Review: Death at the Highland Loch by Lydia Travers

 

Death at the Highland Loch (Lady Poppy Proudfoot #1) by Lydia Travers

Publication Date: May 19th 2025 by Bookouture

Pages: 350

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 21mins

Narrator: Sarah Barron

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Lady Poppy Proudfoot is at a midsummer party/stay at Lady Constance Balfour’s house in the Scottish Highlands. There’s a varied collection of guests at the estate, an American film producer and an actress, as well as Lady Balfour’s brother and wife. When a body is discovered on the property several of the guests brush it off as an accident, but it soon becomes apparent that it’s murder.  

 

Poppy decides she’d like to try and put her law degree to use and help solve the murder, much to the dismay of Detective McKenzie the man assigned to the case. Poppy’s also asked by Lady Balfour to discreetly track down a bracelet bought by her late husband that she’s unable to locate.

 

Death at the Highland Loch was a light cozy mystery with Poppy intent on solving both mysteries. She tries to be methodical in her approach, but it’s apparent she’s very green. I admired her determination and pluck, even if it stretched believability. Detective McKenzie humored Poppy’s attempts at detecting which I found a bit unrealistic, but it made for an entertaining way to see these two spark off of each other and lay the foundation for a potential romance.

 

I alternately listened to and read an audio and e-copy of Death at the Highland Loch. I thought Sarah Barron did well with the various accents, but she dragged out words making some of the characters sound a bit overly dramatic, IMO. Still, it was an enjoyable listen. 

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

Move over, Inspector! Lady Poppy Proudfoot is here to solve her very first case.

Scotland, 1924: When Lady Poppy Proudfoot travels to the Highlands for a midsummer party, the last thing she and her fellow guests expect is for a body to wash up beside the loch.

Despite protests that it could have been an accident, Poppy is convinced it’s murder and decides to dust off her law degree and hunt for clues. But when the police arrive, the grumpy Inspector MacKenzie dismisses her evidence, insisting a crime scene is no place for a Lady. The nerve!

With the help of her trusted Labrador, Major, Poppy begins to unpick the case. But she soon has two mysteries to solve, as her host Lady Constance Balfour claims a diamond and emerald bracelet has been stolen. Could the two cases be linked? Was it Freddy the footman, a favourite of her ladyship? Or American actress Miss Cornett, with a keen eye for jewels? Or with such a dazzling guestlist, was someone from the local village tempted into the grounds by the party?

When a woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Poppy is attacked, she realizes that someone wants her off the case. Someone connected to Balfour House is a murderer and a thief, but who? And can Poppy solve the mystery before she, too, washes up beside the loch?

A warm, unputdownable page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.

Author Bio:

 

Lydia Travers was born in London.  She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.

Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird's Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers' Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers' Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.

Connect with Lydia Travers:

Facebook | Twitter

Review: A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper

 

A Proposal to Die For by Molly Harper

Publication Date: April 8th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 343

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Jessamine Bricker organizes unique proposals, and her business is doing well. However, her apartment along with its office space is about to be sold and rent in Nashville could put her under. So, when Diana, an acquaintance from high school, wants to hire her so that her boyfriend, Trenton Tillard the Fourth, can get his proposal right she reluctantly agrees. Jess would rather have said no since Diana was part of the mean-girl crowd, but the money could give her the down payment she needs to buy the building.

 

Trenton decides he wants a destination proposal and so they head up to the Golden Ash, a remote Appalachia spa. The place is beautiful and luxurious with private villas and spa treatments, but Diana and her wedding planner are less than desirable company. Diana is a lot of drama and then to add to Jess’s troubles, she discovers one of the guests dead on the property. Was it an accident or murder? Is Jess or her party in danger?

 

Jess sets about doing some amateur sleuthing while tending to Diana’s never-ending drama. Along the way she makes friends with the Osbournes, the family that runs the spa. Jess ends up running into Dean Osbourne, the brilliant but prickly chef over and over.

