Thursday, March 28, 2024

Karen Rose - Cold Blooded Liar

Sam Reeves is a kindhearted psychologist who treats court-ordered clients. After one of his patients—a pathological liar—starts revealing plausible new details from a long-unsolved serial murder case, he’s compelled to report anonymously to the SDPD tip line, though his attempts to respect patient confidentiality land him facedown and cuffed by the aggressive (and cute) Detective McKittrick.
San Diego homicide detective Kit McKittrick loves the water. She lives on a boat, and when she’s not solving crimes with the SDPD, she’s assisting her foster sister with her charter fishing business or playing with her poodle. But there’s nothing that intrigues Kit more than a cold case, so when an anonymous caller leads her on the path of a wanted killer, she’s determined to end the decade-long manhunt.
Sam is soon released but goes home with both a newfound distaste for the SDPD and a resolve—not unlike Kit’s—to uncover the truth. Kit and Sam repeatedly butt heads in their separate investigations but are forced to work together to find one of the deadliest serial killers the city has faced in years.

Comment: Since I'm a fan of this author, I will make an effort to read all her books and it has been so for several years now. Although many stories are set in specific cities, sometimes a few characters might cross over. That isn't the case here, with this book a new setting in San Diego begins and I will say I'm surprised at how the author developed this story, which is slightly different from her norm.

Kit McKittrick is a young homicide detective, with the reputation of doing all she can and beyond, to help the victims or their families. That is why psychologist Sam Reeves decides to anonymously call and give a tip so they could investigate something a patient told him and that he can't disclose freely. Sam isn't certain if the information has any truth to it since the patient is a pathological liar, but he feels he has to at least give a hint. The problem is that his good Samaritan act turns against him and he is considered a suspect in the case of the young girls found killed. Kit feels that Sam seems too much of a good person to have been involved in the case, but she needs to do things properly, even if that means he won't trust her again as he did before. But the real killer is out there and apparently not caring about setting Sam up to take the blame... 
What can Sam and Kit do to finally catch the real killer?

I was quite surprised with this story, to be honest. I've read all the full length stories the author has published so far (this is #27 in the sequential general series if one considers it to be a single one) and if I remember correctly, this is the first book where we don't have the POV of the villain! I already considered that to be part of the author's trademark so this was quite refreshing. I also liked this element because I did complain before about the villain's POV taking up too many pages (in my opinion) and how annoying that was sometimes, which means I really liked this new tactic.

Something else I liked is that in all previous books there is always a romantic element, whether because we see previous couples in their HEAs or because the protagonist couple is starting off their relationship. The romances then to be caring and sweet - often the characters have went though some kind of trauma or complicated situations - and it was mostly like seeing people who already got along getting together. The formula, if one wants to use that word, was easily recognizable, but this time Kit and Sam don't get along right away (although we are told they like what they see in the other).

This means, clearly, that the goal is to develop their relationship in future installments, and upon checking the blurb of the next story set in San Diego, they are the protagonists again. This certainly means we will have a slow burn type of relationship, for at least one more book, and I think this was actually fun. We are told  - maybe the showing part could have been better done - they match in temperament, in personality, in common values and goals... I'm quite eager to see the next chapter, so to say!

The plot of this book isn't too different from the author's usual, though. There is a criminal killing young girls who seem to have theater interests in common. As it often happens, the events are set up in a linear way, so that we can see what is happening and how, and how the detectives are able to connect the dots. Some events seem too convenient of course, so that things progress more quickly, but thinking about this in the big scheme of things, I think it was done well enough and, mostly, convincingly.

The killer's identity wasn't a complete shock because the pool of options wasn't very wide. Nevertheless, the psychology of it was interesting, as was the way the story developed because of that. I'd say the suspense factor wasn't as high as in other novels by the author, and this was both b«good and not so good to me. In one hand, I did like that things were easier to follow and that I could stay focused on what I wanted to know instead of dreading the POV of the bad guys. On the other, perhaps with the lack of an obvious romance and clues from the killer, things weren't as urgent, it felt.

This aside, I did like reading this book and it was always good to pick up the story and keep reading. Closer to the end, I was almost sure about who the killer had to be, but the hows are always more difficult to guess right. I've finished the book with a good feeling, I liked some of the secondary characters we've met and I'll definitely read the sequel at some point.
Grade: 8/10

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

S. A. Swann - Wolfbreed

In this captivating reinvention of the werewolf novel, S. A. Swann propels readers into the darkest days of the Middle Ages, weaving a rare blend of soaring romance, historical intrigue, paranormal thrills, and spiritual questioning to tell a story that forever changes those who hear it.
When a monk inadvertently discovers a lair of werewolf young, he unleashes what will become the Church’s most powerful—and secret—weapon. Clandestinely raised by the Teutonic Order, these lupine creatures serve as instruments of God against pagan unbelievers. Trained to slip into villages cloaked in human form, they are all but unstoppable. Only one, called Lilly, has cunningly fled her brutal master.
Uldolf is too young to remember the massacre eight years earlier that claimed his village, his arm, and his kin. But he knows the pain of loneliness. When he sees what appears to be a beautiful young woman, injured and cowering in the woods, he races to her aid. Uldolf and his adoptive family will do anything to protect the terrified girl, but the danger is greater than they can possibly imagine. For death is the only life Lilly has ever known—and if their humanity can’t pierce the darkness Lilly harbors in her soul, they’ll soon come to know it, too.

Comment: I had this book in the shelf since 2010. I was sold on the apparent hint of romance and the werewolf idea, which is still my favorite type of PNR, even though this one didn't seem to have the usual vibes of books published around that time.

