sunshinestark's Reviews (376)

The Cracked Spine is a fun cozy centered around a bookshop and its employees as they work to unravel the secrets surrounding the death of one of their family members. Any lover of books will enjoy this. It certainly entertained me, making me want to read other books by Paige Shelton.

Fans of Sally Thorne will have a blast reading this one. Filled with heat and humor, Fix Her Up is a fake dating romance that catches your attention quick, keeps it held until the last page, and lets you know exactly the kind of fun to expect from the rest of the books in the Hot and Hammered series.

Told in a unique, engaging format meant to look like a handwritten journal filled with newspaper clippings and woodcut drawings, Elegy for Mary Turner takes readers on a heartbreaking journey following the killing of a white plantation owner in 1918. Among those innocents lynched for the crime was Mary Turner, who was also eight months pregnant at the time. Harrowing and haunting, Mary's story is one we must know, like so many others, in order to remember the horrors racism brings when left unchecked. It is especially important now more than ever, as those who support racist ideals have become more vocal and violent, that we remember and vow to uplift anti-racist voices and ideals in any way we can in order to fight back.

Great for fans of Lovecraft Country, Ring Shout takes very real terrors and mixes them with demonic horrors that feed off hatred and racism in a fast paced novella you won't want to put down. These demons, Klu Kluxes, use their powers to capture the attention of those letting that hatred and racism fester within them via The Birth of a Nation. As more and more individuals join the ranks of the Klu Klux Klan, the demons' powers grow. Unlike most folks, Maryse Boudreaux can see the demons taking over the men who already hate people like her, making a dangerous world even more treacherous. As she fights against them, she's confronted with shocking secrets about her own connection to the Klu Kluxes. Despite this, Maryse continues to fight because time is running out and she's willing to risk her life to stop Hell from winning. 

This uniquely told tale is filled with a mix of horror, humor, and heartache that all come together to give a truly satisfying adventure that will leave you itching for the next installment. If you don't already have this on your to read shelf, add it! You won't regret it.

Tessa Dare once again gives readers a steamy romance mixed with just the right amount of humor. As always with her books, Do You Want to Start a Scandal was a delight to read and didn't disappoint in any way!

Forensics is a fascinating subject as a whole, but Patricia Wiltshire dives deep into the particulars of being a forensic ecologist and how the world around us leaves its trace on us in a myriad of ways we simply can't see. The cases she's worked on range from rapes to murders and the way she is able to create a picture of the crime scenes using pollen and spores from various plants is amazing. This has definitely gotten me more interested in books of this nature!  

Anyone who has lost a beloved pet will find comfort in this book even as it makes them cry. Great for all ages.

Well Met is a delightfully fun enemies to lovers romance with a dash of fake dating set during a Renaissance Faire that will make you smile, hate to see the last page when it comes, and want to reread it once you're finished. You'll fall in love with Emily and Simon as they clash from their first meeting before falling into a pretend romance during the Ren Faire as Simon's pirate persona makes it very clear he's interested in Emily when she's in character as Emma, the tavern wench. What starts as a simple staged handfasting ceremony where they're "bound" to each other eventually evolves into constant flirting, and even some kisses, that leaves Emily wondering what's real and what's not between them.

If you're looking for a little bit of magic and a little bit of romance in your cozy mysteries, look no further than One Poison Pie. It will give you all that and more, leaving you impatiently itching for more in the series. I am definitely looking forward to reading more, not only in this series but in all Lynn Cahoon's other series as well.