This is a short book read easily in a few hours. You are thrust right into the middle of the action.

Jerome works for an insurance company and is sent to the Cannes film festival because millions of dollars is jewels have been stolen. Jerome believes it is the work of a jewel thief named the Leopard.

There's a big gala and many stars (like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn) were meant to wear pieces made specifically for them by Ania. Ania works for her father's company and if the jewels aren't recovered... The company will be in trouble and Jerome will be in trouble as well.

This was an interesting little caper. I can totally see this being a short film/independent film. It brought to mind as I read, old detective films from 50+ years ago. The ending makes me wonder a bit if the authors might collaborate for another book to explain Ania's motive at the end of this book.

I went in reading this book fully expecting that it would be helpful for my youngest only. Which would have been just great. But I discovered after reading, that it is a perfect book for my Autistic son too!

Emily is fearful for her first day of school. She gives her parents reasons she's afraid and they help her assuage those fears. Emily discovers that there are other kids that are just as nervous as her to go to school.

Full of colorful illustrations, this is a lovely book that goes through some very valid concerns kids might have in their first day of school. This week be a book I keep for my young ones to read at the beginning of every school year.

I knew going in that this was not a summery read like you think it might be, but that it has a mystery to it. I felt like we didn't get any real action untill probably until 80% of the book when the hurricane comes in to landfall. So I wear really invested into what read going on during the hurricane.

Cole is a Hollywood heartthrob. Stella is an actress and Cole's ex wife. They are making a movie together on a Caribbean island and it's being directed by Jackson, Cole's son from his first marriage. Felicity is Stella's new assistant and has a reason to get close to Stella and Cole... To find out what really happened to her mother.

Throughout the book, we see Felicity's past and who she is so that's not really the mystery. But more of who killed her mom, Iris. Was it Iris herself or Cole or Stella?

My favorite character was Taylor. She is the movies producer. She got fired from her dad's production company after a scandal. She needs this job and Cole is turning out to be a hard man to work for (and he's just an all-around scumbag and pervert)... Especially as we see what unravels from his and her first night on the island.

Jodie is a white girl with a deformed face. She accuses 4 Muslim boys of rape. The first chapter is very hard to read as it describes the rape. Then most of the book is the trail.

This was a hard book to read at most times. You feel so bad for Jodie. You feel that the 4 boys are getting away with things because of how well they represent themselves in court, but you also get to see how they talk amongst themselves.

Culture is a big part of this book. I hate that people lump one type of people as the same type of people. But everyone even within a class system is different. Not all stay true to the basis of their class.

The ending take you through a few twists and you stay to doubt what you know and then it gets twists again. This was a very good book even with the subject matter!

Thanks to BookSparks for the gifted book and all opinions are my own.

This was the first full book I've read about the pandemic. They were bound to be written about right?

Ciara meets Oliver in the supermarket. They go in a date or two and Covid lockdown occurs. They decide to live together since they are seeing each other anyway. One of them knows who the other is and how they are connected and one is them only thinks they do. One is them ends up dead.

The timeline of everything that occurs in the 56 Days they know each other is interwoven together. You might read about 56 Days ago one chapter and 18 days ago the next. I kind of like how it jumped around and didn't feel at all lost in the story....I was still right there in the thick of it!

I think this book solidifies my favoritism towards Brogan! I love this Irish man with a heart of gold!

Brogan is tasked to work on a case outside of the Dead Penny Society by the Dread Master himself. He's to try to uncover the goings on of a printshop run by a Russian immigrant and his daughter, Vera.

He has to take another name because he's a Penny Dreadful writer and the shopkeep isn't find of them because of his past. How daughter, Vera, thinks she knows most of her father's past but it's deeper and more complicated than she knows.

I loved this book a lot! Brogan and Vera are one of a kind... Both immigrants to London and they both are looked a bit down upon from London society (as it was during the Victorian times). But they both love the city and they both love helping those that need it.

Vera had such a soft spot for the street children of the city and I love that she will let them earn a bit of money by working in the print shop. I loved getting to know Móirín (Brogan's sister) a bit more... She's such a spitfire!

I love, of course, getting to read the Penny Dreadful stories in between the pages of the main story.

If you were or are a fan of American Idol then this book is for you!

Piper was the winner of American Star in its seventh season. She went on to do an album and then fell from the spotlight. When the network wants to resurrect the show, they ask her and Hayden (who was the runner-up) and her friend JoJo (who got cut as number six of their season)to audition to be a judge.. but only one of them can get it.

Piper then starts to get threatening letters and she finds out about a group that may want her to kill Hayden.

When I found out who was sending the letters, I had figured it out just barely before it was revealed so it was kind of a shock to me.
The last half of the book is where I really, really enjoyed it flowed really fast and it was so good!

I'm not a fan of these types of dating shows on TV but I liked reading about one better.

I mean, honestly if I had had the chance to act like I was in the Regency era to maybe, possibly fall for a guy acting like Mr. Darcy...I can't all the way say no!

Emma is forced to go on the reality show Dating Mr. Darcy by her friend/business partner. When Emma almost literally falls for Sebastian at first glance, she knows why she's really here and what it can do for her business. Even Seb (with his sexy British accent), has a secret reason for being here.

I just can't handle the cattiness of some of the girls! There's one that says it's her destiny to win his heart and one who looks down on all others because "they don't live in his world" Emma finds a good friend though that gives us some laughs as they try to be taught to be Regency ladies.

I felt maybe there should have been more interactions between Emma and Seb before they staying falling for each other but that didn't make it any less fun.

Rachel and her husband Jack are traveling to a destination wedding for Jack's brother Will. Along with them are Rachel's best friend Paige and her husband Noah. There is no connection between Paige/Noah to Ali but she's the one who invites them.

They arrive in beautiful Portugal for the weekend and suspicions start being aroused in Rachel. In her ear is Paige and her observations that further make Rachel question everything.

I agree with a lot of people that this seems more a domestic drama than thriller, but I was no less enthralled by it.

I love when people are hiding secrets and I try to sniff them out. I was weary of the "truth" and knew that what we were reading was not what was actually happening. I was able to figure out parts of the end.

Oh my was this book packed full of so many things!
TW- racism, mental health, toxicity, pregnancy loss (as the main character works as an L&D resident and boy did a chapter make me cry)

Preeti is a resident working towards getting a permanent position as a doctor. 6 years ago, she was dating Daniel. But certain circumstances took her away from him. He's the only one she would let touch her outside her family. She has a touch aversion and anxiety and Daniel knows how to help her and can recognize the signs.

When Liya gets married, she offers Preeti and Daniel (separately) to take over the end of her apartment lease. They will have to learn how to be with each other often again.

One person I could not stand in this book was Yuvan, Preeti's "fiancée". (when you read the book, you'll understand those quotations). He kept trying to touch Preeti even after she kept telling him she can't stand his touch. He made fun of her for her anxieties and then actually expects that she would still want to marry him.

But I loved this book. I loved and cheered so much when Preeti stood up to her gossipy, racist, rude, felt they were "holier than everyone else" aunties that were just so toxic to everyone in the community.