This story begins with a monk discovering strange people who can turn into werewolves and being the setting medieval, he believes they aren't fully human and, with the support of the soldiers, decides to use them to force the pagans who might fight the conversion. However, it is impossible to control them all the time and one day, after a terrible event, one of them, Lilly, runs away. Later, she is helped by Udolf and his family and she learns what it means to have compassion and something worthy to do. The problem is that the monks and the soldiers are after Lilly and they won't rest until she is captured again. But what can Udolf, with only one arm, or his poor family do to protect Lilly? Or will be Lilly who ends up protecting them?

I think the idea of this plot was quite interesting. I confess I'm not that fond of medieval settings nowadays because part of me always feels rather annoyed at how plot points must be developed when it comes to the treatment of women or even certain beliefs and behaviors. This often makes me wish I could change things and I don't enjoy the story as much. In this case, since the story would have werewolves, meaning some paranormal with the historical setting, I hoped the focus would be on themes not the ones I generally dislike.

Well, I'll have to say that this wasn't as linear as I hoped because the author created a story where a huge part of its development is heavily set on the terrible aspects of persecuting people and how the religious orders were no more than an excuse to submit others. Sure, all these things might be historically accurate without the paranormal elements, but it did not make for a pleasant story. Of course I knew this would not be easy to go through, considering the werewolves would not be the sexy kind we find in romances, but it was still quite unpalatable to read.

In fact, another thing I'll confess is that I did skim over the battle scenes and the descriptions of torture and deaths. It does feel as if I didn't really read with that much attention, then, but what I did read was enough to paint a picture and I just didn't find a lot of positive to keep me going, except Udulf, who was a nice young man.
Udulf is the son of a previous lord in the region and his family was killed, but he was adopted by a humble couple, which means his life has been one of overcoming obstacles and having the base to be a good person, and he is the reason why I rounded up this book into the positive grade.

Udolf finds Lilly after she escaped her "owners" and helps her. She feels in debt to him and, in part, that is why they get along easily, but there is another reason which is explained later on. Sadly to my preferences, it's not related to werewolves nor the usual mating traditions (kind of), and that was definitely an element I've missed in this story, even more so when the little romance is, indeed, between these two. I fell the author's goal with this story was quite obvious and valid if that was his intention, but adding the romance element might be a suggestion, perhaps, and not his initial intention? I say this because it was clearly very weakly done and almost unimportant.

I have this opinion because, considering the fighting scenes and what happens closer to the end, Lilly and Udolf might still want to help each other or they might even defend one another and Udolf's family without the romance, so having it done so poorly made the element seem rather pointless. Added to this we have the issue of  the werewolf condition being something to fear, something unpredictable and I honestly could not see how this would really work out, or at least I don't think the author wrote things well enough if that was to be the path the story would take.

When I turned the last page, I was mostly glad because it was done. I will summarize the reading experience to this: the setting and theme really didn't win me over and I'll add this book to the list of things I've added to the TBR at a time my preference was set on something specific but I have to wonder if I had read it back then, would I enjoy it more? The plot was not pleasant to read, so...
Grade: 5/10

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Lucy Parker - Codename Charming

Petunia De Vere enjoys being the personal assistant to lovable, bumbling Johnny Marchmont. But the job has its share of challenges, including the royal's giant, intimidating bodyguard, Matthias. Pet and Matthias are polar opposites--she's spontaneous and enthusiastic, he's rigid and stoic--but she can sense there's something softer underneath that tough exterior...
For Matthias Vaughn, protecting others is the name of the game. But keeping his royal charge out of trouble is more difficult than he imagined because everywhere Johnny goes, calamity ensues, and his petite, bubbly assistant is often caught in the fray. Matthias hates the idea of Pet getting hurt and he's determined to keep everyone safe, even if it means clashing with his adorable new coworker.
When a clumsy moment leads to a questionable tabloid photo, the press begins to speculate that Pet is romantically involved with Johnny. To put an end to the rumors, the royal PR team asks Pet and Matthias to stage a fake relationship and the two reluctantly agree. But as they spend more time together outside of work, they begin to wonder what real emotions this pretend connection might uncover. Especially when a passionate kiss leaves both of their heads spinning...

Comment: This is the second installment in the Palace Insiders series by Lucy Parker. I've read the first two years ago and I'd say that the time in between releases might have affected my perception, but I've found this one to be a little less powerful than her other work.

Petunia "Pet" de Vere is the sister of Dominic (hero of the previous book) and she works as an assistant for the palace, namely she works on Johnny Marchmont's team. Johnny is married to Rosie, a royal, and he is still getting used to this, although he does have a propensity to be clumsy. This means Pet has had a lot of work making him look good, even though she has already fallen twice onto Matthias Vaughn's arms, one of the security bodyguards. Pet and Matthias seem to like one another but neither has been confident enough to take the first step, until this is forced on them by circumstances. To avoid more paparazzi gossip, the team devises a plan where Pet and Matthias "play" to be falling in love, but will they really be able to not fall for real, since the spark is already there?

Well, any romance reader would reply yes right away, but I will have to be honest and say that the two main reasons why I wasn't as dazzled by this book as I was with others by the author were: the main couple is, sadly, not that interesting to me and the plot is not very intense to begin with, so this conjunction made for a slightly thin story. I can see where the author wanted to go with her usual trademark grumpy/sunshine pairing but this time I was not fully convinced.

The story is set sometime after the events of the first book and an important element to remember is that Dominic and Pet weren't always in good terms. Stuff in their childhood separated them but during that other book they got closer and I think this is important to think of because it paints Pet in a way that makes her seem a little aloof at times, and by comparison, not as bubbly as Lucy Parker's other heroines. I liked Pet and I liked her personality but it's true she wasn't as charismatic to me in all things, as others were.

