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Showing posts from January, 2024

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4) by Elle Cosimano

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Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4)  by Elle Cosimano opens with Finlay Donovan and her nanny, Vero, planning a trip to Atlantic City to pay off some debts, find Javi, and retrieve a stolen car.  But first, they come up with a cover story that backfires miserably.  Finlay and Vero have to be clever and sneaky to accomplish what they set out to do, but will they have to come clean? Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice (Finlay Donovan, #4) by Elle Cosimano.  This is one of the books I was most excited about being able to read before it was in stores.  I received the eBook for free in exchange for my honest review. The fourth installment picks up where the last book ended and ties up the loose ends from Finlay Donovan Knocks Them Dead (Finlay Donovan, #3)  . . . so much so that I thought that this was going to be the last book in the series.  However, Finlay Donovan Rolls The Dice ends up having a couple of cliffhangers,
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Book Review: Murder Uncorked (Cece Barton Mystery, #1) by Maddie Day

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Murder Uncorked (Cece Barton Mystery, #1) by Maddie Day is the first book in a new cozy mystery series.  Cece Barton is a widowed mom with a daughter in college.  After moving to wine country to live nearby her sister, Cece becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a man.  Wanting to clear her name, Cece starts investigating the murder.  Will she clear her name? Thank you, NetGalley, for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder Uncorked (Cece Barton Mystery, #1) by Maddie Day.  I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for my honest review. I knew a little about this cozy mystery because the author wrote a prequel that was published in a collection of novellas, and I wasn't disappointed.  This story was a fun, easy read and perfect to read while on vacation.  I liked that it took place near vineyards and that the reader gets a little insight of how they might promote their products. Most of the characters were likable, and I felt like I could be friends with s
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Book Review: Murder By The Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew

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Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew takes place in Oceanside, California.  It opens with Scarlett Gardner having a hard day at work because everything has gone wrong.  She partly blames Connor, her ex-boyfriend, because he dumped her and took off to greener pastures for a start up company when they were supposed to be running the bookstore she opened together.  Taking a walk on the nearby beach, Scarlett stumbles over a dead body, which turns out to be that of Lorelei Knight . . . the last customer who frequented her store the night before.  Now, Scarlett is the prime suspect and needs to clear her name. First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew.  When I read the synopsis of this book, it sounded like it was right up my alley.  I received a copy of this cozy mystery for free in exchange for my honest review. The beginning of the st
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Book Review: The Night House by Jo Nesbo

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The Night House by Jo Nesbo was published October 3, 2023 and is an adult horror novel published by Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor.  The novel is about a kid named Richard Elauved who has been sent to live with foster parents in Ballantyne after his biological parents were killed.  Richard is an outcast and bully at his new school and becomes a suspect when a classmate named Tom goes missing.  He tries to explain that Tom was sucked through a phone booth on the edge of the woods, but no one believes him.  When another classmate goes missing, Richard is in serious trouble with the law. Not having read any books by Jo Nesbo, I was intrigued by the synopsis and cover art of The Night House .  I requested to receive an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book from NetGalley.  I was absolutely ecstatic that I was approved.  I received a digital copy for free in exchange for my honest review.  Please note that my review does contain spoilers. Part one of The Night House seemed a litt
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Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

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Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the Stephanie Plum book series and opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog sit his dog Bob while he is out of town testifying at a trial.  The typical chaos ensues when Stephanie has to bring Bob along to apprehend all of her FTAs and has her asking herself if she wants to be married. Each book in this series typically follows the same formula and is wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow at the end.  It's because of this that I enjoy the series . . . I always know that Stephanie is going to get herself into some sort of trouble and need Ranger or Morelli to help her, and the bad guy is always caught.  Sometimes, I just need something familiar and predictable to read.  And, I don't mean that in a bad way either because it allows me to escape reality and gives me a few chuckles along the way.  It's like the comfort food of books for me. The last few books I felt like someone had ghost written
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Book Review: Secret Spells (Diary of an Accidental Witch, #4) by Perdita Cargill and Honor Cargill

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Secret Spells (Diary of an Accidental Witch, #4) written by Perdita Cargill and Honor Cargill, Illustrated by Katie Saunders is told from the perspective of eleven year old Bea via her diary entries and is about the main character and her classmates preparing for the Winter Solstice Grand Tournament, and they will be competing against a non-magical school, so no magic will be allowed! Which school will win? A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley for giving me an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Secret Spells (Diary of an Accidental Witch, #4) by Perdita Cargill and Honor Cargill and Illustrated by Katie Saunders for free in exchange for my honest review. I was intrigued by the book title and cover art and was thrilled to be approved to read this book. This book is somewhat similar to The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy. The main character goes to a school for witches where there are some mishaps while casting some spells. Those are really the only similarities between the two books. I
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