The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis

 I read the first book of this series by Krista Davis--because I really enjoy her Diva Cozy Mystery Series. I thought the first book was OK but I didn't really connect with Florrie our amateur sleuth and there was a subplot where a family friend will not take Florrie no for an answer and she keeps trying to get him to stop expressing interest in her and he keeps doing it anyway.

ICK! 

That being said I know that second books can be so much better than the first book in the series so I decided, to get The Coloring Crook.   I should have finished this book already but I got distracted and am also reading The Lord of Population by Elizabeth Stephens --it's a dystopian nightmare romance with warring humans and vampire aliens! 

But that's not all, I'm also over halfway through with Renovated To Death  by Frank Anthony Polito--this is an upcoming cozy from Kensington Books--it features a gay couple who have a home renovation reality TV show.  

Yes I know I need to stop rotating between these three books and just finish them one by one!

Hope you are having a great week! 

Glimmer Lake Spin Off Trilogy By Elizabeth Hunter - Moonstone Cove

 

As you may recall, I love the Glimmer Lake paranormal trilogy from Elizabeth Hunter. So I was really happy to learn the spin-off trilogy Moonstone Cove was complete and ready for me to dive into and meet Katherine, Toni, and Megan.  

Katherine is like Robin. Toni is like Val. Megan is like Monica. If you liked Glimmer Lake, you'll love Moonstone Cove.  This book is the first book in the trilogy and it features Katherine's story. We also have some guest appearances from the Glimmer Lake gang which is fun. 

The friendships between women shine and make this trilogy so enjoyable. We watch them bond over the event that turns on their psychic powers and soon they are inseparable.  You will wish you lived in Moonstone Cove and hung out with Katherine, Megan, Toni, and all of Toni's extended family.

The mysteries within each book do intersect which I found to be delightful. I also enjoyed reading about a female character that was childless by choice and didn't feel bad or guilty or sad about it.  Treat yourself to a very enjoyable trilogy--these books are available as part of a Kindle Unlimited subscription.   

A Surprise Re-Read

This was a surprise re-read in that I didn't realize I had already read it when I checked it out of the library.  A couple of chapters in I knew I had read it before. Well actually, I listened to the audio, which was very engaging.  

This time I read the words, it was a fast read.  Lots of action and I enjoy the mythology and the catholic hocus pocus of it all. The world-building is very engaging and Harry has that right amount of self-deprecation and confidence all at one time. He knows he can't help himself when he perceives a damsel is in distress even though it comes back to bite him in the ass several times over. 

Looks like I got distracted after listening to book 5 of this series back in 2018 when I read it the first time. I'm hoping this time around I don't have to wait too long to get Blood Rites or I fear I will again get distracted for a few more years! 

My 2018 Review:

I listen to this series on audio, I don't read any of the books--James Marsters is perfection as Harry Dresden. This is book #5 of this enjoyable series that I tend to pick up, listen to a book and then a few months pass and then I pick it back up. There is enough reiteration of who the main players in the series are to help you remember if you don't binge read the series. I am going to make more of an effort to get through this series in a more timely manner. I have to say I don't really care about the romance aspect of the book, but if Harry is happy I'm happy. Whenever Harry talks about his cat Mister, I think anew that Mister is the perfect name for a cat. And speaking of perfect character names, I hope the next book has more Murphy- the perfectly named police detective- in it.

Love that this book takes place in Chicago. Nice that Harry and modern tech don't get along as this is handy for plot building. The pacing of this book was good, I personally wouldn't mind if there had been a bit more downtime - like maybe 2 fewer battles, but that's just me. I'm going to go see if my library has book #6 before I get distracted by another book on my TBR pile.

#TheSundayPost Second Sunday in May, Second Exciting Event

 

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 

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who mom's in any sort of way. 

Big Hugs to everyone who feels sad on this day. 

Yesterday was another exciting event in a month of big stuff a-happening at our house. My oldest son graduated from College! Man what an achievement!  He went to a community college for two years and finished with an Associates Degree, and then he transferred to a local university and Saturday he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Applied Graphic Design! Not only did he finish in 4 years but he managed to keep a 3.5 GPA or above the whole time and 'only' has $12 in student loans.

Next up....finding a job!  We really want our kids to have as good a start to their adulthood as possible so we are more than happy for him to live here for a while so he can pay off the student loans and save money. 

How was your week? Did anything fun happen?

This week I am reviewing a Dresden Files book, The Moonstone Cove Trilogy by Elizabeth Hunter and The Coloring Crook by Krista Davis

Romancing Mister Bridgerton, Penelope and Colin!

 Tbh, I would like this book to be the next season of Bridgerton on Netflix.  Benedict (of the TV show) is very meh to me, that being said, I look forward to how the TV show will portray his book, it could be amazing.  I assume that for sure, Bridgerton will include the lake scene!  

Anyway now back to Penelope and Colin, this book has a 10-year flash forward and Penelope is a spinster and she is fine with it and Colin has been successfully avoiding marriage for years. We get both Penelope's and Colin's POVs in this book. This book is an excellent portrayal of the Friends to Lovers trope. 

I loved the amount of Lady Danbury in this book and I have a good feeling we will see lots of her when this book is on the screen. There is a major plot point that has been changed from the book to the show already at the end of Season 2 on the screen involving who figures out who is Lady Whistledown. 

Overall I would say that it is uncommon in a book for a male character to admit they are jealous of a female character and furthermore to admit that their jealousy was fueling anger toward the female lead. Thank goodness we get to read a story here where the male character does come to grips with jealousy and anger, a nice change of pace. 

