Happy to be back in New Bison! #MurderisaPieceofCake #NetGalley

When I saw that the second book in Valerie Burns's series called A Baker Street Mystery was available on Net Galley, I quickly requested an ARC. Fortunately, my request was accepted and here we are!  I enjoy the setting of this book as I know it is based on the lovely, western Michigan town, of New Buffalo. 

We are back in town with Maddie who is almost ready to re-open Baby Cakes Bakery after the unfortunate events of the last book. April, Michael, Miss Hannah, and Leroy are back and once again trouble comes to their doorstep. I found this to be a good mystery, I wasn't sure who was doing the murdering and given the ending, the killer may very well still be out there. PLUS this book ends right before Maddy's Navy Admiral Dad is supposed to show up, so you've got me, Valerie Burns, I'm gonna pre-order the next book just as soon as I can!  

In between the murders, Maddy spends time with Michael at a winery that is very on-point for the area, there are lots of wineries! She also expands her small baking repertoire and I was really happy to see the recipe for her lemon meringue pie as well as her entry into the Spring Fling Festival.   

5 Stars, Thank you Net Galley for the ARC! All the opinions are mine! 

 

Light and Fluffy Romance Listening for a Spring Afternoon

I downloaded this book for a listen because I have been following the author Rebekah Weatherspoon on Twitter for quite some time, so when she tweeted about this book, I had to give it a listen.  It's a real bummer how Twitter is falling apart because it was a great place to follow authors easily, esp. since my email boxes are so full of emails all the time that author newsletters get lost by me. 
 

This is a novella, a short and charming read, a very nice listen for a day when you are feeling down and want a pick-me-up, or when are in a slump and aren't ready to dive into a novel. Rebekah Weatherspoon gives Andre and Janelle a super cute and creative Meet Cute. I'm not even going to tell you about it because it is such a fun idea, now if you go to GoodReads, you'll see it in the book description, so there you go. 

This book has all the comfort tropes, two good people whose hearts are on the mend after a breakup. A super cute shelter dog, a chaotic twin sister, and the open-door sex scene is full of consent and good vibes. Andre and Janelle communicate well and there aren't any contrived miscommunications.  It gets even better in my opinion, they don't resemble fashion models, and there is no third-act breakup! 

The only thing I wanted at the end of this book was more Andre and Janelle content--oh I forgot to mention the narrators are fabulous! 

5 Stars!!

The Sunday Post! April is here, got flowers?

   

The Sunday Post is a blog news 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 your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

I have to tell you, I think I am developing a case of Spring Fever. Our weather is super uneven with days below freezing and other brief bursts of temps hitting near 60 degrees/15 Celcius. I can't wait for the T-shirt weather and open windows!!! Ahhhhhhhh, yep I've got it bad! 

How is the weather by you? Are you enjoying warm weather? Tell me all about it!

Hexed by Kevin Herne

Let me tell you, while I was listening to this book, it was like I was wearing a shirt that said: please ask me questions.  My family kept interrupting my listening!  This is why I usually do most of my book listening while I'll out running.  However, I have a boot on my foot for likely stress fracture so I was trying to listen around my house, and that is why I listened to chapter 18 three times!  

This is the second book in Kevin Hearne's series and if I had to sum it up in just a few words I would say, it's giving me Harry Dresden, Wizard vibes.  That is, of course, a very good thing. My love for Oberon, Leif, and the Widow continues to grow and I like that Atticus has to navigate solving paranormal problems without getting on the wrong side of the human police.  He also has to work with witches, and that I think is a good thing because he complains in book one about how he can't stand witches and that they are all terrible--well now in this book he is learning not all witches are the same. When I'm reading I enjoy seeing the main characters having to confront their own prejudices; it's a fine area for growth in a character arc.

This was a solid 4 read for me and I am ready to see what happens next! 

Anne's read along are always fun, join us! 

 

Writer and Narrator of his own Book- A mix of cozy mystery and fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree was a February selection by Ben's Cozy Book Club. Alas, my library hold came up in March.  I listened to the audio version of this book, which is voiced by Travis Baldree, who in addition to being a writer is also an audiobook narrator!  

For your information, I checked on whether this is the first book in a series.  According to Mr. Baldree, there will be at least one other book in this world, but he is writing the books so that they stand alone, which is nice. Legend & Lattes is the story of Viv, an Orc, who retires from fighting to pursue her dream of opening a coffee shop. Now, the thing is that no one in this city or country has ever had coffee before or visited a coffee shop. Coffee/Lattes/Scones don't exist here until Viv arrives. So that aspect adds to the story. Viv is also a stranger in a strange land and she has years of walls built up from her mercenary days. Hence, we are along for this new adventure as she begins a relationship with Tandi who is a succubus and an excellent barista. It's a lovely light Sapphic romance that grows alongside the main story about new beginnings and friendships. Of course, there is some trouble from Viv's past, what is a book without conflict, right? 

