Final Check-in 2023 Challenges & 2024 Sign-ups

 Hope everyone is doing well! I'm out in the Sequoia National Forrest with family but just saw I need to do my wrap-up/final check in for my challenges this year. 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 The 100 Club Audiobook Addict. I surpassed my goal of 100 book with a total of 133. Some of my favorites:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

This year I'll sign up for 125-150 books: I Can't Hear You (earbuds are always in):

The challenge is again hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer  again & That's What I'm Taking About. Click HERE if you want to see about signing up, too.

Library Love Challenge is hosted by Anne @Books of My Heart and Angel's Book Nook. You can sign up for the 2024 Challenge HERE.  

I signed up for Overdrive Junkie 36 Books: I also surpassed this goal with 68 books read. 

This year I'll sign up for:

Library Card on Fire 60+ Books

Some of my favorites:

Bookish Books Reading Challenge is hosted by Susan @Blogginboutbooks. 

I went conservative with Picking and Perusing: 10-20 Books. I made my goal with 12 books. 

Here's some of my favorites:

And my final one was Goodreads. I surpassed my goad of 125 books reading 186, so I'll increase that goal too. Maybe I'll do 175?

So that's all my goals. 

How did you do on all your challenges? 

Mini-Review: The Takedown by Carlie Walker

 

The Takedown by Carlie Walker

Publication Date: October 3rd 2023 by Berkley Romance

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher & Library audiobook

Rating: ★★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed The Takedown! I had put it aside after starting a while back, realizing I wasn’t in the mood for the story, but it hit me just right this time around!

CIA Agent, Sydney is back home to catch a crime lord with the perfect cover since her sister is about to marry him! Johnny, the sister’s fiancé seems like a good guy on the surface, but quickly reveals his smarmy side. Nick, Johnny’s best man and bodyguard is nothing more than a way to get closer to her target. Or is he?

I loved seeing Sydney reconnect with her sister and grandmother after holding herself back from any relationships. Past grief and abandonment had made home a painful place.  Nick was a sweetheart, and their romance was a wonderful slow-burn, built by sharing pieces of each other, and getting close. Just the right amount of tasteful sexy times without overwhelming the plot. A cute rescue dog named Sweetie Pie, holiday fun, a bit of action/danger round out the story to make it a winning read! Loved the winter wonderland setting of Maine, too!

4.5 Stars

One thing I wasn't a big fan of was the cover. I like this one more:

Which is your favorite?

Book Description:

An undercover CIA agent is sent home to investigate her sister's criminal fiancé but the last thing she expects is to fall in love with his bodyguard along the way in this sexy romantic comedy.

It’s been a long time since Sydney Swift has gone home. An unrelentingly successful CIA field officer, she has spent the last three years pretending to be someone — anyone — other than herself.

But this year, the festive season is coming with some added surprises. Sydney’s beloved little sister has just announced that she’s engaged to Johnny Jones, the heir of an organized crime dynasty. With her built-in cover and her best-in-class reputation, Sydney is approached by the FBI as their way to infiltrate the Jones family at last.

Sydney has until Christmas to gather enough evidence on Johnny to take him down before he pulls off his most dangerous heist yet, all without losing her sister forever. But she hasn’t counted on the challenge of pulling this off right under her family’s nose or the complications of a romantic entanglement with Johnny’s handsome friend and bodyguard, Nick. Sydney always gets her man — but this time love is a target she can’t afford to miss.

Review: Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

 

Do Your Worst by Rosie Danan

Publication Date: November 14th 2023 by Berkley 

Pages: 317

Source: Publisher & library audio copy

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Riley, like her grandmother before, has a knack for breaking curses. She enjoys the work and wants to carry on the family tradition. She’s finally found a way to make a living at it, slowly building a reputation, which leads to a job in Scotland breaking a curse plaguing Arden Castle for the last 300 years. A development company bought the property to turn it into a vacation destination, revitalizing the small town of Torridon with the tourists it would bring, but the curse has been hampering their progress.

When she arrives in Scotland, Riley meets Clark, an English archaeologist, hitting it off with him immediately, their attraction quick and intense. Until Riley discovers that Clark is also working at Arden Castle and he accuses her of being a charlatan, recommending she be fired immediately. Not surprisingly, this does not go over well, and the fight is on between Clark and Riley.