 

A Proposal to Die For was an entertaining cozy mystery with Molly Harper’s signature fun shenanigans, but I was a little frustrated with Jess in parts. I wish she would’ve stood up for herself with Diana more, taken less risks and been less dense in the end. Still, things wrap up satisfyingly and there was even a bit of romance that made me smile. 

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a marriage proposal planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two).

Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingency plans and pros-and-cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rent costs rising at her office building, Jess jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard…the Fourth.

Roped into joining Diana’s ”pre-bridal” retreat at the exclusive Golden Ash resort, Jess hopes to fade into the background, get some work done, and maybe find some time to unwind. Their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the mountain spa’s lack of cell phone reception, the couple next door argues constantly, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she’s warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie?

As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she spends more and more time with the resort owners, finding herself much more in tune with the laid-back Osbourne family than her social climbing “boss.” Between a meditation garden-related drowning and Jess’s discovery of a body in a sauna, it's clear that deadly secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it’s up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains—before all her plans are cancelled…permanently.

Review: The Page Turner by Viola Shipman

 

The Page Turner by Viola Shipman

Publication Date: March 4th 2025 by Graydon House & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 49mins

Narrators: Katharine Chin

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Emma Page and her family’s lives center around books, however in very different ways. Emma’s parents own The Mighty Page, a publishing house dedicated to elevated “literary” books, while Emma loves the feel-good romances introduced by her late grandmother. Her sister, Jenna, is a powerful book influencer paid to push books she hardly even reads anymore.

 

Emma has written a book, but it’s the kind of mainstream, women’s fiction her parents wouldn’t consider publishing. When her parents announce a business collaboration with a best-selling author Emma despises, she’s threatened by him and put in a tough position.

 

I really enjoyed seeing Emma reconnect with her sister while uncovering some of their family secrets. I loved how they banded together to take down a vile man! Emma’s parents weren’t very likeable in the beginning, mostly her mother, but I understood her better by the end with some backstory revealed.  

 

The Page Turner took a little to get into, with a lot of commentary on the publishing world and some of the narrow views on what constitutes quality reading, but it shaped up to be a feel-good story!  I was also moved by the author’s note on what inspired his story.

 

I enjoyed Katharine Chin’s narration, and I thought she did well with both male and female voices. I listened at 1.75x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

A young romance writer makes a discovery that throws her elitist family into chaos.

Emma Page grew up the black sheep in a bookish household, raised to believe fine literature is the only worthy type of fiction. Her parents, self-proclaimed “serious” authors who run their own vanity press, The Mighty Pages, mingle in highbrow social circles that look down on anything too popular or mainstream, while her sister, Jess, is a powerful social-media influencer whose stylish reviews can make or break a novel.

Hiding her own romance manuscript from her disapproving parents, Emma finds inspiration at the family cottage among the “fluff” they despise: the juicy summer romances that belonged to her late grandmother. But a chance discovery unearthed from her Gigi’s belongings reveals a secret that has the power to ruin her parents’ business and destroy their reputation in the industry—a secret that has already fallen into the hands of an unscrupulous publishing insider with a grudge to settle. Now Emma must decide: As much as she’s dreamed of the day her parents are forced to confront their own egos, can she really just sit back and watch The Mighty Pages be exposed and their legacy destroyed?

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 Lost House by Melissa Larsen

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen

Publication Date: January 14th 2025 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 59min

Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Agnes has traveled from California to Iceland to meet with a true crime podcaster covering the unsolved murder of her grandmother and aunt, forty years earlier. Her stoic grandfather was convicted by public opinion, but he fled with Agnes’ father to the US before anything could come of it.

 

Agnes loved her grandfather, closer to him than her father, and is still grieving his loss. She can’t imagine he’d kill his wife and baby daughter, so she hopes to clear his name with the investigation. However, as the details of her grandfather and grandmother’s life emerge Agnes starts to realize how little she knew of them.

 

Then there’s a new case of a missing girl that is somehow tangled up in all of it.

 

Agnes was a complicated character dealing with issues besides the mystery of her grandmother’s murder.  Still healing from an accident she barely survived and reliant on painkillers. I felt that she took a lot of unnecessary risks trapsing about in the cold countryside when she still had so much trouble walking. Also, not letting anyone know where she was going half the time or having a properly working phone, but I guess that fit with where she was in her life mentally.