Matthias is even more vague to me. The author does try to develop him as a likable character, we know he seems distanced and too much of a professional, not easily mixing up with others or sharing personal details and I guess this makes it easier for us to understand why he isn't very loud, but at the same time he seems to be too stoic. This didn't have to be an issue and we do have plenty of information about his childhood in the foster system, and how he lost his best friend on an assignment, so he is a good guy still mourning, kind of, and we learn his romantic relationships hadn't been great because of his looks, but all these things still didn't warmed him up to me and I think the author could done this element better.

These two should not have much in common except the sadness and the inconsistent childhoods, but we are still told they like and want each other from the distance. I do like this trope/idea, but I was not convinced they actually felt like that, no matter how many times they "thought" about one another. I just could not see the spark even secondary characters claimed was there. I can't say if it was due to their quieter personalities or how they were described, but I just could not see it.

When they start being closer and share personal stuff, they kept on being too unsure of themselves and while this might be realistic, it did not make for a very captivating romance. I did like some scenes between them where they talked or had some romantic moments, but... and when they become intimate, closer to the end of the novel, it just wasn't vibrant nor special and felt more like an element the author had to add instead of something organically necessary to the evolution of their feelings and relationship.

Perhaps this would not be as weak to me if the plot had been better, but I felt there was no urgency, no real force driving things forward. The fake dating idea and their respective duties in the big scheme just didn't feel like much of a plot and what this made me think was that there was a lot of repetitive situations and ideas and nothing really important was happening except forced situations so that Matthias and Pet would have to interact. 

Again, closer to the end, however, we finally find a pertaining information regarding Pet, something that was very slowly being developed from the beginning, and when this is developed, the book is practically over. I felt that if this situation had been explored better, it would have been a much nicer plot devise, more intense, with a possibly better conflict to make things move on. The way it was played out, everything was simple, superficial, and to me, a lost opportunity.

I still consider this to be a positive read because I do like the author's work and her usual techniques of developing the plots, I still liked reading this and knowing more about all characters, I certainly liked seeing Dominic and Sylvie again and to confirm they are as in love as they were when their story was concluded, but yes, I cannot say this book was as special as I would have wanted.
Grade: 6/10

Friday, March 22, 2024

Lily Morton - Oz

What happens when temporary becomes forever?
Oz Gallagher does not do relationships well. Bored and jobless after another disastrous hook up, he decides to leave London for a temporary job in the wilds of Cornwall. Surely managing a stately home on a country estate will be easier than navigating the detritus of his relationships at home. Six months there will alleviate a bit of his wanderlust and then he can come back to London as footloose and fancy free as the day he left it.
However, when he gets there he finds a house in danger of crumbling to the ground and a man who is completely unlike anyone he’s ever met. An earl belonging to a family whose roots go back hundreds of years, Silas is the living embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Two things that Oz has never wanted. He's also warm and funny and he draws Oz to him like a magnet.
Oz banks on the fact that they're from two very different worlds to stop himself falling for Silas. But what will he do when he realises that these differences are actually part of the pull to one another? Will falling in love be enough to make him stop moving at last and realise that he's finally home?
From bestselling author, Lily Morton, comes a romantic comedy about two very different men and one very dilapidated house.

Comment: I had read and liked other books by this author and then saw some positive reviews about this book, so that was pretty much why I added it to my TBR.

In this story we meet Oz, a young man whose luck on romance has been null, When the story begins Oz is just finding out that his boyfriend cheats and he catches him in the act. While ranting and talking to his best friend, he decides to apply to a job as a way to change scenery but when he arrives for the interview, he can't help feeling he is out of place. Although he tries to have fun by bombing the interview, somehow he is still offered the job. When he arrives in Cornwall, at the estate he will be responsible for to organize, so that the historical house can be open to he public, he starts falling in love... and not only with the house. Silas is the heir to an earldom but he cannot pay the fees of maintaining such an estate, thus why he and his younger brother decided transforming the house into public tours could be the solution. He and Oz should not have anything in common, but it is impossible to ignore the connection. Will they take a bet on a possible relationship?

This is described as a romantic comedy of sorts and I'd say the label might be apt if one thinks that most of the narrative is told in a supposedly cute or funny way. I cannot say I had this impression all the time and, as a matter of fact, I missed having a bit more balance in the story when it comes to the mix between the fun and the serious situations. Still, taking that into consideration, I still think this was an enjoyable read for me.

Like I said, this is not the first book I try by the author either and I knew what to expect in terms of style, which helped me to want to keep reading. I say this because I was not a fan of the beginning of the story, when Oz finds out his boyfriend was cheating. I think this scene was so cliche and it seemed to be included so that we could understand Oz' state of mind and decision to move on, especially geographically, so he could start anew, but I really don't think this would be that necessary.

The tone is definitely one of comedy. I knew to expect that, but I was still a little disappointed that most of the scenes where characters interacted had to be made to be vibrant and bubbly or funny. I would not say the comedy factor was over the top or silly, but I think it could have been toned down without losing interest. That doesn't mean there are no serious or more dramatic situations happening or being discussed, but to me it felt things weren't deepened on purpose, the subjects are there, are mentioned and developed, but clearly not the actual focus.

The characters are the heavy force driving the novel. Oz, in particular, is the main character and most of the story is told from his POV, although there are also sections we see through Silas'.
Oz is out and proud, didn't have many opportunities and lives in modest place with his mother, who is Irish and when she got pregnant, her parents disowned her. She had Oz and they are a strong family unit, which means we can understand that Oz might have gone into a different path but the support system of his mother and some friends helped him out.
Silas had more advantages financially and socially growing up but his parents weren't loving like Oz's mother. Silas and his brother had to be united and strong to grow up and still be good people. Silas is now a veterinarian and he loves what he does, but he also loves the estate and would feel bad letting it go, so he is trying to do the right thing.

