Review: The Lady Sparks a Flame by Elizabeth Everett

 

The Lady Sparks a Flame (The Damsels of Discovery #2) by Elizabeth Everett

Publication Date: March 25th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Lady Pheobe Hunt was shipped off to America to pay for her crimes and has spent the last few years there. Now she’s back in England to help her mother and sister get situated after the death of her father. What a horrible man!

 

Sam Fenley, an enterprising and now wealthy businessman, wants to buy their London Estate and agrees to help them catalog their country house and get it and the contents ready for auction as well. He thinks he might offer for the younger sister, she’s beautiful and titled and it would be a step into the aristocracy that Sam has been looking for. However, Lady Phoebe is the one that captures his attention with her icy demeanor, sharp wit and air of sadness that hangs about her like a cloak.

 

There’s a lot of bad memories and ghosts for the poor Hunt women! Sam was the breath of fresh air needed as they sorted things out! I absolutely loved him! He was kind, confident, and determined but didn’t take himself too seriously.

 

Lady Phoebe Hunt was introduced in the previous series, and she certainly was a villainess, but of course, there was far more to her story.

 

The Lady Sparks a Flame was lovely! The writing was gorgeous and clever with splashes of humor that balanced out some of the darker bits. The romance was delicious and spicy with the perfect foundation and buildup! I think fans of Tessa Dare or Lisa Kleypas would definitely enjoy this story! Characters from the past series figure in and appear here, but I feel you could read the story as a standalone.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

A Lady with a past. A man with ambition. A romance far from London society that might bridge their divides.

Lady Phoebe Hunt never anticipated returning from exile. A fatal choice drove her from England, but the death of her father—and the revelation of his debts—has brought her home. Once she settles her father’s estate, she will return to America, where she has reinvented herself. There’s no reason to remain, not even for one gravitationally challenged but deliciously tempting Sam Fenley.

Samuel Fenley is all ambition. Rising from shop boy to wealthy investor, he’s left knocking on doors that open only for those with a title. Unless he buys the damned door itself—and the estate that goes with it. Sam offers to relieve Phoebe of her burdens, but is her crumbling mansion all Sam wants? Or is it the Lady herself?

When threats from Phoebe’s past spark new dangers, Sam and Phoebe discover that neither is what the other expected. Standing on the edge of disaster, the disgraced Ice Queen will have to decide if she wants to forge through life alone, or let an unlikely hero melt her heart.

Sunday Post #289

 

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! I'm finally starting to get better. Marginally. I've been sick the whole week, coughing and congested. I went to the doctor because I was worried I had an ear infection (I did). Got antibiotics, but other than that they just told me to take cold meds. I tested negative for Covid. I called in sick on Monday, was supposed to fly out to Texas on Wednesday to babysit our older grandkids, but canceled my flights because there was no way I could get on a plane in my state. My husband flew out and is coming home today. 

Peanut and Starla napping

Hyacinths coming up

Yellow and Purple Primrose

Puzzle completed: Vintage Summer Books by Aimee Stewart

I've been alone with the cats, in a brain fog. I didn't get much reading done. We have some sunny days but also a lot of rain. Yesterday was gorgeous today is back to rainy and gloom. I worked a puzzle while listening to audios and watched two movies. The Dry and Force of Nature both based on the Jane Harper mysteries I read a few years ago. I thought they did a good job. I hope they make the final book into a movie, too.

Read:

(Click on cover to take you to Goodreads listing)

Dead Man's Folley (Hercule Poirot #35) by Agatha Christie-4 Stars

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley-3.5 Stars

The Lady Sparks a Flame (The Damsels of Discovery #2) by Elizabeth Everett-4.5 Stars

I didn't read as much as I hoped to. Dead Man's Folly was narrated by David Suchet, the actor who plays Hercule Poirot in several film adaptations. He captures Hercule brilliantly both on film and on audio and is my favorite. Such an excellent actor! Scot and Bothered was cute, but so many flashbacks slowed the pace and took away from the story, IMO. To be fair, I haven't been in the mood for romances for a while, but it was a review book I downloaded a while back. I really enjoyed The Lady Sparks a Flame and should've had my review posted on Friday. I plan on posting it this week. 

Received:

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, Berkley, Bookouture, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Griffin and MIRA!

How was your week?