 

Iceland was described vividly, cold, stark and beautiful, almost a character on its own!

The Lost House was an atmospheric and compelling mystery. Engrossing but slow going at first. I feel like things didn’t really take off in pace until after the 50% mark.

 

I alternately read and listened to The Lost House narrated by the talented Saskia Maarleveld. I’ve enjoyed her performances immensely and she did a wonderful job with both male and female voices and giving a subtle Icelandic accent where appropriate. I recommend either version!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

In Melissa Larsen's The Lost House comes the mesmerizing story of a young woman with a haunting past who returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family.

Forty years ago, a young woman and her infant daughter were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping. Except the mother’s throat had been slashed and the infant drowned. The case was never solved. There were no arrests, no conviction. Just a suspicion turned into a the husband did it. When he took his son and fled halfway across the world to California, it was proof enough of his guilt.

Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather’s name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life—which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver’s invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes’s father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.

Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora’s investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life—discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.

Set against an unforgiving Icelandic winter landscape, The Lost House is a chilling and razor-sharp thriller packed with jaw-dropping twists that will leave you breathless.

 

Audiobook Review: The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

 

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak

Publication Date: October 8th 2024 by Macmillan Audio

Pages: 352

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 14min

Narrator: John Pirhalla

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

From the surface it seems like Frank’s daughter, Maggie, is marrying into a fairytale. Her fiancé, Aiden Gardner, is the son of a famous billionaire, and she says she’s in love, but as the date grows closer Frank the more things unsettle him. Frank finds out something troubling about Aiden’s recent dating past.  Maggie brushes things off. Things get stranger when Frank gets to Osprey Cove, a sprawling forest estate with cabins and a private lake. The luxuries are astounding, and the security raises questions. Not even his sister Tammy and her foster daughter, Abigail, who’ve tagged along, can put him at ease.

 

Told in first person from Frank’s perspective, you feel a growing unease as Maggie’s nuptials draw close, but at every turn there’s a convenient explanation. Maggie doesn’t seem keen to make time for her father. I was not thrilled with a lot of the characters.

 

The Last One at the Wedding was entertaining and held my attention, but it was an odd mystery. Reactions didn’t make sense to me. There’s a surprise twist that turned everything around.  The story makes you question: what would you do to protect your child? It seems Frank would do a lot.

 

I listened to an audio copy, and I thought John Pirhalla captured Frank’s everyday guy, protective dad persona wonderfully, but he did a great job with all the characters male and female and a variety of accents. He definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

From the bestselling author of Hidden Pictures comes a breathtaking work of suspense about a father trying to save his daughter from a life-altering decision that will put everything he loves on the line.

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.

Review: The Scenic Route by Katie Ruggle

 

The Scenic Route (Beneath the Wild Sky #1) by Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: July 30th 2024 by Sourcebooks Casablanca

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

I was excited when I figured out The Scenic Route revisits and continues the bounty hunting Pax sisters’ story from Katie Ruggle’s Rocky Mountain Bounty Hunters series! This one centers on Felicity Pax and a PI Bennett Green sent to find the necklace that their mother stole, however they end up chasing after a “skip” that takes them to Simpson, Colorado. This town is well known to Ruggle’s fans as it’s the setting for her Search and Rescue books. The past couples, (Lou and Callum, Ellie and George, Daisy and Chris, Rory and Ian), of that series factor in heavily to the story and it was fun “hanging out” with the old gang again!

 

Felicity and Bennett’s romance was a little insta-lovey but understandable with them thrown together while trying to find and apprehend her bail jumper.

 

The Scenic Route was fun with silly hijinks! I’d say this was more of an action romance than a mystery. I look forward to Nora’s story next!

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

Why date a mountain man? Because climbing him will leave you breathless.

Felicity Pax loves her job. She craves excitement, and being a bounty hunter gives her that in spades. So when her estranged mother disappears with a small fortune in tow, Felicity chases her like she would any other skip. Too bad she didn't barter on having increasingly infuriating (and infuriatingly hot) PI Bennett Green on her tail.

