Toast! Sans Avocado and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Willams- Sonoma sends emails with amazing recipes. Sometimes I just drool over them and sometimes I give their recipe a go.  Recently, they send this recipe- Tomato, Feta, and Herb Toast.  Making this recipe I learned that feta is kinda pricey and that after you defrost the puff pastry, you roll it some. This is why I tell myself, don't just look at the ingredients and start chopping, read the whole recipe first. I didn't have fresh oregano on hand, so I used more thyme. Thyme is my favorite herb. We have lemon thyme in our garden this year and this recipe was extra good with that hint of lemon. 

Next go round with this recipe I am going to let it cook for a couple of minutes longer, use tomatoes from my garden, and maybe switch out the feta for another cheese. You need one sheet of puff pastry for this recipe and puff pastry comes in a two-pack, once the tomatoes in my garden ripen, I'll be ready for a take two of this easy light meal. 

Late Monday night, or really Tuesday morning, I finished blazing through the book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.  I raced through it because I received a 'jump the line' digital copy from the Libby library app, I only got to borrow the book for seven days and I forgot that I had the copy for the first few days of the seven days.  Life on a deadline is an integral part of the book, so having to read it in less than three days was very fitting. 

This is an award-winning fantasy book. If you don't normally read much fantasy, you might want to give this book a try because the story spans 300 years and includes the historical events of those times. Because I was crunched for time, I skimmed some of the pages.  The writing and the descriptions are lovely and the story is compelling. I needed to know things and I was prepared to be heartbroken at the end.

However, I was not heartbroken, I think the ending was satisfying and not tragic. My key takeaway is how no matter how long you live or what your life looks like, every day, every single day is an opportunity to be delighted.  And I think that is exactly right. 

Four and 1/2 stars to this book! I am going to make it a point to read some of V.E. Schwab's past books, I've heard good things! 

This Never Happens!

 Recently The Husband suggested we get Apple+ TV. My response was lukewarm. I didn't want to pay for another streaming service, but it turns out Apple+TV is only $4.99 a month, we decided to give it a try. One of the first things we watched, also The Husband's pick, was Greyhound. 

Greyhound stars Tom Hanks who is an untested navy captain who is tasked with being the commander of a destroyer who is leading and protecting a convoy of ships over a stretch of the Atlantic in early 1942.  He's a devout Lutheran who is shepherding the ships, many of which are slow cargo ships, and as the commander he has to try and keep the convoy (the sheep) together and safe from U-boats (the wolves).

The story takes place during 50 nail-biting hours where the convoy is most at risk because they were without air cover. The book is fiction, but is based on the realities of actual convoys. The film does an excellent job of showing how communications were done from ship to ship, the constant fear of u-boats, and how important each shipmate was to the overall ability of the destroyer to stay afloat. 

Because I enjoyed the movie, I wanted to read the book so that I could better understand some of the intricacies of why Commander Krause (Tom Hanks' character) made the decisions that he did.  Since I don't know much at all about boating and even less about naval troop movements during World War 2, having seen the movie before listening to the audiobook helped me to better grasp the story. 

Usually, I like books better than the films based on books; but in this case, I liked both equally!

Over the last week or so, we have had a ton, I mean a ton, of rain, so I may need to learn more about boating ASAP! 

 

#TheSundayPost Wrapping Up June & Kicking Off July!

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

This past week I did some things.  First of all, I virtually attended the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Virtual Cancer Policy & Advocacy Team Symposium.  It was a ton of information and great ideas for how I can advocate. Secondly, I signed up to use follow.me so people can subscribe to my blog via email. This was a whole thing because the service that I had been using for years, Feedburner, was ending at the end of June, so I waited as long as I could before I tried to figure out how to change to a different service. I also did a writing workshop with Gilda's Club  and Youngest Child had a birthday party so there was cleaning, dog rangling, and lots of teens singing along to Hary Styles. A busy, boisterous time this week--got to love that! 

Marathon training is continuing and with that, I have three audiobooks I'm currently listening to and will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks:

How was your week?  Did you do anything fun or interesting? 

 

 

"Coffee is Serious Business!" A New Cozy Series from Emmeline Duncan!

 This cozy was so fun! A fresh new entry into cozy mystery land, Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan takes place in Portland, Oregon which right off the bat is a fresh location for a cozy series.

What I loved about this book:

*Coffee Talk! I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of how various popular coffee drinks are made.  Good coffee is a science and an art.

* Emmeline Duncan did a great job writing dialogue that sounded like people actually talk.