Review: Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley

 

Scot and Bothered by Alexandra Kiley

Publication Date: March 4th 2025 by Canary Street Press & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 27 mins

Narrators: Angus King & Savannah Davies

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Brooke and Jack met and fell in love in college but it ended badly since they were TA and student, both reprimanded when the relationship was discovered. Brooke blamed Jack, as it derailed her writing career.

 

Now Brooke is co-writing her mentor, Mhari McAllister’s memoir, a dream job. She’s set to take the same hiking trail on the Isle of Skye to infuse the story with Mhari’s experiences. Little does Brooke know that Jack, being Mhari’s nephew and a photographer, has been assigned to catalog it all.

 

I enjoyed Scot and Bothered, trekking through the wilds of Scotland’s Isle of Skye with Brooke and Jack as they sorted through their feelings of hurt and yearning. I did find it a little unbelievable, given how they felt about each other in the past, that they just cut off all ties for seven years. Still, I did enjoy seeing them mend fences and discover their intense attraction never faded. I rooted for their HEA. Their hike sounded arduous, but breathtaking and was a highlight for me!

 

Angus King and Savannah Davies narrated. Angus had a nice Scottish accent which fit Jack’s character perfectly and Savannah performed Brooke’s parts wonderfully. I thought their performances breathed life into the characters and enhanced my enjoyment of the story!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

Brooke Sinclair’s dream of being a published author derailed when she was expelled from the University of Edinburgh seven years ago. Now a ghostwriter, she sticks to other people’s stories. But when her college mentor Mhairi McCallister needs a co-writer for her memoir about Scotland’s most challenging trek, Brooke would do anything for the opportunity—including agreeing to hike the rugged Skye Trail for authenticity’s sake... not knowing the nature photographer who’ll join her is Jack Sutherland, the man who shattered Brooke’s writing career—and her heart.

Between getting sacked from the University and walking away from his family’s tour-guiding business to follow his photography dreams, Jack is desperate to prove he didn’t disappoint his family for nothing. And he can’t ignore his Aunt Mhairi’s final wishes for her memoir. Even if it means acting as guide and storyteller for the one who got away. Even if it means keeping secrets about Mhairi’s health.

As Jack and Brooke head into the solitude of the sweeping Scottish landscape, they’re forced to confront old feelings that haven’t disappeared with time. But can two weeks and eighty miles heal years of unspoken hurt and offer a second chance at the end of the trail?

Review: The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen

 

The Spy Coast (The Martini Club #1) by Tess Gerritsen

Publication Date: March 18th 2025 by Thomas & Mercer and Brilliance Audio

Pages: 363

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 59min

Narrators: Hillary Huber 

Source: Publisher & Purchased Audio (Kindle Unlimited)

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Maggie and her former CIA friends, Declan, Ben, Ingrid and Lloyd assist police chief, Jo Thibadeau in her search for a missing girl.

 

Susan, her teenage daughter, Zoe, and her husband Ethan are gathering at his family’s summer cottage in Maine for the memorial of Ethan’s dad. Susan isn’t very comfortable with Ethan’s wealthy family, but she’ll put on a brave face for her husband. However, shortly after their arrival, Zoe doesn’t come home after spending the day with a local girl.

 

The police zero in on Luther, Maggie’s neighbor and friend, as the prime suspect.  

 

I loved The Spy Coast and so I was eager to dive into The Summer Guests. Maggie and the gang dive right in to help find Zoe and clear Luther’s name. In the last book Jo wasn’t too thrilled when The Martini Club (Maggie & friends) horned in on her investigation, but she’s more accepting of their help in this case. I was happy to see them on the same side and Jo slowly becoming one of the gang.

 

There were several red herrings that kept me on my toes! I was so worried about Zoe and whether she’d be found and felt Susan’s rising panic as the days went by! Ethan’s family was something else!

 

I alternately read and listened to the story, and I recommend either version. The audio version was a treat as Hillary Huber, one of my favorite narrators performs, enhancing the story, and bringing the characters to life!

4 Stars

Book Description:

From New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen comes a chilling follow-up to The Spy Coast, plunging the Martini Club into the search for a missing teen—with a startling connection to their own pasts.

When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.

Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.

After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.

Sunday Post #288

 

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.

I'm back from Montana! Travel delays on the way there made it so we didn't get in until 2:30 am. However, we had a great time with my daughter, SIL, grandkids and another family with kids. We went played games and went skiing. Unfortunately, I caught a virus and I'm now sick. Congested, achy and I just don't feel good. 

