An ode to the Thousand Islands

A well done gothic mystery that portrays the beauty of the St. Lawrence river area. This whodunit had me guessing to the end.

A different take from Jill Shalvis. The romance takes back seat on this one to the relationship between Quinn and her newly discovered sister. An easy read that kept me reading through the night. Plenty of warmth along with family drama and Ms. Shalvis's signature wit.

Opposites attract

I have loved the Castles Ever After series. Each one stands on its own, and despite feeling all through this one that I'd read it before (I hadn't), I loved it again.

I have to be honest, I took this book as a freebie thinking it sounded interesting, but when the author then sent follow-up email after follow-up email, I started getting annoyed, so I was pre-disposed to "not like" it thinking anyone who was trying that hard to get my attention was going to be disappointing. I'm happy to say that wasn't the case. As I grumpily started reading, LOOKING for things that were wrong with it, I found myself saying, okay, not bad.

Let me give you my overall, then I'll point out some of my hiccups (and rationalizations - or not).
This book was well-developed, well written. The characters were relateable and likeable. The supporting cast wasn't as well developed, but they served their purpose. Except Sean. I liked Sean. You've got the good mother meets the nice guy, and you've got cute kids. This book is a nice piece of fluff without any heady stuff to worry about. They get the "yours, mine and ours" kind of conflicts and "what now?" kind of things, but nothing they can't handle.

1. What movie star would want to get involved with a woman with three kids, scooping congealed oatmeal out of the bathtub, to boot? Okay, one comes to mind.


2. The heroine is an architect. LET ME SEE HER HOUSE! I got to see the improvements she made, some of the decor, a lot of the kitchen, but the author posted a photo of her inspiration for Gwynneth (with two n's) house and I totally didn't see that while I was reading (and I saw the picture before I read). That being said, I did enjoy "her room."

3. Her ex-husband walked out on her. Now she's never going to trust another man again. Was that her only relationship? I did want to smack her upside the head a couple of times. She was so very VERY afraid to let anybody in. If I was trembling with fear walking into a romantic interlude, I would bolt for the door. That doesn't scream "oh my god you're so hot!" It says "I don't want this." In addition, it takes a special kind of man to stick around with what she put him through. It is NOT attractive in a heroine. The author did a good job justifying and showing everything, and I did relate to Gwyn working through it in her mind at the end, but it was a little too much for me overall.

Spoiler

4. The climax scene. Through the whole book we hear about what a shrew the ex-wife is. So she shows up to help the ex get his happily ever after? Hmmmm. Not buying that part. The daughter I could see, but also the time of day didn't work for me. How many people would show up in the rain, in the middle of the night? Didn't buy it. I could have done without the crowd.

One of the barrage of emails I received was "Did you read it yet? Because there's more!" Apparently the sage continues, or the supporting cast will be developed, but no, I'm not inclined to buy it. Not because I don't think it will be good, but because it isn't my cup of tea. I struggle with the millionaire/billionaire trope, which includes movie stars who are too good to be true. That makes it a personal preference, not a ding on the author. This story worked well when I was in a bad headspace with being overworked at the day job - no heavy thinking - but generally I prefer something more.

You know, I get tired of writing superlatives about this woman's books.

I love how quirky Lilah is. And of course who can resist a "badass" hero?

As I started reading this book, I realized in the first chapter some of the things that draw me into the story. The strong sense of place, the grounding in who the characters are. In the first chapter.

Heat, humor and heart. Guaranteed in every Jill Shalvis book. This one is no exception. Loved it.

I got this as a freebie and thought it might be fun. I was not disappointed.

This has sort of a ghostbusters vibe to it, with nastier ghosts. I was wondering where the story would go when they caught the ghost they were after halfway through, but I was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events. It wasn't a frightening read, but it would make one heck of a scary movie! I loved the Georgia setting, the desperate homeowners who were being haunted (although I did want to exorcise Dale a time or two), and Ellie's sidekicks. Worth the time, and I will likely be picking up another of these books!

Tanya Anne Crosby weaves a haunting tale. A warrior's hidden fears, a mother's secrets to protect her child. I very much enjoyed the read, although the old-world language was difficult to follow at times. Nevertheless, it is worth the difficulties for the story the author weaves.

What's not to love? Ms. Phillips writes incredibly quirky heroines, your average woman on the street (okay, not so average). Piper is feisty and strong and so out of her league with the big hotshot drop dead gorgeous athlete. Ms. Phillips's knack for writing plucky, down-on-her-luck heroines make the characters very relateable and has you pulling for them in the end. Once I started reading this one, I knew I wasn't going to be able to put it down. Highly recommended.

A dashing highlander, a Dread Bandit Scot Kirkpatrick. Bastard sons, sentimental thieves, and an "invisible" spinster. Ms. Mederios knows how to weave a tale of love and betrayal that leaves you clinging to every word to the end. (I wish she would write more books for me to devour!) Well done, Terry.