* Our amateur slueth Sage acted and sounded like an actual 27-year-old.

I also enjoyed that Sage because of her unusual upbringing, is good at reading people, it's like a little superpower that will help her solve murders in all the Ground Rules Mystery books to come.  In cozy mysteries, you have to suspend a little disbelief because often the potential suspects the sleuth speaks with share more information than would likely happen in real life.  In Fresh Brewed Murder,  Emmeline Duncan addresses this dilemma by having an amateur slueth who was taught from an early age how to act and she uses those skills to get people to confide in her early and often. So Clever! It puts me in mind of one of my favorite P.I's Veronica Mars. 

All in all this book is a solid 4, very enjoyable and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.  I would like to know Sage's thoughts on PSL's so I'm hoping the next book takes place in the fall. 

The Tourist Is Toast! Low Cost, Quick Paranormal Cozy!

 

I enjoyed The Tourist is Toast by Carly Winter. Bernie is a new BnB owner in  Sedona, Arizona. She has inherited the house from her grandmother Ruby.  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Bernie has inherited the house and her grandma Ruby as Ruby is now a ghost! I enjoy the setting of this series as Sedona is a great place to have a BnB, we get to read about the natural beauty and solve murder mysteries! 

It's fun to spend time with Bernie and her colorful grandma, I like how Ruby and Bernie are now helping solve crimes with Adam, a local police officer.  Bernie and Ruby are like a twist on The Odd Couple (or Laverne & Shirley) and their natures really compliment each other. I thought this was a good mystery, In this installment, I quite liked that there were a small number of suspects and each of them had a motive. The pace of the book keeps the story moving, making for an engaging fun read. I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading cozies, especially if you like paranormal cozies. 

  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and have posted honest reviews in exchange. 

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This week in marathon training it's a cut-back week so my long run only needs to be 5 miles, wahoo! Also, we are enjoying some cooler temps, which is wonderful because running when the feel like the temperature is in the 90s is TOUGH! 

I've been busy trying to write run this month and I have not been trying any new recipes lately. Next week I am getting a Blue Apron box and it will have some fancy craft burgers we can make for the fourth of July. I could eat burgers every day, well more burgers one day, tacos the next day, and pizza the day after that and repeat! 

Happy Wednesday! 

 

Summer Solstice 2021! A 90s esque Chick Lit Rom Com May Be Just What You Need!

 This past week I listened to the audiobook version of People We Meet On Vacation.  If you are familiar with romance shorthand this could be described as a long-time friends-to-lovers tale. If you're fan of movies, this could be described as When Harry Met Sally on vacation. This book was a book club selection, if it hadn't been I probably would not have read it, just because I have so many other books I want to read on my TBR pile and I've been really loving diverse romance reads lately.

This book is told all from Poppy's POV.  Poppy is a fun-loving extrovert and Alex is a teacher who is much more reserved.  It seems very obvious that they are crazy about each other for years and years, and yet, they aren't a couple. Each year the pair go on vacation and this book is told in two timelines.  There is "this summer" and there is twelve summers ago, eleven summers ago, etc, etc. 

Overall it is a good read.  Poppy and Alex are very quippy and seem like nice people. I didn't think there was too much drama and the main reason I kept reading was that I wanted to know why Poppy and Alex had a falling out. I found the reason for the falling out was a little bit of a letdown for me. 

If you are looking for a book to read that is easygoing, something you can pick up and put back down as you need because you are on a summer vacation, this could be the read for you!

3.0 stars to People We Meet on Vacation! 

My library is having its summer reading program and for every book, I'm reading I get an entry to win a variety of prizes.  One prize is a $50 gift card for a local taco and tequila joint.  I'm thinking all the adult patrons will be trying to win this prize along with me!  I better get some more books read! 

#TheSundayPost - Father's Day 2021

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

If you celebrate Father's Day, I hope you have a wonderful time with the Fathers/Uncles/Grandpas in your lives.  My husband wants to do a backyard BBQ for the day so we'll be doing that and giving him a hammock (with a stand) for the backyard.  I'll be hanging out in my pool and I think at least 2 of the three kids will be working. 

This past week I returned to the DMV with Youngest Child to make attempt number two at passing the road test.  This time we arrived over an hour before the office opened.  This time instead of there being about 200 people ahead of us in line, there were about 100.  We were in line outside for four hours after they opened before it was our turn to enter the building.  Then there was a hold on-road tests for about 45 minutes. So more waiting, but at least at that point we were waiting inside in air conditioning. Then we had to wait in the car in line with about 20 other cars for her turn to finally get that second chance at the test.  