I think the demonstration that the main characters are genuine and good people, even Oz under all the brave and loud persona, and that makes it easier to root for them and to want to see them happy. I think the character development and personal issues were dealt with with enough skill to make things seem appealing and for the reader to grasp that there was some kind of evolution between the main couple, and even an inner growth. Was this as well done as it could? Perhaps not, but I think the lighter tone of story is justified when adding this proportionally light development.

As one would imagine, Oz is not only a funny guy who conquers pretty much everyone, but he is also a lot more skilled than what he would think, and he does a brilliant work with what he has. I think this was a little too sugary, clearly a set up for why he might decide to stay there instead of returning to London as he planned early on, for he thought the job would be for six months. I don't really mind this tactic, it's certainly supposed to make him look even more admirable, but it does make the plot seem rather flimsy.

Despite the issues I might have had with the novel, this was still easy and fluid to read.
I'll probably read the next one in the series at some point, Milo is a secondary character here, he doesn't seem very intriguing, but who knows... I'm hoping the author's writing style will remain good enough to keep me interested in reading, as it ended up happening with this story.
Grade: 7/10

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

TBR Challenge: Adria Rose - Spacer's Cinderella

A broken shoe. A forbidden ball. A sexy cyborg with a secret.
Born on an abandoned colony barely held together by sealant tape and hope, Aurora Sato is at the very bottom of the social pecking order. Hard work and brains got her into a coveted spot in the quadrant’s top university… But her new supervisor is a woman who's not about to let an upstart like Aurora get anything close to a break.
And a break is exactly what Aurora needs right now. Her home colony is dying and nobody is in any rush to save it or her family. Aurora’s research project is their last hope, but only if she can complete it in time — an impossible task.
One night out is all she’ll allow herself. One night to forget her troubles. She never expects to meet a man who dazzles all her senses. Magnus Thorne is a battle-hardened, ruthless cyborg. Rich, respected and powerful, he’s too much for innocent Aurora. For one magical night he makes her feel like a princess, awakening a longing she doesn’t know how to quell.
But Aurora is in more danger than she realizes. And Magnus isn’t about to let her face it alone, no matter how hard she tries to shut him out.
He's determined to break every rule to save her from ruin. But will she trust him enough to let him?

Comment: We're back to another TBR Challenge post. One month apart seems to be enough time but when it comes to the challenge it feels as if only last week I was writing about the previous entry! 

Anyway, for March the theme is Not in Kansas Anymore and what I immediately thought of was of a place which isn't usual, and my mind went to science fiction. I got his book after seeing very positive grades out there and I'm quite glad I chose it, since the story is not only set up in space - very unusual - but the heroine is actually at a place not her homeland and had to adapt.

Aurora Sato is working on planet Calliope with a scholarship, so she can use the university's equipment and resources to develop her terraforming project, which she hopes to finish successfully and, then, help her home planet Tigris, which will run out of breathable air soon, and everyone there will be killed. She knows practically everyone in the planet has more and better means, and if not for her professional work and her teaching and her scholarship, she would not be able to afford to stay. 
Everything changes when her mentor and fellow professor Abe is accused of hiding information and is expelled. With him goes the sympathy of the university and the person in charge seems to want her to fail. At the same time she meets Magnus and they have an instant attraction. He is also a teacher at the university and Aurora feels their change is gone when she applies to a project conducted by him and his team, but the more they try to keep the distance, the more they find out things about one another that makes them like each other even more. Will there be any hope for them? Will Aurora be able to finish her project and save her family?

Until a certain point in more than half way through the story I was confident I'd give this story five stars. I was that engaged, that dedicated and that seduced by the world and the characters. Unfortunately, around the 70% mark things started to drag a little, a few situations weren't as incisive anymore, in my opinion, and I felt the plot lost some urgency. Nevertheless, as a whole, this was extremely appealing to me and I hope the author will publish more stories in the future, I might be interested in checking them out.

The setting of this novel is on a planet where money and influence matter. The university is recognized for its groundbreaking work and projects and it becomes obvious that society expectations determine some people have more or better opportunities than others. If things don't work out or when contracts end, people can be easily shipped out back home or into places which aren't as visible. The idea of this set up isn't much of a novelty in the world of romantic stories, but I felt the author developed the world building enough to make me eager to see how well Aurora would succeed.

In fact, a major element that made me love this book was Aurora herself and, in particular, the competence she demonstrated and how clever and professional she was at work, including her work ethics. A huge part of the story is set on how "goody two shoes" Aurora is for the most part, although one could say her attraction to Magnus and the fact they maintain a relationship while they both work in the same project should not happen. Despite this, I had the feeling all the elements were working out well, that the author had thought about a way to make the characters larger than life and I was rooting for their success.

As expected, especially considering the title, there is a difference in status between Magnus and Aurora but to me their differences were just a romantic reason for why they might become a couple. In reality, they have a lot in common, I really liked how they were both teachers and smart and a lot of the things they had in common (more than the physical attraction) were mental, in the sense that they matched each other and I could accept them as a functional couple at almost all levels. The money issues or the social hierarchy differences were obvious but to me never an impediment to their relationship.

A lot of the conflict in the story is Aurora's need to have a successful project and when certain problems arise, I was as nervous as if it was my own work, because of how important that was to Aurora. I also liked that, when possible, Magnus helped and apart from a few glitches, his help was always on point and without a price, which some might see as prepotence but which to me felt like friendly help. It somehow made sense to me and I never got the icky feeling. I also would say that the confirmation of their mutual acceptance of how much the other person meant, romantically, was delayed by this but ultimately an obstacle they overcame when love and need proved stronger.

