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Showing posts from October, 2022

Book Review: Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland

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Irish Soda Bread Murder   by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland is a collection of three short stories that include Irish Soda Bread Murder  by Carlene O'Connor , An Irish Recipe for Murder by Peggy Ehrhart, and Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland. The expected publication date of this book is December 24, 2024, and my overall review of this book is four out of five stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) that I received for free in exchange for my honest review. Irish Soda Bread Murder  by Carlene O'Connor opens with Tara Meehan helping her Uncle Johnny and Aunt Rose with a local bake sale and psychic convention with the proceeds going to charity. When Rose's biggest rival shows up and ends up dying from her soda bread, Tara knows she must step in to help clear her aunt and uncle from the suspect list. I enjoyed this story a lot better than the last one I read in the series. The only complaint ...
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Book Review: Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2) by Elle Cosimano

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Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2) by Elle Cosimano opens where the last book left off.  Finlay is struggling with her next novel and trying to find out who put a hit out on her ex-husband and father to her children.  On top of that, Finlay's nanny, Vero, is keeping secrets.  Will Finlay get everything done? This is the second novel in the Finlay Donovan book series and is a lot better than the first book.  I can't wait to read the third book in the series.  I don't have any complaints about Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead .  I found it to be fun and entertaining.  What I found to be interesting is that yet again Finlay's agent and editor are bugging her for her novel and wanting her to put the cop back into it.  This felt very autobiographical to me. I loved the the romance aspects of the story, but I hope it doesn't turn into a love triangle like the Stephanie Plum books do.  I hope Finlay does pick one of them and eventu...
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Book Review: I Don't Want To Move by Carolyn Watkins

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I Don't Want To Move by Carolyn Watkins is a children's picture book about the pitfalls of moving, going to a new school, and making new friends.  It's a great book for children between the ages of three and six. First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of I Don't Want To Move by Carolyn Watkins.  I loved the cover art of this picture book and was excited to be approved to read and review this book in exchange for my honest review. Although this book does a fairly good job at explaining the moving process on a child friendly level, I felt like it made it seem a little too easy.  I also found some of the transitions to be a bit choppy. All in all, I think this is a great book for parents to buy for their young children when they are going to move.  It opens the door for the parents to have a dialogue with their children about moving and what to expect.  I gave I Don't Want To Move by Carolyn Watkins f...
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Book Review: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

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The Villa by Rachel Hawkins is about the friendship between Emily and Chess.  Friends since elementary school, their friendship has become strained now that they're in their thirties.  When a trip to Italy is suggested by Chess, Emily leaps at the chance to get away and work on their relationship.  However, the villa they rent has a dark past. I'd like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital review copy of The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.  I haven't read any of the author's works before, but I have heard glowing reviews of her novels.  I was ecstatic when I was approved to receive a copy of Hawkins' latest novel in exchange for my honest review. Told from two different perspectives and times, The Villa by Rachel Hawkins was an interesting read with things that I loved and disliked.  I loved the two different storylines told in the present by Emily and in the past by Mari.  However, there were times I had trouble switching back and fort...
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Book Review: Adam and His Tuba by Ziga X Gombac

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Adam and His Tuba by Ziga X Gombac and illustrated by Maja Kastelic is a children's picture book that has been translated by Olivia Hellewell.  The expected publication date is February 28, 2023.  This picture book is about a boy named Adam who travels with his circus family, but he doesn't like performing like the rest of his family. I'd like to thank NetGalley and NorthSouth Books for the Advanced Readers Copy of Adam and His Tuba by Ziga X Gombac.  The title of the book and the cover art caught my attention.  I thought this might be a super cute book, and I'm always looking for books that I might be able to gift to friends and family with young children, so I was delighted to be able read this book for free in exchange for my honest review. Let me begin by saying that the illustrations in Adam and His Tuba are fantastic.  I found myself drawn to the pictures and just staring at them . . . they were that intriguing.  The storyline was just as fantastic...
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Book Review: The Prisoner by B.A. Paris

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The Prisoner by B.A. Paris opens with Amelie losing her father to cancer and striking out to make it on her own as she doesn't want to be a ward of the state.  She eventually marries billionaire Jed Hawthorne, but one night, Amelie is awakened and finds herself and Jed being kidnapped.  Why are they being kidnapped, and who are her captors? A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Prisoner by B.A. Paris in exchange for my honest review.  This author is one of my favorite authors, so I was ecstatic that my request to review this book was approved. The first thing that struck me about The Prisoner were some of the similarities between this book and The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.  Both books feature a main character that has been orphaned and a handsome, wealthy man who is isn't who you think he is.  However, that is where the semblance ends.  With that being said, there were times that I was getting t...
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Book Review: The Family Game by Catherine Steadman

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The Family Game by Catherine Steadman is a novel about a rich, eccentric family and traditions that may be deadly.  Harriet "Harry" Reed, a novelist, and her fiance Edward Holbeck are in love.  Edward's estranged family wants Harry's help in bringing back into the folds of their family, but when their strange family traditions make Harry uneasy, she starts to rethink her decision. A big shout out and thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballatine Books for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Family Game by Catherine Steadman.  I requested to review this book because of the cover art and the synopsis.  To say I was excited to be approved to receive this book for free in exchange for my honest review would be an understatement. This was the perfect book to put me in the mood for Halloween even though the majority of the book takes place in November and December.  An intense, dark book, the first quarter of the novel was a bit slow but qu...
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Book Review: The Shop on Royal Street (Royal Street, #1) by Karen White

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The Shop on Royal Street (Royal Street, #1) by Karen White is the first book in a spin off series from the Tradd Street book series.  Nola Trenholm is looking for a fresh start in New Orleans after having some hiccups in her personal life.  However, that's proving to be more difficult than she realized it would be with her house renovation. This book was the October book selection for the book club I belong to.  After hearing a couple of people say it was a little slow in the beginning, I was worried that I wouldn't like the book.  When I finally sat down to start reading The Shop on Royal Street , I had to agree that it was slow to start.  However, once I got two or three chapters in, the storyline really started to pick up making it hard for me to put it down, and I can't wait for the next installment to come out. I loved the fact that this book took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.  It's one of my favorite cities to visit.  Add in the paranormal el...
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