I would say this book is really a 3.25 stars for me. I don't think it's a bad read. I rather quite enjoyed it. Alison Weir writes beautifully at times as long as you don't let yourself get bogged down in all the minute details. 

Parts of the book are pretty dry, but I was expecting it so for me personally not a big deal. I did not enjoy the jumping around of dates. I much would have preferred keeping the dates chronological, but there is so much going on, I get why the author made the decision. 

I am not sure if I will come back this author to finish the series or not. I probably will since I enjoyed Queen of the Conquests, but I was so put off by the author's conclusion. 

Alison Weir mentions avoiding a feminist lens due to the time period, and I can agree to this, but when you throw out the theory that

Maud may have made the wrong decisions due to menopause from a historian from 1939!? Like yes let's look at this in an objective light and stick with the facts but then you fail to follow your own advice seems off. The conclusion set forward to blame Maud for the next 400 years of why England doesn't have a ruling Queen seems very exaggerated. 

We already know how women are brought up to support the king, give birth to children for their line, and take part in religion. To blame one woman just didn't sit with me well. 

I will likely read the next book eventually but I'd personally like to read a less biased take.

I knew this was a short read, I just didn't realize how short. I enjoyed my time learning about the main character and reading about how her neurodivergence has an impact on her life and how she looks at the world. Keiko loves working at the convenience store and by the time you reach the end, it's shown just how important working there has become for her life.  

The only problem is Keiko begins to realize that society isn't necessarily accepting of her as she grows and stays at the convenience Store for 18 years. A new employee, Shiraha, is a misogynistic loser who highlights some of these issues for Keiko. Keiko and Shiraha decide to help each other so they can at least be hidden or thought to be accepted among society. Thankfully, Keiko realizes that even though Shiraha wants to use her so he can hide while she uses him as an excuse to appear normal, that her life really is meaningful because of her love of working at the store.  

While Shiraha is not a character most people would like as a person, he does point out some truths about society that Keiko notices early off in her life as a child. The ending for me was satisfying as she came to the realization that trying to appear normal isn't worth it even if people see her as nonhuman. 

Towards the end when Keiko fixes up the new store she walked into had me laughing. It was like a superhero for convenience stores just waiting to make sure it looked its best and is well organized and ready for customers. Also felt sad when Keiko was realizing how people saw her and trested her like when she realized her coworkers didn't invite her out. Even her manager was more interested in talking about Shiraha living with her when she just wanted to focus on the work. Her sister also highlights very clearly how Keiko is not accepted unless she conforms.

I thought this was an interesting, albeit short, read highlighting the problems of how society treats those they don't feel are acceptable and the problems that arise because of that treatment.

I really enjoyed reading this first Golden Girls cozy mystery book. It really felt like an amalgamation of a bunch of different episodes from The Golden Girls and even The Golden Palace. At times I was like hey didn't this happen in an episode?? That isn't a complaint from me at all. I felt like I was with the girls during the whole adventure. The author did their homework! 

There were some lines and scenes that made me laugh out loud like I was watching the show. We had a trip to the beach today and my husband wanted me to spoil him with what I was laughing about. This read really is a comfort read for me in a similar way the show is a comfort watch.  

Now here is my one complaint; there are some grammar mistakes and typos. Honestly, that sort of stuff didn't take away from my enjoyment but I know it does for others. I'm not great with grammar, but if I can spot it I'm pretty sure it's going to be a glaring mistake to some. Also, at one point a name was misspelled and I had to go back to make sure I wasn't referring to the person incorrectly in my head.  

The book itself was a lot of fun and I am hoping this is supposed to be a series because I'm here for it!

This one is different. It's like a whosunit with Murderbot.

I enjoyed this seventh book. Made me love MB and ART together on missions. Iris is a pretty cool character too. It's been a while since I've read something in sci-fi and this was a perfect way to come back to the genre.

Life threw a lot of distractions at me while I read this book so I too my sweet time, but when I came back to the book it was easy to pick up right where I left off. I really enjoyed reading about Art and Murderbot's relationship in this one. Another great read from Murderbot Diaries.

 This book had it all circle back around. I really enjoyed seeing Murderbot meet back up with characters from the first book. Another fast and enjoyable read in the series. 

 This one is even better. It made me emotional toward the end. These stories are excellent. It reminds me of a combination of Frieren and Cowboy Bebop. I started reading the next book to coax myself to stop crying. It was such a good read, but oh boy, I am wrecked!

 The second book is even better! I couldn't stop reading it from the second half until the end. It's a swift read and this time Murderbot makes some friends. Onto the third book! I'm hooked!