As I've said, I was really enjoying this story a lot until a certain point, where a few situations seemed to drag, some more dramatic scenes were exaggerated,perhaps for plot reasons, I also had the feeling a few things were being repetitive even if in different settings, and I felt the urgency, the vibe let's call it that, started to be lost. the story remained interesting but to me it felt as if the cliches one would expect in these types of stories seemed more glaring and not as easily interwoven into the main story. At that moment, I could more easily put the book aside if I had to whereas before I wanted to read non stop.

Despite this, I loved the space setting, I loved the relationship dynamics and I liked the end, although I feel a few aspects weren't as developed as I feel they deserved. The bad guys are punished, the "cinderella" elements were cute and not over the top, there's a HEA and a few secondary characters which I liked seeing interacting with the main ones. All in all, this was a successful read to me, perhaps not perfect as I felt like it would be in the beginning, but I can understand, and now agree with, the positive opinions of other readers.
Grade: 8/10

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Beth Harbison - The Cookbook Club

MUST LOVE BUTTER: The Cookbook Club is now open to members. Foodies come join us! No diets! No skipping dessert!
Margo Everson sees the call out for the cookbook club and knows she’s found her people. Recently dumped by her self-absorbed husband, who frankly isn’t much of a loss, she has little to show for her marriage but his ‘parting gift’—a dilapidated old farm house—and a collection of well-loved cookbooks
Aja Alexander just hopes her new-found friends won’t notice that that every time she looks at food, she gets queasy. It’s hard hiding a pregnancy, especially one she can’t bring herself to share with her wealthy boyfriend and his snooty mother.
Trista Walker left the cutthroat world of the law behind and decided her fate was to open a restaurant…not the most secure choice ever. But there she could she indulge her passion for creating delectable meals and make money at the same time.
The women bond immediately, but it’s not all popovers with melted brie and blackberry jam. Margo’s farm house is about to fall down around her ears; Trista’s restaurant needs a makeover and rat-removal fast; and as for Aja, just how long can you hide a baby bump anyway?
In this delightful novel, these women form bonds that go beyond a love grilled garlic and soy sauce shrimp. Because what is more important in life than friendship…and food?

Comment: I got interested in this book in 2020, most likely because I saw it being recommended somewhere. The idea of a cookbook club seemed intriguing and I wondered how the certainly different protagonists would be like and which connection they would have with food.

There are three protagonists in this book and they randomly meet and start the cookbook club, for all have the passion for food in common: Margo recently saw her marriage end but cookbooks are her joy, Trista left her job to open up a bar which she hopes to gradually turn into a restaurant and Aja discovers she is pregnant but her boyfriend doesn't seem to want anything with her anymore so food is her refuge.
The three ladies meet once a month to discuss recipes but the truth is that a lot happens to them in between and more than just sharing recipes, they also find friendship and understanding in one another. Could it be that their personal lives can improve as much as their ability to create new dishes?

Since I had previously liked other books where food or cooking or baking had been key elements, I thought I'd find comfort in reading this book for that alone. I will confess, however, that I expected the story to feature even more food talk and food situations than what was included. I understand that the balance between this and the development of the protagonist's lives would be important, but it did seem to me that there was more about them individually and their respective love for food than actual club stuff. Basically, the club meeting part of the story was more an afterthought.

The book isn't long and we need to divide our attention to three main characters but I liked the three of them and not only when they were interacting. Although this isn't primarily a story about romantic relationships, there are romantic elements which elevated the story for me, but I can see how distracting it might be for those who were mostly looking for to read about food or that might have wanted a more woman's fiction type of plot.

Of the three protagonists, I would say I wasn't as invested in Aja. She and her boyfriend break up when Aja meets his mother Lucinda, who seems to be a snob. However, Aja's knowledge on gardening allows her to be hired precisely by Lucinda, and although she denies it at first, Lucinda guesses the father of her child is her son. This is a weird set up and I felt Aja's story line was a little hard to envision, but her attempt to fix the garden means she is physically at Lucinda's house a lot and they become allies of some kind. A lot of Aja's relationship to the club is about how much she eats certain things due to her pregnancy and how she likes to learn more recipes, but I will say this, if Aja were not a main character, I don't think her presence would be missed (by me).

I liked Margo and Trista's stories more because they are the ones who find romance in the process.
Margo and her husband divorce, she keeps an old farm house and, as per romanceland rules, of course an old friend she had a crush on and who went to become very famous, contacts her out of the blue to be a caretaker at that farm, so that he can have a place to be away from the hassle of fame. He finds out she does you tube videos about preparing some dishes for her parents and their friends and, somehow, they reconnect over this and the farm and we learn they have been in love with each other for a long time and never told the other. Although this sounds very cliched, I still liked them as individuals, I liked them together and I felt the cooking part was a cute element to Margo's story line.

Trista was my favorite main character, she left her job as a lawyer over some stuff which is only revealed at the end (and that I found it to be, honestly, quite ridiculous) and decides to become a restaurant/bar owner. She is starting slowly, trying to have steady clients and making changes in a gradual process. She is planning on adding new types of food and makes many experiences. One day she meets Brice and they seem to match but he is engaged and even finds a way to convince her to hire his stepbrother, whom Trista already knew from school. The world is small and while she and Brice seem to be able to talk easily, he cannot be interested, or so she thinks.