Would you believe me if I told you, of all the driver examiners at the local DMV, of which there were over 10, she got the same examiner that flunked her the week before?  Well, that's what happened!  Talk about stress. We recognized the examiner, but I don't think she recognized Youngest Child.  

Thank goodness, Youngest Child passed the test!  She is now a licensed driver!  For what it's worth, and I think it is worth something; she has a great story to tell about her trials and tribulations on the road to a driver's license.  Maybe not as heartbreaking as Olivia Rodrigo's song, but still quite emotional! 

This week I'll be sharing a book with an excellent title: 

And a book about my favorite beverage (Fresh Brewed Coffee) 

And a new Cozy that takes place in Sedona!

How was your week?  Read anything fun?  Oh, I almost forgot, we started watching Loki, I love it.  Time travel and multiple timelines--that's my jam! 

Latest Book in our #COYER #readalong!

I'm excited to talk about the latest book in our Psy-Changeling Read-Along Series! This time I had a physical book which means it's a little harder to highlight my favorite lines because I don't like to write in my books. On the plus side, it's easier to read a physical book while I'm lounging in a pool float. 

From the moment Max was introduced in Talin/Clay's book I have been hoping he would get his own book, and here it is!  I was excited to read this book and learn more about the human police detective Max.  We also meet our first J designation, Sophia.  J-Psy are able to literally look into the minds of criminals and see their memories.  Not surprisingly J-Psy burn out very fast, even though they are Psy, even the Silence protocol can keep them from breaking down after years of being inside the minds of the most heinous of criminals. 

It makes perfect sense that Sophia and Max would become a couple as only they can really understand what they have lived through as part of the flawed justice system in this world. This book is written as a police procedural and I enjoyed that change up in the storytelling for this growing series. 

As in previous books, Nalini Singh share more knowledge about the Psy-Changeling-Human world. This reasoning for why the Psy keep humans around was on page 87: 

"Humans, often came up with ideas and concepts that were staggering unique"  

That of course, makes complete sense since the Psy under silence live without and need or want of creativity. 

 I enjoyed crime solving parts of this book probably more than the romance. I was very glad that Max was able to find love and as always I enjoy scenes with past couples in the current instalments.

4 stars for Bonds of Justice!

I'm Anti Invasive Anything! Gardening and Post Cancer Treatment Life #PTSD #BCSM

 

Today I was in my garden, which is tiny but the plants are thriving; so much so that my cucumber plant is now encroaching on my flowering red bell pepper plant. This morning I was checking the garden plants for nefarious invaders and I found cabbage worms! Picture me looking at my cauliflower plant above, seeing all the holes, and frowning. Then I look closely at the leaves and bam!  A green worm!  On my leaf! First of all, this is why I don’t plant cruciferous vegetables, and second of all, how dare invasive disease attack my garden! 

Cue my outsized stress reaction to the garden pests. Yes, cancer trauma here we go again. First I put on some gloves, then I went inside and got a plastic knife,  and then I eradicated the worms. I serial-killed five of them, and I think there were either eggs or poop down on the budding leaves so I scrapped that off the plant. I’m glad I only have one plant. I don’t know that I will be planting cauliflower in the future, I don’t like murdering bugs almost as much as I don’t like, cue my waving my hands around, another reason to have some PTSD. 

After I killed the worms I found, I did a google search to find out if there was anything I could do to not have cabbage worms. First I learned that it’s supposed to be too early in the season for the worms and second I learned that if I put down diatomaceous earth that might help. 

Tricky how trauma can creep up on a person. Imagine what it will be like for people of this earth over the next decade given all the trauma the pandemic inflicted.  We are going to see so many different ways people try and cope--and plenty of that will be bad. It's a fine time as any to try to be kind because you don't know what people are dealing with when you run into them. 

Last thought for this post, later this afternoon, after I had reflected on invasive disease in my garden is just too on the nose a metaphor for the stress of cancer treatment,

I decided if I find more worms I'm going to scoop them up and then put them out for the plentiful birds in my backyard to eat!

How the Garden Started...

How the garden is going... just three weeks later! Looking great except for invasive pests! 

Psychological Thriller #TheNewHusband This dude is Sus!

 The first time we meet Simon, he is the hero who found the family dog after the family has been rocked by a tragedy. Strike one I say! 

And then....

