cover blurb was misleading, but thankfully it did not take away from the story.

I liked watching the friendship between Rosie and Sebastian begin to blossom into something more. I was surprised to discover that there were no bedroom scenes between these pages. It was kind of refreshing to see a couple discover their feelings for one another over time instead of jumping into bed. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy spice in my stories, but something sweet once in a while is a nice change.

The supporting characters and their backstories add to the charm of this book and I would be highly negligent if I don’t mention the best character of all, the locale of this story, the French Riviera. The author does a fantastic job of illustrating this region so beautifully, the reader can easily transport themselves there and find themselves sitting at Rosie’s café enjoying an iced coffee while people watching.

This story was a fun read. The characters were easy to relate to and the plot flowed seamlessly. There were some moments in the story that got me misty eyed as well as laughing out loud. This was my first book by this author and I look forward to discovering more of her work.

My Final Verdict: Readers who enjoy stories with interesting characters and situations that make you laugh and cry will enjoy this book. I recommend this story to fans of contemporary romance. Take this book to your nearest café and enjoy an iced coffee and croissant while reading, be it on the Riviera or somewhere closer to your neighborhood.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins UK / HQ Digital, who provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

REVIEW: Bride for a Time by Audrey Adair

Title: Bride for a Time (Love for All Times #1)
Author: Audrey Adair
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: July 2017
Genre: Time Travel Romance

Description: Jaime Abernathy's life has been turned upside-down -- she no longer has a boyfriend, a job, or a place to live, but has a yearning for something that she can't quite place. She decides to follow her heart to Scotland, the home of her ancestors. Her parents have passed, and she feels called to the place of her roots. Her first morning there, while out walking in the woods of her ancestral family home, she falls and awakens in the 16th Century, in the arms of Alec McDermont.

Alec is soon to be Laird of the McDermonts. He is to be married to the wretched Alexandra Gillie of a warring clan in the pretense of creating peace, but he senses something treacherous. He'll do anything to keep the marriage from happening, and when he finds Jaime in the woods, he senses a way out.

Jaime doesn't believe she's in the 16th century. Alec doesn't believe she's time traveled. But their feelings for each other pull them closer together as everything else is tearing them apart. Will they find happily ever after?

My Thoughts: Ever since my cousin pointed me in the direction of time travel romances over thirty years ago, I have been a die-hard fan and will rarely turn down the opportunity to read one. Unfortunately, the market is flooded with this genre and there are definitely some that fail to deliver enough unique elements that the reader can suspend disbelief. This story is a short and quick read and though it didn’t deliver all of the exciting elements I have come to look for in a time travel story, it was enjoyable.

I liked Jaime and Alec individually, but I didn’t feel the chemistry for them as a couple. Perhaps if the story had been longer, more time could have been devoted to building their connection into something more believable. It didn’t feel right to me that these two meet, dismiss the idea that they come from different centuries, sleep together and then get married. Even if Jaime could return to her time and the marriage to Alec wouldn’t be legal, it just didn’t ring true or logical for me. I also wish there had been more detail regarding the tension between Alec’s family and the Gillie clan. Unfortunately, this part felt rushed.

I enjoyed that the story is set in Crieff, Scotland, which is a real town in Perthshire. I wasn’t there in the sixteenth century, but present day Crieff is quite charming and I enjoyed the time I spent there.

My Final Verdict: Overall, fans of time travel romances will likely enjoy this offering of time travel, but there are so many more options out there that will offer more depth, plot and character development. This story is part of a series but I will not be pursuing it.

Thank you to the author, Audrey Adair, for the invitation to read and review.