These characters should not have that much in common and the story doesn't really get as much depth as I think certain things would achieve, but three main characters to develop can be quite a lot. Nevertheless, I liked the story and I was interested in seeing how they would go from one situation to the next, how would everyone find what they were looking for, mainly the success of their endeavors. I can see how this might not appeal to some readers but it worked out enough for me to appreciate the characters' personalities and the food talk, even though the club part was not that much of a factor.
Grade: 7/10

Saturday, March 16, 2024

F. K. Salwood - The Oystercatcher's Cry

The Fernlees have been farming oysters on the River Roche for decades and Edward Fernlee has moved on from selling to his neighbours and now supplies Billingsgate and the gentry holidaying in the South End of Prittlewell.
Late one afternoon Kate Fernlee returns home to find the Water Sergeant at her father's door: a catch of Fernlee oysters has been found responsible for a typhoid outbreak. The Fernlees's licence has been rescinded.
Her home and livelihood gone for good, Kate is forced to take up cockling - a thankless and sometimes fatal task, but one whose territories are strictly marked out, any interloper resented and warned off. Kate Fernlee is made of sterner stuff and, despite the hatred and scorn of her fellow cocklers, will not give up her only chance of an independent living.
Nor will she ever forget that her beloved Simon, away at sea with Her Majesty Navy and knowing nothing of Kate's troubles, is coming back to her.

Comment: As seen on the previous blog entry, I have recently DNF'd a book, and that was a book I chose on purpose to suit one topic in a challenge I'm doing, it had to be a book with 500 pages or more. Since I didn't actually read its 500 pages, I've decided to not cheat and start a different one. I've also managed to choose a long standing one in the shelf, thus a positive choice all around. 

In this book set in the 1800s, we meet heroine Kate Fernlee, she helps her father farming and catching oysters to sell, but one day the business is ruined when evidence of poisoning is found in their oysters. At the same time, Kate's boyfriend Simon decides to take his chance at sea, and they separate, hopefully for only a while and then they will start their lives together. However, Kate needs to survive and in order to do so she begins cockling which is considered  an inferior way of making a living. But as her life and of those around her are affected by so many things, Kate still hopes for Simon's return. Will they ever find a way to be together at last?

I have had some issues trying to find information about the author, so I cannot say much but this 1993 book clearly is dated. Despite that, I was surprised by it and while it didn't end up being an amazing read, it was still rather easy to turn the pages. I should say that I got it at a book sale and at the time price was enough reason to buy certain books, so between that and the promise of romance I felt convinced enough to buy it.

The story is described as a saga, for it follows Kate (as main character) through many years, as she faces difficulties and problems, but also finds friends and strength in herself. I think this is a style of story that certainly feels dated, because apart from the obvious, there isn't a lot of content pertaining to the character's personalities and evolution. Everyone has a role, we see them going on in their lives being a certain and character development doesn't go beyond what is expected. We are supposed to infer things by their behavior. I cannot say this is a good or bad style, but it's not possible to ignore nowadays most books in the genre are written differently.

Kate is definitely a good heroine, though. She is given many bad news but she always comes up winning over whatever challenge, with more or less difficulty. I think the author intentionally added way more drama than the story required, but since the writing style is quite direct and dated, I admit I never felt overwhelmed by what was being described. In fact, when Kate even stands up for her right to assert her role in a specific situation where others were challenging her, I even laughed at the scene, which I don't think might have been the author's aim.

I won't go into plot points  -there were many things happening - but once Kate accomplishes something, another issue pops up. As expected, along with this, she also has to make choices, some were misleading because the villain kind of manipulated events to gain Kate's favor. The fact the characters were all a little superficially developed, not much more than a role being portrayed, I could maintain my distance and emotions. I actually would not say this was a bad thing, for I didn't feel the story required a lot of emotion from me, but a few situations were really lacking.

After many things, some which were really unfair somehow, Kate is close to triumph in her life and she reconnects with Simon. However, their lives had been tampered with by the villain, they had to deal with obstacles and now a rekindling of their relationship felt a little... naive. I will admit I thought perhaps the goal would be to take Kate into a different path, but... the end was hopeful, there are some elements I think could have been exploited differently, but all things considered, this wasn't too bad. I will likely not read it again, though, but it's nice to keep an agreeable vibe from this book.
Grade: 6/10

Friday, March 15, 2024

Mini - Comments

Here is another set of mini-comments. This time it's books that didn't impress me enough to make me feel like writing a lot about them, to be honest. Still, I want to leave at least a few notes about each book I have in my lists, including the ones I liked less.


Inda by Sherwood Smith had been in the pile for years and I probably got it because it was mentioned by readers who also recommended fantasy books with possible LGBT characters. There was a time I was quite interested in these books, but as it happened with another similar book I had had in the pile for long, so did this one disappoint. 
I only read 100 pages (out of 600 more or less in my edition) when I decided to DNF. The story was set in a sort of military/coming of age society which, sadly, didn't appeal to me at all. There was so much talk about battles or preparing for them, and bullying and keeping secrets and political agendas between different characters that I got terribly annoyed and decided to stop. I suppose the elements that make this a rich and compelling read might come after, but I was not interested to endure things I might not like to reach the good parts.
Inda, the main character, is a kid when the story begins and it seems most characters get older as the story develops, but I just didn't care. I might have been unfair in why I decided to stop, but the truth is that what I did read did not stay with me, so... one less book to worry about. I did read a few reviews after, and that is enough to satisfy my curiosity about the "what ifs".
Grade: DNF

-//-


The Unexpected Guest by Charles Osborne, based on a play by Agatha Christie was a rather short story about a man who suddenly shows up at a house after his car broke down and when no one answers the door, he manages to find another entry and stumbles on a couple, but the man is dead and his wife claims she did it. He, then, helps her to cover up things before the rest of the household and the police shows up...
As always, when it comes to a story planned by Agatha Christie, there's a crime to investigate and a clever solution, but I will say that this one felt a little weak to me. Or, perhaps, it was the way mr Osborne thought on how to construct the narrative. I mean, there's nothing wrong with it, but if the inspiration was the play, perhaps there wasn't enough to start from, or perhaps mr Osborne didn't want to "invent" on someone else's work, but what I felt like reading was that this was too short and under developed.
The crime's motif and its execution were, as assumed if Agatha Christie has her mark on it, cleverly done and planned, but the explanations and the sequence of events a little ineffective, in my opinion. However, it was an easy story to read and does satisfy those who like these types of crime stories.
Grade: 6/10