Bennett's got a job to do, and if that means shadowing Felicity…well…he's had worse assignments. Even if he's 99% sure the increasingly intriguing bounty hunter is leading him on a wild goose chase through the Rockies.

If she has to drag her PI tail through endless quirky mountain towns in order to shake him, that's what she's determined to do…but it isn't long before Felicity's intended distraction turns up a mystery worth solving—and Bennett becomes the unexpected partner she never realized she needed. As things heat up, Felicity will have to decide what's most important to staying one step ahead of the "enemy" or giving herself freedom to experience the adventure of a lifetime.

The Rocky Mountains get unBEARably hot in Katie Ruggle's brand-new series packed with adventure, action, tall dark & scruffy heroes, and a sense of quirky humor that will be your next perfect escape.

Review: The Burning by Linda Castillo

 

The Burning (Kate Burkholder #16) by Linda Castillo

Publication Date: July 9th 2024 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 31min

Narrator: Kathleen McInerney

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Kate is called to a grisly murder, a man burned at the stake. As Kate investigates, she finds a lot of potential suspects due to the victim's background. Unfortunately, one of the connections is personal to Kate and a BCI Agent makes waves about her being biased. Tomasetti is also brought into this complicated case.

 

The town of Painters Mill is a small one, so Kate is a very hands-on Chief of Police, investigating suspects and following up on leads right along with her officers. I really like Kate and her officers: Glock, Mona, Skid, and Pickles. They’re a good team, more than just work colleagues.

I was addicted from page one, but man Kate made several TSTL decisions that were completely frustrating! It’s hard to believe a seasoned police chief making such stupid and rash decisions, especially when she keeps getting her ass handed to her!

The Burning is book sixteen in the Kate Burkholder series, but could be read as a standalone. Each book focuses on a case that’s solved by the end. There is the romance between Kate and Tomasetti that begins in book one. I read the first two books in the series and then skipped ahead to book fifteen and sixteen, but I’d like to go back and work my way through the rest of the books at some point.

I’ve listened to the series from the start and really enjoyed Kathleen McInerney’s performance! Her accents and performance of Deitsch accents are well done. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Book Description

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history in this new installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

Newlywed Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is awakened by an urgent midnight call summoning her to a suspicious fire in the woods. When she arrives at the scene, she discovers a charred body. According to the coroner, the deceased, an Amish man named Milan Swanz, was chained to a stake and burned alive. It is an appalling and eerily symbolic crime against an upstanding husband and father.

Kate knows all too well that the Amish prefer to handle their problems without interference from the outside world, and no one will speak about the murdered man. From what she’s able to piece together, Swanz led a deeply troubled life and had recently been excommunicated. But if that’s the case, why are the Amish so reluctant to talk about him? Are they protecting the memory of one of their own? Or are they afraid of something they dare not share?

When her own brother is implicated in the case, Kate finds herself not only at odds with the Amish, the world of which she was once a part, but also the English community and her counterparts in law enforcement. The investigation takes a violent turn when Kate’s life is threatened by a mysterious stranger.

To uncover the truth about the death of Milan Swanz, Kate must dive deep into the Anabaptist culture, peering into all the dark corners of its history, only to uncover a secret legacy that shatters everything she thought she knew about the Amish themselves―and her own roots.

 

Review: Storm Warning by David Bell

 

Storm Warning by David Bell

Publication Date: June 25th 2024 by Berkley

Pages: 364

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Jake Powell is heading off Ketchum Island, Florida to move back home to Ohio. Hurricane Kylie is bearing down so he’s trying to beat the storm. As he bids farewell to his friends in the apartment building Jake finds his friend Dallas, the building manager, dead on the floor, clearly murdered. From there it’s a fight for survival as Jake and the residents battle dangers from the storm and from the unknown killer.

 

Storm Warning was a page-turning, action-packed read, but a little one dimensional in characterization. Some of Jake’s decisions defied logic, IMO, but faced with the same chaos, I wonder if I’d handle things any better. I would’ve liked more meat to the mystery, like more potential motives from the characters forced to try and survive together.  Still, I do enjoy a good battling-the-elements kind of thriller and the story was a quick, entertaining read! 