4 starts for Romancing Mister Bridgerton

Allow Me To Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to The Constitution

 

I used my Audible subscription to purchase this audiobook. I went with the audio because when it comes to nonfiction, I prefer to listen to vrs. read, I think running and listening helps me to remember more of the book. In this case, it was an obvious choice because Eli Mystal narrates his own book. 

What makes this book stand out is that it is, as the subtitle says, A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution, instead of a book told from a white man or woman we get the perspective of someone who descends from slaves and I think that is probably the most important perspective to view our constitution based of knowing that many of the Framers were slaveholders. 

The book is not overly long and Elie Mystal excels in his ability to explain lawyer lingo and concepts in simple terms that anyone can easily understand and relate to as they listen (or read). 

I recommend this book to everyone who lives in America. 

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

 This was the April book pick for my book club.  The theme for this month's book was a book that takes place outside the United States.  Previous to reading this book, I knew very little about Cuba's history. Now having read Next Year in Havana, I know a little bit more about the long, rich history of Cuba. I appreciate this method of learning history! 

This book is obviously well researched and it flows between the two timelines seamlessly.  You will notice that Marisol is very much like her grandmother Elisa and the Cuban men they fall in love with are also very similar.  I enjoyed the mirror story of their love. 

I don't want to spoil anything in the story so I will say that this is a lovely book, you feel immersed in Cuba, I think there is enough romance and mystery to make it appealing to those who love reading romance and/or mystery books. Plus if you enjoy it, there is a follow-up book featuring Elisa's sister Beatriz.  

This is a good 4-star book to take on a vacation or if you need a virtual vacation! 

The Sunday Post Hooray for May!

 

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 

Well, it's all cloudy and chilly today, even though it's May. I am very ready for late spring weather instead of the two months of March we have had instead! Fortunately, it was relatively warm for Prom on Friday.

The kids went to a very popular place to take prom pictures, you can see some of the crowd on the bridge across the water behind our Anna. 

This week I'm doing some text banking for a local candidate and going to see Pod Save America live (it's a podcast) Then this weekend we'll be watching our oldest graduate from college!!! Exciting times!

How will you be spending this first week of May? 

Here are books I'll be reviewing this week: 

 

COYER and Books Of My Heart #READALONG!

This was a nice break in the action of the Night Huntress series, in the last installment I was very annoyed with Cat and Bones and ready to read something else.  Pretty clever, Jeaniene Frost, way to keep me reading.

This book is the story of Cat's friend Denise. From her introduction into the series a few books ago, I have wanted to read more about her. I loved her relationship with her husband, Randy, and was very sad that he died in the big Vampire battle.  Now it's about a year later and Denise is still in mourning. She understandable suffering from PTSD and is trying to distance herself from the supernatural world her friend Cat is an intricate part of.  

This being an Urban Fantasy series, Denise is quickly pulled into the world as she is cursed by a demon. This book does have action but most of the story is focused on Denise and her grieving process and Spade's struggle with his attraction to Denise fighting against his desire not to love and lose a human again. We learn a little more about the Night Huntress World and how it works, we do see Cat and Bones towards the end, but this is solidly Denise and Spade's book.

I'm a fan of Denise so I was happy for her to find Spade. Spade--for me--- is just an OK character, he is--and again this is just to me--a pretty typical hot Vampire. In other words, I don't find him as interesting to read as I do Vlad--or even Ian. 

Here is the publisher's blurb for this book: 

"The night is not safe for mortals.

Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who craves a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human – even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the demon nightmare together…

Because once the first drop of crimson falls, they will both be lost."

4 Starts to First Drop of Crimson

Join the Read Along at https://booksofmyheart.net/2021/12/05/read-along-giveaway-night-huntress-world-by-jeaniene-frost/

Spring Means Gardening, and You Don't Need a Yard to Do It!

 Today I am sharing a review of a book from the publishing company Pelargonium Press called Apartment Kitchen Gardening by James Jacques. 

Here is the blurb from the publisher: 

Do you like the idea of growing your own fresh, healthy food at home?

Our latest book by James Jacques explains exactly how to do that, even if 

you don’t have a garden or yard of your own, and even if you’ve never grown 

anything before. It’s also great if you already grow food and want to learn 

exciting ways to grow even more. The book is called Apartment Kitchen 

Gardening and it explains how to grow a wide range of veg, fruit, and herbs, 

from oregano to oranges to oyster mushrooms, inside your home. It even 

covers some fascinating, unusual edibles like ‘beef and onion plant’ and 

saffron.

You can order the book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TWX7B28/

If you have a Kindle Unlimited it's free to you, if not, it's only $4.99

I live in a townhome and I have a small backyard and I have a little raised garden bed, but recently I bought a bunch of fresh herbs to make some new recipes and I came to the conclusion that I must figure out how to have fresh herbs in my house year-round!  Thankfully  Apartment Kitchen Gardening covers exactly how to manage that! You can even use leftover grocery store herbs to start your own plants! 

"Regrow Herbs!

Herbs are a fantastic addition to any kitchen windowsill.

Many herbs grow well in water – all you need is a glass, pot,

or even an old plastic bottle and a herb plant from the store.

You can then take cuttings from the parent plant and stand

them in your container with some water." -Apartment Kitchen Gardening

This book is a concise guide that includes all the most important information you need to start a garden in any living space, it covers indoor gardening, patio/balcony gardening as well windowsill, and other container gardens.  I really appreciated that James Jacques' writes with frugality and conservation in mind. The book is filled with tips on how to use what you already have to garden and a few fun upcycling projects as well. 

The book is a fast read and a nice reference that will inspire anyone who has wanted to grow some of their own food wherever they reside. 

Thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy of the book to review!  All the opinions are my own and the link to Amazon is not an affiliate link.