Waves of Fiction

Friday, January 10, 2025

Review: Remember When by Mary Balogh

Remember When (Ravenswood #4) by Mary Balogh

Publication Date: January 7th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

My Thoughts:

Clarissa, the Dowager Countess, is at a pivotal time in her life. Her children are grown and mostly settled, and her daughter-in-law has taken over the countess responsibilities. After a season in London, Clarissa returns home to Ravenswood and looks forward to the quiet and tranquility of being alone to reflect who she is as a person and what she wants in this next chapter of her life. There’s another thing Clarissa plans to do: renew her childhood friendship with Matthew Taylor.

Matthew Taylor lives a contented life as the village’s carpenter even though he was raised as a gentleman. His younger years were filled with strife railing against strict parents that didn’t understand him. The only one who listened and gave him comfort was Clarissa. He was half in love with her by the time they were teenagers, but things didn’t work out and they married others. Matthew was widowed soon after. He spent many years coming to peace with his past and has led a quiet, contented life until Clarissa comes back to town.

Loved the way Matthew and Clarissa just picked up again after so many years. They just got each other so well. Of course, their friendship was noted right away and there was talk since their societal positions were so different, but I’m happy with how it was all handled. They both had wonderful family and friends to support them!

Remember When was low angst and heartwarming! The characters and the situations they faced felt real-to-life and relatable. Neither Clarissa nor Matthew led a problem-free life, but each were mature and okay on their own. Finding romance was an unexpected joy for them and their story filled my heart with happiness!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Discover the beauty of second chances at love and life in this heartfelt new novel from New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh.

The Dowager Countess of Stratton, Clarissa Ware, née Greenfield, has just presented her younger daughter to the ton, and the rest of her life belongs only to herself. She returns to Ravenswood, intending to spend the summer alone there. But the summer has other plans for her.

Born a gentleman, Matthew Taylor has chosen to spend his life as the village carpenter. Growing up, he and Clarissa were close—dangerously so, considering his family’s modest fortune. As a young man, he never would have been a suitable match for the daughter of the wealthy Greenfields. Clarissa married Caleb Ware, the Earl of Stratton, so Matthew married another, though he was widowed soon after.

Now everything is different—Clarissa has already lived the life expected of her by society. And Matthew is as attractive and intriguing as he was when they were young. As their summer friendship deepens into romance, they stand together on the precipice of change—essentially the same man and woman they remember being back then, but with renewed passion and the potential to take their lives in an entirely new direction.

About the Author

Mary Balogh grew up in Wales and now lives with her husband, Robert, in Saskatchewan, Canada. She has written more than one hundred historical novels and novellas, more than forty of which have been New York Times bestsellers. They include the Bedwyn saga, the Simply quartet, the Huxtable quintet, the seven-part Survivors’ Club series, and the Westcott series.

Thursday, January 9, 2025

Final Check-in 2024 Challenges & 2025 Sign-ups

I'm a little late posting my challenge check-ins and setting my new goals, but here they are. I made all of my goals. Here's my totals:

The challenge is hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer again & That's What I'm Taking About. Thank you ladies!

I signed up for 125-150 I Can't Hear You (earbuds are always in) books and managed 149 books. Here are a few of my standout listens:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link/title below for my review)

Pitch Dark (Mike Bowditch #15) by Paul Doiron

You'll Never Find Me by Allision Brennan

Pitch Dark (Mike Bowditch #15) by Paul Doiron narrated by Henry Leyva

You'll Never Find Me by Allision Brennan narrated by Hillary Huber

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister narrated by Lesley Sharp

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson #14) by Patricia Briggs

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland narrated by Allison McLemore

Mind Games by Nora Roberts narrated by January LaVoy

Winter Lost (Mercy Thompson #14) by Patricia Briggs narrated by Lorelei King

I'm signing up for I Can't Hear You (earbuds are always in) 125-150 books again. Click HERE for details if you'd like to join in, too!

Library Love Challenge is hosted by Anne @Books of My Heart and Angel's Book Nook. Thank you ladies!

You can sign up for the 2025 Challenge HERE.

I signed up for Library Card on Fire 60+ books and made it with 71.

Here are some of my favorites:

The Bitter Past (Porter Beck #1) by Bruce Borgos

Death in Kew Gardens (A Below Stairs Mystery #3) by Jennifer Ashley

Fated (Alex Verus #1) by Benedict Jacka

The Bitter Past (Porter Beck #1) by Bruce Borgos

Death in Kew Gardens (A Below Stairs Mystery #3) by Jennifer Ashley

I sign up for the Goodreads Challenge every year. My goal was 175 books and I surpassed it with 191 books. I signed up for 175 again for 2025.

I am signing up for Susan's Bookish Books Reading Challenge. Thank you Susan! (click HERE for info on the challenge) this year with:

Toe in the Door 1-10 Books

I need to make a list of books to read for this one. Any ideas?

Well, that's the end of my challenges. Are you participating in any challenges this year?

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

Review: Lies on the Serpent's Tongue by Kate Pearsall

Lies on the Serpent's Tongue (Bittersweet in the Hollow #2) by Kate Pearsall

Publication Date: January 7th 2025 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

My Thoughts:

Rowan James is fiercely protective of her family which is one of the reasons Hadrian Fitch, their family’s farm hand, rubbed her the wrong way. Rowan can detect lies, and knew Hadrian wasn’t being truthful. But it was more than Hadrian’s lies that got under Rowan’s skin. They had an ongoing back and forth (mostly thanks to Rowan) in the last book. I knew they were going to make a great couple!