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

A man living on a Florida barrier island must protect his family from both an approaching hurricane and a relentless killer.

Jake Powell is racing to get off the island as a powerful hurricane approaches. When he finds his best friend Dallas, the building manager, dead from a blow to the skull, Jake realizes there’s more than the storm to fear. There’s a murderer on the island, maybe even still inside the nearly abandoned building.

Dallas had repeatedly run afoul of the wealthy owners of the building by complaining about code violations and the precarious state of the condos. But he’d also once told Jake that every resident had a secret they’d come to Florida to escape. Had one of them killed to conceal their sins? As a dozen people shelter together in hopes of surviving the deadly hurricane, a second murder makes it all too clear: one of them is a dangerous killer.

Review: The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

 

The Trail of Lost Hearts by Tracey Garvis Graves

Publication Date: March 26th 2024 by Macmillan Audio & St. Martin's Press

Pages: 304

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 52min

Narrator: Kate Handford & Eric Meyers

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Wren and Marshall have each had shock and heartbreak they’re trying to get over and they randomly meet on a trail in Oregon while both geocaching.  Their paths converge in a dramatic way, and they decide to team up for the remainder of their vacation. They bond over and soothe the heartbreak they’ve suffered. They have chemistry and end up falling hard, but the timing is tricky.

The Trail of Lost Hearts started with a bang and had me so frightened for Wren at the beginning! I was enraged by the event, and I feel exactly the same way: A woman SHOULD be able to hike alone without worrying about being in danger! Men do not have this worry and it’s so unfair! I love hiking and have hiked a lot of trails in Oregon, so the setting at the beginning reminded me of all the beautiful scenery! The idea of geocaching, something I’ve never tried, sounds like a lot of fun!

I was in love with this story until I hit the 60% mark. Then it took a turn I wasn’t thrilled about.

I would've enjoyed it more if Highlight for spoiler (I tried to keep it vague still): Marshall was responsible for the surprise situation Wren found herself in. Also, I wasn't thrilled with Wren marching out to New York to inform the widow of what happened. Why not leave the poor woman alone? At least give it some time for hurt to diminish before adding to what must have been a horrible shock on so many levels. I get why Wren wanted it out there, but like I said, maybe wait a while? I would've said the same thing as Shayla said when she answered the door to Wren: "Are you fucking kidding me?!" End of spoiler

Just felt like a lot of messy drama added on to a story I was really enjoying. I will say that I finished the book in one day. It was one I couldn’t put down.

I alternately read and listened to the story. Kate Hanford did a wonderful job performing both female and male voices. She had a steady, calm voice that fit right in with Wren taking all the hits while remaining calm and clear headed. It was a nice feature to have Eric Meyers read his emails and texts to Wren. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves takes readers on a life affirming journey, where two lost souls find the unexpected courage to love again.

Thirty-four-year-old Wren Waters believes that if you pay attention, the universe will send you exactly what you need. But her worldview shatters when the universe delivers two life-altering blows she didn’t see coming, and all she wants to do is put the whole heartbreaking mess behind her. No one is more surprised than Wren when she discovers that geocaching―the outdoor activity of using GPS to look for hidden objects―is the only thing getting her out of bed and out of her head. She decides that a weeklong solo quest geocaching in Oregon is exactly what she needs to take back control of her life.

Enter Marshall Hendricks, a psychologist searching for distraction as he struggles with a life-altering blow of his own. Though Wren initially rebuffs Marshall’s attempt at hiker small talk, she’s beyond grateful when he rescues her from a horrifying encounter farther down the trail. In the interest of safety, Marshall suggests partnering up to look for additional caches. Wren’s no longer quite so trusting of the universe―or men in general―but her inner circle might argue that a smart, charismatic psychologist isn’t the worst thing the universe could place in her path.

What begins as a platonic road trip gradually blossoms into something deeper, and the more Wren learns about Marshall, the more she wants to know. Now all she can do is hope that the universe gets it right this time.