The first time she invites him into her home, he shows up with her favorite meal?  Suspicious. Coincidence?  There are no coincidences in thrillers! 

 

From the beginning of The New Husband,  I was very suspicious of Simon.  I don't trust anyone who is almost superhumanly in tune with anyone else feelings and needs.  Frankly, I think that is a recipe for disaster. 

D. J. Palmer got me right from the beginning because I needed to keep reading to find out if Simon is a terrible monster, or if there is going to be a turn of events that will show me I am a cynical suspicious person.  Either way, I'm invested in how this turns out. 

Since I don't write spoiler book reviews, if you would like to know how things turned out for me as a Simon-hater; you'll have to read The New Husband. 

Two! Two! Reviews in One Post! Happy Monday!

 I wanted to get back to give a proper review of One Perfect Lie by  Lisa Scottoline.  I listened to this while running, shopping at Aldi, and doing dishes.  It was an audiobook that kept me doing chores so I could listen longer, so a real win, win for the cleanliness of my cozy abode! 

The book had unexpected but earned twists and I really enjoyed how the story concluded.  I was completely wrong about where it ended up.  There are multiple POV characters in addition to Chris Brennen.  This is a suspenseful thriller,  but it isn't a graphic psychological thriller, so I would recommend this book as one to read if you are new to thrillers or if you like TV shows like 911 on the Fox Network.  

3.5 stars for this book- it's got some good twists!

And now for something completely different.  This is a romance, so there will be a happy ending, it's just how are we going to get there? Well, this time it's going to be through a reality TV show.  Yes, this book is like an alternative Bachelorette.  In this book, unlike the show, for once the Bachelorette isn't a size 2. Bea is a successful plus-size fashion blogger whose scathing critique of the fictional show "Main Squeeze" goes viral and she winds up being the next main squeeze. 

I used to watch the Bachelor franchise but gave it up a few years ago when I realized it was always going to be a parade of thin young women and men who were on the show more often than not to up their social media profiles so they could translate that into endorsement deals. This fiction version of the show will ring true to watchers of the actual show, and also gives the show true romance. 

I borrowed this book from my library's Libby App because I need distractions while I train for the marathon.  This book was a good distraction! A must listen if you are part of #BachelorNation 

3.5 stars for this book as well! 

Tomorrow we head back to the DMV for Youngest Child's second attempt at passing the road test.  Please send good vibes!

#TheSundayPost The Weekend Before Father's Day-

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday

A reminder that you have six days until father's day if that is something you need to plan for, now's the time to do it!  Don't tell my husband but we, and by we, I mean me, bought him a hammock for the backyard. I am hoping Middle Child will put it together for me. 

Here in my neck of the woods, it was hot and rain-free until Saturday afternoon when it poured.  I think we got about 2-3 inches of rain in half an hour.  This should help my garden and our weed-filled yard. 

I had a rough long 6-mile training run on Saturday. This was completely due to the hot humid weather.  I am so glad I have my small backyard pool it gave me a focus and a finish line.  Finish run, dunk head in pool! 

I was very glad I had an engaging audiobook on my run, I needed the distraction as the miles slowly rolled by.  I will be posting a review of it tomorrow. 

On Tuesday me and Youngest Child will be heading back to the DMV to see if the second time around she'll be passed by the instructor and get her license.  This time we are planning to arrive at the office an hour and a 1/2 before they open to get as close to the door as possible.  Hopefully, she can take her road test while she is fresh and the instructors are fresh as well.   This time we are bringing chairs, snacks, water, and headphones. 

Wednesday I have my annual exam at the dermatologist.  As far as I can tell that should go well aside from having a medical professional look at all my skin--awkward. 

I currently have a Kindle Unlimited subscription and it includes digital Food Network Magazine.  I am planning to look through it for a new recipe or two to try out over the upcoming week. 

I'm also reading Get A Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibert, and The New Husband by D. J. Palmer.  I'll be reviewing them this week and may throw in another book--depending on how things go! 

How are things with you?  How's it going? 

Sharing Sheltering Spirits - A Lola Blog Tour!

 

Sheltering Spirits (A Mallory McGrath Mystery #1)
by Lori Allison
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 6 October 2020

Blurb:
Orphaned at a young age, all Mallory McGrath wants is a place to call home, the companionship of friends who have become her family and to keep her Basset Hound, Elmer, from wrecking everything she owns.

A simple life.

And things are going her way until a sudden encounter with the bumper of a car driven by the intriguing new coroner in town leaves her with a head injury that unlocks a strange new talent.