The enemies-to-lovers trope can be a tricky one to balance. If the “enemy” portion is taken too far then it can be hard to make it believable that the couple would forgive and then fall in love. I didn’t feel Clark and Riley crossed the line here. I felt like they wanted to be able to keep up the hate, but just couldn’t as they recognized all the good qualities in each other. Plus, they were smoking hot together! This romance was spicy! I was also pleased that there wasn’t any third act breakup!

I really enjoyed Do Your Worst! I liked the unique story line of curse breaking and I liked how Riley went about it, investigating the origin and then narrowing down the remedy. It was a little mystery within the romance. The history of how her grandmother got into curse breaking was interesting, too.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Sparks fly when an occult expert and a disgraced archeologist become enemies-with-benefits in this steamy romance.

Riley Rhodes finally has the chance to turn her family’s knack for the supernatural into a legitimate business when she’s hired to break the curse on an infamous Scottish castle. Used to working alone in her alienating occupation, she's pleasantly surprised to meet a handsome stranger upon arrival—until he tries to get her fired.

Fresh off a professional scandal, Clark Edgeware can’t allow a self-proclaimed “curse breaker” to threaten his last chance for redemption. After he fails to get Riley kicked off his survey site, he vows to avoid her. Unfortunately for him, she vows to get even.

Riley expects the curse to do her dirty work by driving Clark away, but instead, they keep finding themselves in close proximity. Too close. Turns out, the only thing they do better than fight is fool around. If they’re not careful, by the end of all this, more than the castle will end up in ruins.

Audiobook Review: Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

 

Christmas Presents by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: October 24th 2023 by HighBridge/Recorded Books 

Pages: 260

Audio Book Length: 5hrs 39min

Narrator: Jennifer Pickens

Source: Library

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Independent bookstore owner Madeline survived a brutal attack, but her friends weren’t so lucky. They caught her attacker, but Harley Granger, a famous true crime writer/podcaster is in town asking questions. Is Madeline sure Evan acted alone? When a new girl goes missing, Madeline isn’t so sure.

I really enjoyed this mystery and even though I narrowed down the list of suspects, I wasn’t absolutely sure until the end! This is my first time reading Lisa Unger, but won’t be my last!

Three POVs: Madeline, Harley and the new missing girl. I enjoyed all three. Would love more books featuring Harley in more cases!

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed Jennifer Pickens’ performance of both male and female voices. Would definitely listen to her again. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed. The audio is on the shorter side: 5hrs 39min so it’s a fast, exciting listen!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Instead of presents this Christmas, a true crime podcaster is opening up a cold case…

Madeline Martin has built a life for herself as the young owner of a thriving business, The Next Chapter Bookshop, despite her tragic childhood and now needing to care for her infirm father. When Harley Granger, a failed novelist turned true crime podcaster, drifts into her shop in the days before Christmas, he seems intent on digging up events that Madeline would much rather forget. She’s the only surviving victim of Evan Handy, the man who was convicted of murdering her best friend Steph, and is suspected in the disappearance of two sisters, also good friends of Madeline’s, who have been missing for nearly a decade. It’s an investigation that has obsessed her father Sheriff James Martin right up until his stroke took his faculties.

Harley Granger has a gift for seeing things that others miss. He wasn’t much of a novelist, but his work as a true crime author and podcaster has earned him fame and wealth—and some serious criticism for his various unethical practices. Still, visiting Little Valley to be closer to his dying father has caused him to look into a case that many people think is closed—and some want reopened. And he has a lot of questions about the night Stephanie Cramer was killed, Ainsley and Sam Wallace disappeared, and Madeline Martin was left for dead, bleeding out on a riverbank.

Since Evan Handy went to jail, three other young women have gone missing, most recently a young college dropout named Lolly. Five young women missing in the same area in a decade. Are they connected? Was Evan Handy innocent after all? Or was there some else there that night? Someone who is still satisfying his dark appetites?

As Christmas approaches and a blizzard bears down, Madeline and her childhood friend Badger return to a past they both hoped was dead—to find the missing Lolly and to answer questions that have haunted them both, discovering that the truth is more terrible and much closer to home than they think.

Coupling a picturesque, cozy setting with a deeply unsettling suspenseful plot, Christmas Presents is a chilling seasonal novella that can be enjoyed all year long.