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Elisabeth Naughton - Stolen Fury

To unearth a centuries-old secret, an archaeologist must team up with the rakish thief who’s stolen both an ancient relic and her heart…
Oh, is he handsome. And charming. And sexy as all get out. Dr. Lisa Maxwell isn’t the type to go home with a guy she barely knows. But, hey, this is Italy and the red-blooded Rafe Sullivan seems much more enticing than cataloging a bunch of dusty artifacts.
After being fully seduced, Lisa wakes to an empty bed and, worse yet, an empty safe. She’s staked her career as an archaeologist on collecting the three Furies, a priceless set of ancient Greek reliefs. Now the one she had is gone. But Lisa won’t just get mad. She’ll get even.
She tracks Rafe to Florida, and finds the sparks between them blaze hotter than the Miami sun. He may still have her relic, but he’ll never find all three without her. And they’re not the only ones on the hunt. To beat the other treasure seekers, they’ll have to partner up—because suddenly Lisa and Rafe are in a race just to stay alive.

Comment: I had this book in the pile for years. I've tried to add books to my monthly lists these past years, so that books I had for longer would finally get their chance...

In this book we meet archaeologist and professor Lisa Maxwell in the exact moment she is investigating a cave in Jamaica during her holidays. She happens to find one of the Furies, part of a set of three Greek statues, which have been searched for a long time by experts. However, after a presentation, she meets Rafe Garcia, a very attractive man with whom she hopes to spend the night but falls asleep and realizes he deceived her and stole her statue. Later, she is able to track him and while the attraction between them is as strong as before, she will not give this time... or will she? Will them? The problem is that more people are after the statue, for if someone manages to have them all, it will be quite a feat, and that means Rafe and Lisa and those around them need to run against time to find the other statues...

This did remind me of those adventure books and movies of the 90s mostly. I've actually seen references in some reviews to some movie titles which are similar to this book in plot or style and it does seem a correct comparison. I think this was a great adventure, with lots of fast paced scenes and jumps, but I will have to say that while the characters' relationships weren't any novelty, I still felt a little sad over the fact they were so predictable and lacking (to me).

The story itself isn't bad, and I was interested in reading what would happen next, even though sometimes we had scenes supposedly shady from the villain's POV which I could do without, but I was curious about what the main characters would do and how. There is a lot of travel from place to place, then some secondary characters get involved and that broadened the range of action, which made me think the action was non stop. The idea of finding the statues and what it meant was always a fascinating enough element and when a certain information closer to the end is shared, I was surprised because it wasn't such a big surprise and still I found it great.

Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention to some elements, I should confess, thus my surprise at the end, because another big part of the plot is centered on the romance between Rafe and Liza and this was the element I felt a little disappointing. When they meet Rafe deceives Liza and no matter his thoughts about it and the fact they are strangers, it was still a bit of a betrayal. I also felt slightly put off by how they think about one another at that time, I would have liked it more if their relationship had started in a different way.

I kept imagining that if they had been reluctant partners from the start and the physical and emotional attraction had developed more slowly, i'd have liked the progression of the romance more. I know this is only an impression but the constant reminders and inner thoughts about how good looking, how attractive, how whatever they felt about one another took some of the fun out of this for me. I think it would have been a better strategy if we could see their interactions and more, I don't know, subtle ways of their behavior letting us know about what they were feeling. More showing and less lustful thoughts lol, because there was a time it felt they only had superficial emotions between them.

Of course, as expected, they end up together, and there are even supposedly love declaration exchanges, but I cannot say I was fully on board being convinced about their feelings. I would have liked the author could have done things differently, if these were the characters partnered.
The secondary characters, apart from the bad guys, had their interest and I've seen some will be protagonists in future installments. I'm still thinking if I'll read them, perhaps if it suits any of the challenges I usually do.

I think there are enough reasons why the characters are captivating, there are indeed plenty of scenes where it was fun to follow their steps, and the writing style is mostly fluid and easy, which are positive details. I just think the romance disappointed...
Grade: 6/10

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Anna Martin - The Impossible Boy

This is not your average love story.
Ben Easton is not your average romantic hero. He’s a tattooed, badass, wannabe rock star, working in a perfectly horrible dive bar in Camden Town. His life is good, and he’s totally unprepared for how one man will turn it upside down.
Stan isn’t your average heroine. As a gender-fluid man, he proudly wears his blond hair long, his heels sky-high, and his makeup perfectly executed. A fashion industry prodigy, Stan is in London after stints working in Italy and New York City, and he quickly falls for Ben’s devil-may-care attitude and the warm, soft heart Ben hides behind it.
Beneath the perfect, elegant exterior, Stan has plenty of scars from teenage battles with anorexia. And it only takes the slightest slip for his demons to rush back in while Ben is away touring with his band. With the band on the brink of a breakthrough, Ben is forced to find a way to balance the opportunity of a lifetime with caring for his beautiful boyfriend.

Comment: Last year I've read another book by this author and I wasn't as amazed by it as I thought I would. Despite that, having another one in the pile, I dived in hoping I would like this one better and while it wasn't bad, it didn't thrill me either...