Now Mallory is dealing with ghostly roommates, a dead body on her property and finding herself under suspicion of murdering the town’s matriarch. Not to mention the angry poltergeist trashing her attic!

To save all she holds dear, Mallory must catch a killer who has her in his sights … and to make sure her supply of peanut butter doesn’t run out.

*********************************************************************************

        This is fun, short cozy!  You can read it during an afternoon sitting by the pool or over a few summer nights.  Mallory is a great MC, she is smart, kind, and not afraid to do some sleuthing! I liked the paranormal aspects of the ghosts they were (for the most part) like Mallory's guardian angels.  Elmer and Luther were wonderful cozy companion characters. LizzyAnne,  Mallory's BFF was pretty over the top, but her heart is clearly in the right place so she started to grow on me. 

I really like the budding romance and I liked how the town funeral home is a feature in this book. This is definitely a cozy to add to your TBR and I'm looking forward to book two!

Links:
- Goodreads
- Bookbub
- Amazon

About the Author:
Lori Allison has had a life-long love affair with books, both as a reader and a writer. Lori is the mother of 3 grown children and has a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of New Mexico. She managed the construction company her family owned for 17 years before retiring to pursue writing full time.

Lori lives in a small town in New Mexico with her husband, Jeffery, and their three dogs.

Author links:
- Website
- Facebook
- Goodreads
- Amazon
- Instagram

#AudioBook Challenge! A Thriller with an Unreliable Narrator for a Humid week in June!

 We have some thunderstormy, cloudy, humidity-filled weather this week, and I was looking for something to listen to as I go about my day.  I saw that this was available via the Libby App from my library system so I borrowed it.  It's on the shorter side, which worked for me. I listen to it at 1.65 speed.  I found the reader to be engaging, his name is George Newbern.  

If you don't like audiobooks, I would still consider picking this one up, it's a good travel book if you have a vacation planned and are going to be sitting in an airport or in a car, or on a train, this will make the time fly. 

This was my first time reading a book by Lisa Scottoline. It turns out she has had over 30 books published so I was really late to learn about this author! 

Great smelling tree on my run!  

* * * * *

I was hoping to have a full review of the book ready today, but yesterday I spent 8 hours in line outside the local department of motor vehicles with Youngest Child.  In the hot sun, standing in line waiting and waiting for her to be able to take her road test. We arrived at the location when it opened and the line was already hundreds deep and blocks long.  No bathroom, no water, and worst of all, no headphones.

Wait, I take that back, the worst of all was after standing in the sun all day, the instructor failed Youngest Child.  I felt terrible and also was so dehydrated I don't think my tear ducts worked anymore. I think the failure was due to nerves, hours, and hours waiting.  When we go back for the second time around, I have high hopes Youngest Child will pass, the irony is, of everyone in our household she's had the most on-the-road experience prior to taking the test. 

It really stinks for her, and yet, it is when we have failures that we have growth.  Additionally, I  know when she gets her license it is going to be that much sweeter. For my part, I think I did an excellent job shutting up and letting her vent and feel her feelings.  I know she didn't want to hear platitudes or examples of how things could be worse. 

Now today, I have my headphones charged and ready to go and listen to more of One Perfect Lie which is a solid thriller so far, the main character is so terrible. I don't know yet if I will be getting another POV or if this entire book will be told from the villain's perspective! 

A Southern Cozy Book To Start the Week- Reading Between The Crimes by Kate Young - #NetGalley

 

This is a cozy that will grab your attention if you like small southern towns, a book that has book themes, and a very punny title! 

 

It has been a few months since we spent time with Lyla, our MC and in that time she has become more confident in her role as a Private Investigator in training.  The Jane Does' book club has grown and the main member has become a very close-knit group.  This month the book club has read and discussed Crooked House by Agatha Christie. This month someone was murdered at Lyla's parent's house.  Similarities between the book and real-life occur and that makes for some very fun reading.  I like the conceit author Kate Young is using in this series that we have the book club reading a book and then we have eerie coincidences between the book being discussed and what is going on in Sweet Mountain, GA. 

 

The main issue I had with book one in this series, On Borrowed Crime, was that Lyla's parents and her ex-boyfriend treated her like she was a teenager instead of a woman in her thirties who knows her own mind. It made me think twice about whether I wanted to read further in this series or just read something else.  As you can see, I decided to give the second book a go, and happily, in this book Lyla's decisions are respected. 