Overall this book is fun, light fantasy that is a joy to experience and ends very satisfactorily. 

4.5 stars

 

The Cozy Mystery Club March Edition --Tomorrow Night on You Tube!

 

It seems like I was just sharing the link for February's Cozy Mystery Book Club live stream, and here we are already on the cusp of March's live stream. This month's book is Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall. You can watch the live stream and join us for the fun in the comments where we all share what we loved (and what left us lacking) in this month's club selection. Angela enters all comments for a chance to win books so it's a good time to chat with your fellow cozy lovers! 

This book is the first book in the Scottish Shire series. The book is written with lots of Scottish dialect, which can be distracting, I got the vibe that the book was not written by someone who is Scottish. Our Amateur Slueth is Paislee who is a single mom of a 10-year-old who owns a knitting shop. There is a nice amount of knitting talk in the book and it factors into the murder, so that is what you want to see when you read a crafty cozy. 

The book was published in 2020, but the sensibilities of our main character were a real throwback. She often talks about the shame and embarrassment she has from having a kid out of wedlock.  She goes on to say that she has not had sex or dated since her son was born and won't do either of those things until he is finished with school. I don't want to go on about how that rankled me, so I'll leave it there.

There are several subplots going on throughout this book, and much is not resolved at the end of the book,  so if you enjoy Paislee or the town of Nairn,  you can go right on to the next book from this one and hopefully find out more about the Knitting Shop and Grandpa's missing son. 

I found the reveal of the murderer and circumstances in the book to be on the darker and more depressing side.  So keep that in mind if you are looking for a cozy, cozy. 

My Spring Break Is Here! #TheSundayPost

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news 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 your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

My goodness, the last week of March is here already! I have the week off school and I am looking forward to more reading and more K-Dramas! How about you? Do you have any plans for the upcoming week? 

Last week I didn't do a good job of managing my time so that meant the posts I had planned to post didn't happen -so here is what I'm blogging about this week:

#TheNewTownLibrarian Thanks #NetGalley !

As an avid reader, some of my best childhood memories involve trips to the library and long summer days spent reading in my backyard. So it's no surprise that I am drawn to books featuring libraries and librarians.  I saw this book on Net Galley and couldn't click the request button fast enough.  This isn't my usual genre, and our MC isn't a typical heroine. Nan is a 50-year-old who has been stuck in her life for at least two decades, she is a low-level library at a Philadelphia library branch and has had a string of short-term girlfriends.  Nan likes to spend some of her spare time drinking wine and applying for amazing librarian jobs she knows she will never get, until one day when she applies to work in a small rural New Jersey library and gets the job!

Finally, Nan's life is getting unstuck! Will she make a difference in this small town?  Will she build friendships and will she make better life choices? You will have to read to find out. I found this book to be delightful and so interesting to read about the interworking of a public library. This book is truly cozy--but without any murder mystery.

5 stars! 

 

The Official Start of Spring Is Almost Here- The Sunday Post!

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news 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 your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Spring is beginning soon but we had snow showers yesterday, March weather is usually doggone cold in the Chicago area, so the snow is no surprise. I am hoping April will be warmer with more days in the 50s (or 10s for Celsius).  As I mentioned last Sunday my husband I and I walked with our Congressman, Sean Casten, in the South Side Parade (Chicago) 

Here is a picture! 

I'm getting a Blue Apron delivery tomorrow so I'll be trying a couple of new tasty recipes. I like to treat us to a Blue Apron delivery once a month.  How about you? Are you treating yourself to something this week?

Books I'm finishing up and planning to write about:

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi

This is the first book I have read by Mary H.K. Choi. I borrowed the book in part because there is a restaurant in Chicago called Yolk that has a fantastic brunch. I've never eaten there because the wait was always too long when I was downtown. This book is partly based on Mary H.K. Choi's personal life. I have no idea what parts are fiction and what parts are reality. It doesn't really matter.  What matters is that this is an excellent book worth reading --or listening to, which is what I did.

The story is told from Janye's perspective. TW, Janye has an eating disorder. At one point there is a long and detailed binging and purging scene, so bear this in mind if it's something you need to avoid.  Janye is a college student in NYC, though it was unclear to me if she was actually attending school or not during the time frame of this book. She is 19 and she is making terrible decisions over and over again throughout much of the book, but there is growth if you stick with it. The book focuses on the relationship between Jayne (the spare) and June (the heir). I don't have a sister so I don't know how accurate this portrayal of sisters is to real life, but gosh I was really rooting for them. 

This book deals with heavy themes so it's a good book for when you want to feel and think and aren't feeling low yourself.

4 stars

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