In this story we meet Ben, a man with many jobs, including aspiring rock band member. He and some friends sometimes play here and there but it seems that recently things have switched and everyone is inclined to improve and aspire for more. His live also takes a turn for the better when he meets Stan, a gorgeous androgynous man and they hit it off pretty quickly.
Stan is a former model, now creative director for a fashion magazine and he knows exactly how his looks impact others. He is easily confused with a woman but Ben doesn't seem to mind that he actually wears a dress sometimes. 
Their romance seems to go well until personal issues affect their perspective, but will there be any hope for them as a couple?

I ended up having a similar opinion about this book as I did to the other one by the author I had tried: great premise, great ideas, but the execution didn't convince me. There is something about the way the story is told that failed to captivate me completely and part of it is certainly due to the jumps in time and situations without us following the process gradually enough.

For instance, regarding this specific detail, the book is divided into two parts, and at the end of the first everything is fine, the two guys are practically established, they have expressed and shared their feelings with one another and then, suddenly, at the beginning of part two, Stan is at the hospital and Ben knows nothing about it! I was surprised, where did this situation come from? We are simply told about it and the rest of the plot went from there.... perhaps I'm not seeing the art in this style, but it felt rather jarring to me.

The set up for this story was appealing enough for me: Stan works in fashion, has the looks, has the experience despite his young age (22) and the facts that a) he comes from Russia and has a specific way of identifying himself, being gender fluid, this affecting how freely he could live in that country and b) he has battled anorexia, which isn't as common in men as is in women, were details that made me curious about him. He is also described as very beautiful and all that, and I could easily imagine him in my head. I wondered if his past issues would be part of the novel and they were, but not exactly as I thought.

Ben, on the other hand, is described as a hot tattooed guy, with a messier lifestyle, with many jobs including bar tending but also tutoring (which I found an amazing extra) and we also understand his family background made him doubt his place as a younger man and so on. I mean, it was clear the two protagonists had vulnerabilities and perhaps those would be common points to bring them together, besides the physical attraction. I imagined the story would be quite focused on how easy or not their relationship would progress.

In fact, the romance starts slowly and until the end of the first part it felt as if things would go smoothly. Then, I will admit to you, I've made a mistake. At that point, I was curious enough about some secondary characters - mainly some of Ben's friends/co members of the band, and I wondered if the sequel to this book (there is a second book, yes) would be about one of them. I checked the blurb and, what! The blurb of the second book caught me unaware and I was a little annoyed to have read it, because it ruined the rest of the book. That blurb is based on the expectation the reader had read the first book and certain details told me something would happen until the end.

Well, that was what I thought. In fact, I kept reading, dreading what would happen to lead to what was described on the blurb of the sequel and that wasn't what happened after all. The story line kept focused on the main situations already in progress and when the book ends, the two guys and the band were doing mostly fine, etc. That tells me that probably there will be more time jumps where one situation might not be seen on the page. Added to the fact I wasn't always as engaged with the story as I wanted, I'm now convinced that I will not read that sequel.

There are other little things here and there that made me loose interest in the novel as a whole, and even accepting the positive aspects, I've finished without feeling I had read something truly amazing. It's only my perception, perhaps already colored by the other book and by possible things that might or might not be in the sequel, but yes, this book didn't amaze me.
Grade: 5/10

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Mini - Comments

The following two books were chosen for the same reason: I'm doing two challenges with one of my GR groups and one of the themes for this month is to pick books set in an African country. I went to the library and picked up these two, both by authors I was not familiar with, but between the short page count of one (189) and the larger font size of the other, my decisions were pretty easy.  The editions I picked are in Portuguese and those are the covers I'm including here. 


Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith is set in Botswana. I confess I know nothing about this country but I was aware the author was quite famous for this series of a lady detective. This is the second installment of the series but I have not read the first one.
The story is simple - and short - and focuses on the investigation of a missing person some years ago. The individual is presumed dead but no one really knows how. At the same time, the characters are dealing with changes in their domestic lives.
I liked the apparent simplicity of this story. The characters aren't complex people hiding terrible secrets, in fact the main ones are quite relatable. I also liked the constant tidbits added to pretty much all descriptions and conversations regarding the way of life in Botswana. I think the author managed to convey how things are meant to be in that country, I think I got a small idea about the way of life, and how people see themselves and others. Obviously, generalizing, since the author doesn't go deeply into these subjects, but it is enough to make me realize most people probably take guesses and actually know nothing about Botswana.
However, this is a book about a lady detective and I admit I expected a bit more out of this element. The protagonist finds information in an almost too easy way, and the resolution of the case is also easily accomplished. I suppose this might be on purpose, but I will say I had higher expectations. Anyway, this was likable enough that if I find the next installment at the library, I'll likely read it.
Grade: 7/10

-//-

To Where the Turtles Fly by Joaquim Arena is set in Cape Verde. I've loosely translated the title, which is linked to one of the book's main subjects, the investigation of the turtles at a specific part of the Boavista island, which is part of a unique environment. Cape Verde is a country which was formerly a Portuguese colony and although I don't know much about the country's history beyond this, there is more information about it that I know, if comparing with what I know of Botswana.
The author isn't very famous here, from what I can understand. If this title had not caught my attention, I might not even know it existed, but I liked the story enough. I especially liked the theme of the turtles, and how part of the plot is set on the marine biologist who investigates the turtles for a season, trying to determine if their prospects of survival.
At the same time, there are other characters doing, what was to me, secondary stuff, and I will not shy from saying a lot was a bit confusing to me, for it included some shady business deals and characters who never seemed to be fully explained. There is also someone running from something, well two people running from two different problems and everything got a bit confusing.
Therefore, I've focused my attention on the turtles' information and that was the main reason why I consider this to be a positive reading. I don't think I'll read more by the author unless there's a good reason again, like another challenge or something.
Grade: 6/10