 

The book takes place in the fall around Halloween, but it doesn't have a strong Halloween flavor. It will be out on September 7th, the day after Labor Day, a perfect cozy to kick off the fall season.  Grab a PSL (Pumpkin Spiced Latte) and kick back and enjoy this fun second book in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series. 

 

4.50 stars I recommend this cozy and am looking forward to the next book in this series. It's really picking up steam!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! All the opinions are mine!

#TheSundayPost A Little This, A Little That

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday

This past week has been a busy week! Lots of driving youngest child and oldest child to their summer jobs. Youngest child is getting her license on Tuesday, if she passes the driving test.  Fingers crossed. I will say it has been nice to spend one on one time with her in the car, albeit very stressful for me as the passenger! 

I've finished week one of my Marathon Training and today I learned that I need to figure out a better  pre-run light breakfast because today my energy was sapped too early. Also it was H*O*T. I was really happy to enjoy a post run swim in my little pool. Should you have any interest you can check my fundraising page for Imerman Angels here. 

My garden is growing well (knock on wood) I am implementing less watering than I did last year because in The Beginner's Guide to Growing Great Vegetables the author talks about if you water your plants too much they can grow shallow roots, but if you water a little sparingly, then they will grow deep roots. So that's the plan!

I have also been doing a good job with working on my cozy mystery by participating in Jami Attenberg's #1000wordsofsummer each day and I am participating in a virtual writing group via Gilda's Club so I do not have my book reviews planned out very well at all for the upcoming week. 

I will be sharing my thoughts on this book that I picked up from Net Galley:

What have you been up to? How was your week? 

Some Historical Romance To Kick Off The Weekend!

 If you follow my blog, you've likely noticed that I don't read much historical romance.  At the same time, if you follow my blog, you know I really enjoy Alyssa Cole's writing.  So it was only a matter of time before I started reading her historical romance.  This book takes place during the Civil War, and is the story of Elle Burns who is a former slave and is now a spy for the Loyalty League. Yes, this is fiction, but there were people who were freed people who went back into slavery to spy for the Union.  The bravery is astounding.

Here is a bit about the book from the back cover:

"Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South--to spy for the Union Army. 

Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton's Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he's facing his deadliest mission yet--risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia." 

The stakes in this forbidden romance are so high, every time they are in the same room, they are at risk of being exposed as spies, then you add in their unavoidable attraction to each other- dangerous passion!  In addition to the spying and the fear of being caught, what kept me reading long past my bedtime was wanting to know how Alyssa Cole was going to give this couple a happy ending.  Interracial marriages were not even legal during far too much of our American History.

Speaking of history, Alyssa Cole includes a selected biography of resources she used when writing this book.  One of the books, A Secret Society History of the Civil War by Mark A. Lause, has piqued my interest and is now on my library hold list. 

5 Stars for An Extraordinary Union! 

How Do You Stop A Determined Assassin?

If you enjoy watching thrillers,  if you enjoy stories set with the backdrop of the white house, if you have seen the movie Air Force One; you'll likely find Carol Leonnig's book Zero Fail a compelling and fascinating read.

How do you keep a President safe?  Especially in this 21st century where there are drones, and Havana Syndrome, and 3-D printers able to print plastic guns. This book examines the decades-long struggle of the secret service to protect the President of the United States, their families, and candidates for office.  The push and pull of trying to protect a highly visible person, one who wants and needs to interact with the citizens of the United States as well as travel the world spending time with foreign leaders and dignitaries, is a real sticky wicket. 

I listened to the audio version of this book while I was out running over the last week or so. It was very interesting to learn about failures on the part of the Secret Service that may have played a part in the shooting of JFK, a near-miss with George HW Bush as well as the shooting of Ronald Regan.  In each case, one small slip, one lack of imagination, or too much deference to the person being protected lead to disaster.  And on the other hand, we will never know how many times people or organizations were stopped by one small thing going right. Lack of funding and resources has plagued the Secret Service--with many of those who were part of Presidential details working an untenable amount of hours on a regular basis. 

It came as no surprise to me to learn that often thanks to booze or men not being able to keep their pants on -(be that the President or secret service personnel)  Presidents have been thisclose to being assassinated or compromised by a foreign agent.  And also there is the usual BS you find in any office situation where people are trying to climb the corporate ladder.  I'd been busy with raising kids and I have to say that I completely missed the sex scandal the Secret Service was embroiled in during President Obama's second term--there was a real frat-boy culture. 

 5- stars for Zero Fail from me. This is a very comprehensive look at an incredibly important agency.