I didn't take hardly any pictures. It seems like we were busy and on the go so much I didn't think about it. I also didn't get much reading or blogging in. 

The cats were so happy when we came home last night.  They were meowing and running around. We have a house sitter, but I'm sure she doesn't dote on them like we do. Didn't get to bed until midnight. 

Starla

The weather is nice this weekend. It was high 50s today and we get high 60s tomorrow. I was going to plant a bunch of seeds outdoors today, but didn't feel good. My husband says he'll do it with me tomorrow. I can just sit and point, haha! 

I snapped a bunch of pictures while walking the property when I should've been resting. Blooming daffodils, primrose and cyclamen. I love spring flowers!

Daffodils we planted this last fall

Camellias

Primrose

More primrose and cyclamen

Read:

The Summer Guests (The Martini Club #2) by Tess Gerritsen-4 Stars

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley-2.5 Stars

The Body in the Library (Miss Marple #2) by Agatha Christie-3.5 Stars

Received:

I came home to a bunch of book mail (the best mail)!

The Seven O'Clock Club by Amelia Ireland

Our Last Wild Days by Anna Bailey

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton

Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

The Love We Found by Jill Santopolo

The Eights by Joanna Miller

Thank you to Berkley, Atria Books, G.P. Putnam's Sons, Harper Audio and Knopf Canada!

Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel (@wavesoffiction)

How was your week?

Sunday Post #287

 

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.

Not an eventful week. Just the usual and it snowed for three days. Our first for the season, which is kind of late in the year. I made sure to get my runs/walks in before the rain and snow started, so Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Most of it melted today. Smokey and Starla still went out and played! They romped around in the snow and then would rush back in. It was pretty cute. Peanut was content to watch their antics from the window while staying inside, warm and dry, haha.

The shoulder I injured a couple of years ago has been sore from working. I also managed to twist my neck on the same side. I'm giving both a rest as I'm not working much the next couple of weeks. 

We'll be leaving for Montana on Monday. I should be packing!

I worked another puzzle while listening to audiobooks:

Paper Boys by Charles Wysocki

Read:

(Click on cover to take you to Goodreads link)

The Underdog and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot #31) by Agatha Christie-4 Stars

All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman-3 Stars

Kills Well With Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2) by Deanna Raybourn 4.5 Stars

Loved revisiting Agatha Christie. Poirot uses his "little grey cells" to solve each of the cases. As usual, Poirot's little eccentricities and large ego (well earned) infuse the stories with humor! Kills Well With Others was a delight!

Received:

Thank you to Atria Books!

Instagram:

I won the first two books of The Edge series by Ilona Andrews from Anne @Books of My Heart! Thank you Anne! 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachel (@wavesoffiction)

How was your week?

Review: Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn

 

Kills Well With Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2) by Deanna Raybourn

Publication Date: March 4th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

After the events of the last book, Billie, Mary Alice, Helen and Natalie, our beloved sixty+ year-old deadly assassins, have been living a low-key life for the last year, until they get a call from The Museum’s director, Naomi. It seems some of their past files have been leaked and one operative has been murdered. Naomi tasks them with eliminating the threat while they also deal with a possible mole within.

 

The files leaked paints targets on their backs so they must hunt down the killer lest they be picked off one by one. Their mission takes them on a wild adventure across the globe, crossing the Atlantic to the UK and then all over Europe. It was a fun and exciting ride!

 

Billie narrates the story in the present and in the past, giving glimpses of the targets and missions in the past that may be part of the threat.

I love the idea of women still being vibrant and deadly in their 60s and these ladies are badass! They’re each other’s ride-or-die, but that didn’t stop some good-natured squabbling, and the banter cracked me up! Their disguises on the train were hilarious! Nula the chicken was priceless and stole the show! Not sure if we’ll get another mystery with these gals, but I’m so there if we do!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their rest, but the lack of excitement is starting to a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions before she gets the itch to get back in the game. When they receive a call from Naomi Ndiaye, the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, all of them connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster who rules her business empire with an iron fist and plays puppet master in international affairs. Naomi is convinced this criminal queen is bent upon revenge, killing off the agents who attempted to thwart her, and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster and her assassin. But their nemesis is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their experience and a whole lot of luck to get out of this mission alive.