Review: The Ex-Max Holidays by Zoe Allison

 

The Ex-Mas Holidays by Zoe Allison

Publication Date: September 26th 2023 by Berkley & Penguin Audio

Pages: 400

Audio Book Length: 10hrs 58min

Narrator: Nikki Massoud

Source: Publisher & library audiobook

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

The Ex-Mas Holidays was a sweet second chance romance!  Despite having miscommunication as the original source of conflict and the fact that Sam has a girlfriend for two-thirds of the book, I whole-heartedly enjoyed it! The author weaved a compelling story, and it was easy to like and relate to Sam and Maya.  Their interactions were as reluctant friends, both wary because of what they thought happened in the past. As they get to know each other again, the events from the past don’t seem to fit, and so they start to question what really happened. I was invested in seeing Sam and Maya sort out the past and work their way back to each other.  

I loved the support they provided for each other, and the awesome friends that also helped guide them! Both needed it as they faced their own separate issues. Sam with a toxic girlfriend, gaslighting him and undermining his confidence. Maya’s parents loved her, but her father had very set ideas about the career path Maya should take. He considered the job that brought her joy beneath her, and Maya had a hard time disappointing him.

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy, and I recommend either version. Nikki Massoud’s wonderful performance enhanced my enjoyment.  I loved her Scottish accent! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.  

4 Stars

Book Description:

It’s hard to escape your ex when you’re working together over Christmas in the Scottish Highlands, but being stuck together might be the best possible present in this sparkling new contemporary romance.
 
Maya Bashir is dreading her drive home for Christmas and having to explain that she's just left her high-paying job and a long-term relationship, so a brief detour to her friend’s festive party doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. Until Maya walks in to find the last person she wants to see. Sam, the boy who broke her heart eight years ago. And he’s serving drinks. Naked.
 
Sam Holland is working an extra job on the sly to help his friend get by. But little did he expect Maya Bashir to come barrelling back into his life, learning about his secret side-hustle and taking back her old job alongside him at his daytime role as a ski instructor on the slopes of the Scottish Highlands.
 
As both Sam and Maya realize that their reason for heartbreak so many years ago wasn’t entirely as it seemed, they must learn to stand up for what they want the most…or else miss their second chance at love.

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.

Review: Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

 

Christmas at the Shelter Inn by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: October 3rd 2023 by Canary Street Press

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Natalie has come back to her hometown of Shelter Springs, Idaho after her sister, McKenna, sent out an SOS when she's ordered on bedrest having a high-risk pregnancy. McKenna needs help with her two young daughters and the Shelter Springs Inn, the Inn her parents ran. Natalie has stayed away from Shelter Springs most of her adult life since it holds memories of grief and abandonment. Her mother died when she was just sixteen and her father took off soon after, just when she needed him most leaving her in the care of an aunt.

As soon as Natalie graduated, she took on jobs all over the world as a house sitter, feeding a drive to travel after growing up at the Shelter Springs Inn, watching others enjoy their vacations staying at the inn and while their family couldn't leave. Yet now coming back she realizes all she’s been missing. Family, friends, a sense of community.  Also, there’s Griffin Taylor, her best friend’s older, handsome brother who seems to be there every time she needs a helping hand. Her feelings for him grow the more time they spend together.

I related so much to Natalie, especially regarding her relationship with her father. Yes, he was grieving, but he really hurt Natalie with his abandonment. Still, I couldn’t help but feel for him, too, because he lost his wife. I loved how Natalie couldn't help but become attached to all these wonderful people, her sister and nieces and of course, Griffin! 

Christmas at the Shelter Inn was more than a romance, it was a story about healing, forgiveness, family, and community. I adored this uplifting story!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Come home to Shelter Springs this Christmas, where hearts are warm and hopes are bright…

Growing up at the Shelter Inn hotel, Natalie Shepherd envied guests who could come and go as they pleased. So when it was time to finally leave for college and put the lush green mountains around Shelter Springs—along with the cloud of loss that seemed to follow her family—behind her, she swore she’d never come back. But now her sister McKenna needs a favor. On pregnancy bed rest at doctor’s orders, McKenna needs a helping hand with her two young daughters and someone to take over the inn during the hectic holiday season, and Nat can’t refuse. And just when things can’t get worse, she runs into her late brother’s best friend, Griffin Taylor…

Griff has mixed feelings about Natalie’s return. She’s just as beautiful and full of life as he remembered, but there’s a secret he’s carried for years about her brother—and the guilt is eating away at him. Still, Christmas in this small town is filled with treasured traditions and new adventures that hold the promise of something sweet and lasting. From matchmaking seniors to rambunctious nieces, it seems everyone is hoping Nat and Griff will put loss behind them and find a happy new beginning…

Review: The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves

 

The Raging Storm (Two Rivers #3) by Ann Cleeves

Publication Date: September 5th 2023 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 383

Source: Publisher & Library audio

Rating: ★★★½

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

My Thoughts:

Detective Inspector Matthew Venn and his team investigate the murder of a sailing adventurer, his body discovered on a dinghy anchored in an infamous cove in Greystone. The past figures heavily into solving the case and the team interview many of the locals trying to figure out who would want Jem Roscoe dead. Venn has some history with Greystone as a lot from the strict religious organization he was raised in resides there.