Mini Reviews: The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley and Good Girls Don't Die

The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley by Courtney Walsh

Publication Date: June 13th 2023 by Thomas Nelson

Pages: 358

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 2min

Narrator: Jorjeana Marie

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

At thirty, Isadora’s life is bland and far from happy. So when she spies a magazine article proclaiming “31 Ways to Be Happy (Today!)”, as an academic researcher she feels she can debunk this ridiculousness. However, as she starts trying out the suggestions in the name of science, it forces her to open up to others and she finds her life changing. Isadora was hurt badly in the past which ultimately led to her being guarded, her life stagnant, so I was thrilled seeing her start to embrace life and happiness, making friends, and finding love along the way! Isadora’s journey was of self-discovery and healing. This was such an uplifting story with a sweet romance as icing on the cake! 

The audio was excellent! Jorjeana Marie's performance breathed life into the characters and definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. 

4.5 Stars

Good Girls Don't Die by Christina Henry

Publication Date: November 14th 2023 by Berkley & Penguin Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 31min

Narrator: Lisa Flanagan

Source: Publisher & Library lend audio

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

There are three stories, with three different women: Celia wakes up as a wife, mother, and restaurant owner, but doesn’t remember any of it.  

Allie is supposed to get away with her two besties to celebrate her birthday, but plans change when one of the boyfriends (total jerk!) hijacks the trip and takes them to a secluded cabin out in the woods.

Maggie wakes up with several other women forced to participate in deadly competitions.

All three stories connect by the end.

Good Girls Don’t Die had a kind of Twilight Zone vibe. Wished there was a little more to the ending other than that abrupt one, but I was happy with how it turned out for the most part. 

Lisa Flannagan's audio performance was excellent. Sort of reminded me of Lorelei King, one of my favs! I listened at 1.5x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Review: Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese

 

Better Hate than Never (Wilmot Sisters #2) by Chloe Liese

Publication Date: October 10th 2023 by Berkley

Pages: 360

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Enemies-to-lovers can be a tricky romance trope. It’s hard to wipe out the negative if the characters are super hateful to each other, but I didn’t think Christopher or Kate crossed over the line. They were more in the habit of being contrary to each other, each for different reasons. Kate lashed out, because she felt hurt and rejected by Christopher over and over, and Christopher wanted to keep her at arm’s length, to counteract his attraction to her. He had no idea that his words and actions truly hurt Kate’s feelings.

I can’t write this without mentioning the absolutely yummy sounding doughnuts in the story! Sentences like this: “tart apples and cinnamon, pumpkin and pungent nutmeg, warm vanilla and rich maple syrup” made me crave a doughnut or five, and that wasn’t the only batch mentioned!

Better Hate than Never was a fun reimagining of Taming the Shrew. Ten Things I Hate About You is one of my all-time favorite movies and there’s a few nods to the film in the story. I liked that there was no over-the-top, last-minute drama once Kate and Christopher sorted out their adversarial relationship and acknowledged their sizzling chemistry. Chloe Liese built the tension between these two which resulted in some hot stuff! I loved the family connections and support as well.

 4 Stars

Book Description:

Childhood enemies discover the fine line between love and loathing in this heartfelt reimagining of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew.

Katerina Wilmot and Christopher Petruchio shared backyards as kids, but as adults they won't even share the same hemisphere. That is, until Kate makes a rare visit home, and their fiery animosity rekindles into a raging inferno.

Despite their friends' and families' pleas for peace, Christopher is unconvinced Kate would willingly douse the flames of their enmity. But when a drunken Kate confesses she's only been hostile because she thought he hated her, Christopher vows to make peace with Kate once and for all. Tempting as it is to be swept away by her nemesis-turned-gentleman, Kate isn't sure she can trust his charming good-guy act.

When Christopher's persistence and Kate’s curiosity lead to an impassioned kiss, they realize "peace" is the last thing that will ever be possible between them. As desire gives way to deeper feelings, Kate and Christopher must decide if it’s truly better to hate than to never risk their hearts—or if they already gave them away long ago.