The James women and residents of Cabal Hollow are still recovering after the shocking events of the summer. Also, Rowan is still bitter over the vandalism of their family’s diner that caused so much damage and almost put them out of business. The case is still unsolved, and Rowan is determined to find those responsible. However, Rowan’s grandmother has had enough of her attitude and decides to send her on a volunteer assignment for the Forestry Service where they need help repairing a lookout cabin. Rowan will have to stay there on and off to complete the work.

Rowan encounters danger on a few fronts. Ginseng poachers, with the payouts so high are willing to do just about anything to illegally harvest the roots and strange happenings with the Bone Tree. Then there’s the people intent on tracking and proving the existence of the Moth-Man and the Wampus Cat, one particularly annoying group there for a podcast.

It’s hard to write a review that does this story justice because the story is so unique and layered! Magical gifts, interesting characters, a gorgeously described setting, more than one mystery with a suspicious death (or two), and beautiful writing! So many things to recommend and I loved every page!

Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue is book two in the series, with a separate romance and mystery, but I highly recommend reading Bittersweet the Hollow first because the events in the last book factor in heavily into this one. Utterly loved both stories!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In this haunting companion novel to Bittersweet in the Hollow, a girl who can smell the lies of others uncovers the incendiary mysteries of her small Appalachian town.

Everybody lies. And in knowing their lies, I become the keeper of their secrets.

As Caball Hollow slowly recovers from a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.

18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell lies on the teller’s breath—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long struggled with her gift, which has taught her that everyone distorts the truth, and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old rival Hadrian Fitch shows up on her front porch—bloodied and bruised and asking for the kind of help only she can provide—her first instinct is distrust.

Except Hadrian’s attack isn’t the only strange occurrence. Now small items are disappearing, but rather than report the losses the owners act as if their missing things never existed. Rumors of a new monster prowling the Hollow begin to swirl. But how can Rowan smoke out the culprit in a town full of secrets? And worse, how can Rowan trust beautiful, solemn Hadrian when every other word he speaks has the distinct burnt smell of a lie?

About the author:

Kate Pearsall is a creative thinker, an award-winning copywriter, and a storyteller. She has a degree in business and public relations and has written for magazines and newspapers. Bittersweet in the Hollow and Lies on the Serpent's Tongue were inspired in part by a childhood listening to her mom’s stories about growing up in the Appalachian Mountains and visiting family in West Virginia.

Connect with Kate Pearsall:

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Monday, January 6, 2025

Review: See How They Hide by Allison Brennan

See How They Hide (Quinn & Costa #6) by Allison Brennan

Publication Date: January 7th 2025 by MIRA

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★★

My Thoughts:

The sixth installment of the Quinn & Costa series was an intense one and fast paced! The story starts out with two murders on opposite sides of the country, committed in the same puzzling way, happening within hours of each other. Havenwood, a previously unknown community, cult-like in its setup, is at the heart of the investigation. Figuring out its past and location becomes key to stopping their murder spree. Calliope, the leader, was something else! I felt for her daughter, Riley, who becomes a crucial part of the team’s investigation.

I was happy at the personal progress made with Kara and Matt, with Kara finally opening up, which has been a long time coming. Catherine who’s been a thorn in Kara’s side from the beginning, and pretty much a witch, IMO, has finally acknowledged some important things! I haven’t been a fan of Catherine at all, so hopefully this progress will move her into the likeable category in the future.

Love this series, and really anything Allison Brennan writes! I recommend starting with book one.

5 Stars

Book Description:

No matter how far you run, some pasts never let you go…

Two people were murdered—at the exact same time, in the same gruesome manner, bodies covered in the same red poppies…but on opposite sides of the country.

With Detective Kara Quinn investigating in Oregon and Special Agent Matt Costa in Virginia, the Mobile Response Team digs deep to uncover more about each victim. What is the link between the two, and why were they targeted?

Yet their search unearths more questions than answers—until they meet Riley Pierce, the only person still alive who might be able to help them find the killers.

Soon, it becomes clear this case is nothing like they’ve seen before as their investigation leads them to the hallowed grounds of Havenwood—an eerily beautiful place rooted in a terrifying past.

As more bodies turn up, all tied to the same community, Kara and Matt are desperate to piece the puzzle together before Havenwood’s leader sacrifices everything to keep her secrets buried.

Photo Credit: Brittan Dodd

About the author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Allison Brennan believes life is too short to be bored, so she had five children and writes three books a year. Reviewers have called her “a master of suspense” and RT Book Reviews said her books are “mesmerizing” and “complex.” A native of northern California, she moved to Arizona with her family and pets in 2019 and now calls Phoenix home.

Allison has written 45 books and numerous short stories. She has no intention of stopping anytime soon! The fifth book in the Quinn & Costa FBI series, The Missing Witness, is currently available, and See How They Hide will be out in January of 2025. The first book of an all-new Phoenix set series about a family of private investigators, You’ll Never Find Me, is out now.

Connection with Allison Brennan:

Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | Goodreads

Sunday, January 5, 2025

Sunday Post #278-Late Edition

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday! We got in from Montana last night/morning at 2am, so I'm tired! It was a fun trip with ice skating, sledding, card games and fireworks. It was cold, but it didn't feel as cold as I thought it would.