While the book moved a tad slowly for me, it held my interest. Set in Manchester, England, it contains lots of Britishisms (and one that I'm not familiar with!), so readers on my side of the pond might be confused by some of the dialect. With that being said, the story is Laurie's journey toward rediscovering herself. After her long-time partner decides "things just aren't working out" and abandons her, Laurie launches into self-recriminations and the whys and wherefores. She makes a deal with the gigolo at work to 1) make the partner jealous and 2) get the gigolo a promotion. The story explores the glass ceilings women encounter in the workplace, including well-meaning men with latent misogynistic tendencies. Laurie deals with all of these things with grace and a sharp wit, and without spoiling the ending for you, I did have to wonder why what her bosses suggest to her hadn't occurred to her sooner. A once strong woman finds she still has the inner strength she's lost and, in the end, rediscovers herself and finds yes, she can have it all.

A solid series starter, this cozy mystery opens with a strong sense of the candle shop that grounds twins Tabby and Sage Winslow. Born with an unspoken family legacy, the location of their shop feeds their hidden energy. Tabby and Sage must channel their energy to solve a murder with deeper roots than first anticipated, not only to clear a friend, but ultimately to save their shop and their neighbors in an old section of Savannah. The police are only interested in the easy answer, and as the truth emerges, corruption emerges on a much larger scale, putting the sisters in jeopardy. They must draw on their family legacy to put an end to the corruption and save their business district.

So yeah, I saw the early reviews, and yes, I'm a big fan of Tessa Dare, so I HAD to read this one. And I absolutely loved it. Loved the Batman comments in the reviews, loved the "she doesn't need anyone" remark the able butler tells the hero toward the end. The only open ended thread for me was the dad - would have liked some resolution to that piece, although I'm not sure how she could have done that. And Robert kind of came out of nowhere, but I'll forgive those oversights for the rest of this brilliantly written book. Tessa Dare is an auto-buy for me. Loved it. Although I bought the ebook, I'll buy this hard copy as well. This is one of those books I'd read again and again.

For fans of Terry’s Mapleton series, this latest installment is a return to the inner workings of a small-town police department. In Deadly Relations, the crime gets personal when Gordon’s former brother-in-law shows up at his house—the house Gordon is selling—and sets off a bomb. Why? They don’t have time to find out before the suspect is in the wind.

As the investigation unfolds, Gordon has to deal with the small-town reporter who thinks the crime should be solved in a matter of hours, despite the suspect disappearing without a trace. In addition, Gordon is concerned about his police officers when one of the most stoic of the bunch seems to be going off the rails. Gordon is determined to keep his officers engaged, and in the process, ends up on patrol in a situation he isn’t prepared to handle. When the situation resolves, Gordon refocuses on the reason for the call-out and uncovers an unexpected crime. Add to that the political ramifications of being police chief. The story comes full circle as the bomber returns to finish the job and is thwarted in a satisfying conclusion. All in a day’s work along with the underlying theme, Nothing ever happens in Mapleton. Until it does.

I really enjoyed this book!
The concept of the unknown magic(k) within all of us is relateable on many levels. Claire has lived her whole life trying not to make waves, and what has it gotten her? Her husband leaves her right before her 60th birthday to start a family with a much younger woman. Her son is impatient with her and her daughter-in-law is constantly sending her articles on aging and declining health as if her best years are behind her. On her birthday, her young grandson gives her a gift that turns out to be worth more than the junk dealer who sold it to him expected - and its value lies in more than dollars. The pendant shows her the way to a house, hidden in the forest, guarded by a gargoyle and a shapeshifting wolf. Here, Claire struggles to accept that she's found the purpose in her life that she's been looking for as she is forced to learn how to use the magic(k) inside herself not only for her own protection, but to save her family and to prepare for the threat of a magical war.