I liked Venn and his thought processes, as well as Jen, one of his investigators, who had a knack for getting information out of people. Wasn’t a big fan of Ross, who seemed selfish and immature, always in competition with Jen instead of focusing on the investigation.

The Raging Storm was an entertaining police/crime procedural, but the pacing was a bit slow.  Even so it held my attention enough to want to find out who did it and finish the story. The author excelled at bringing the stark, cold setting of Greystone to life. Very atmospheric.

I didn’t read the previous books, but I didn’t feel like I missed anything crucial, and this was a stand-alone mystery solved in this installment by the end.  

I alternated between an audio and e-copy. Jack Holden’s narration was excellent! I enjoyed his voice/accent and his performance enhanced my enjoyment. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

3.5 Stars

Book Description:

Ann Cleeves—New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows—returns with The Raging Storm, the extraordinary third installment in the Matthew Venn series.

Fierce winds, dark secrets, deadly intentions.

When Jem Rosco—sailor, adventurer, and legend—blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. But just as abruptly as he arrived, Rosco disappears again, and soon his lifeless body is discovered in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove, a place with legends of its own.

This is an uncomfortable case for Detective Inspector Matthew Venn. Greystone is a place he visited as a child, a community he parted ways with. Superstition and rumor mix with fact as another body is found, and Venn finds his judgment clouded.

As the winds howl, and Venn and his team investigate, he realizes that no one, including himself, is safe from Scully Cove’s storm of dark secrets.

Review: Burning Justice by Tee O'Fallon

 

Burning Justice (K-9 Special Ops #2) by Tee O'Fallon

Publication Date: August 22nd 2023 by Entangled Amara

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

ATF Agent, Brett Tanner is called into investigate a suspicious fire and runs into Gemma Scott, with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, also working the case. Brett and Gemma think that the fire is connected to a string of prior fires and reluctantly team up, pooling sources to solve the mystery and bring the criminals to justice.

Brett has personal reasons behind his dogged determination to catch the bad guy(s) and suffers PTSD from his history.

Gemma’s been burned by an ambitious co-worker who stole her past case and claimed it as his own accomplishment. Since then, she’s been wary about taking on any partners, but Brett’s position in the ATF gives her access to parts of the investigation she wouldn’t have otherwise. Also, her gut tells her she can trust Brett. She loved his K-9 partner, Blaze, right away and as they say dogs are the best judge of character. There was an immediate attraction between these two, but they try and keep things professional. Of course, they can resist only for so long. I was rooting for them to solve their case and for them as a couple!

As a fan of well-done police/crime procedurals, I thoroughly enjoyed Burning Justice, even more so with a smart K-9 partner!  I was hooked and eager over every discovery they made that led them closer to the truth and on edge as their investigations put them in danger! The mystery and romance wrap up nicely and I look forward to the next in the series: Ultimate Justice!

4 Stars

Book Description:

After narrowly surviving a childhood fire that killed two of his friends, ATF Special Agent Brett Tanner knows what it’s like to get too close to the flame. The trauma only spurs him and his K-9 partner to track down the arsonists targeting a Colorado town. This latest warehouse blaze looks suspicious as hell…and there’s a body. Now it’s murder.

Fiercely independent insurance investigator Gemma Scott has been burned enough times to know she doesn’t need anyone—especially a handsome agent with an agenda. Teaming up with the hardened and determined ATF agent means not just trusting her instincts…it also means trusting him.

Now they’re racing against an arsonist with a lethal agenda—one who’s willing to burn and kill to hide the evidence. But the killer is only part of a larger mystery. And the searing attraction between Gemma and Brett adds fuel to an already dangerously lethal fire. One that will smoke out a killer…along with Brett’s darkest secret.

Review: Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison

 

Mixed Signals (Lovelight #3) by B.K. Borison

Publication Date: August 1st 2023 by Berkley & Dreamscape Media

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 10 hrs 16 mins

Narrators: Pippa Jayne & Julio Maxwell

Source: Publisher & Library lend (audio)

Rating: ★★★★¼

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

My Thoughts:

Layla has had to watch as her two good friends, Stella and Beckett have found love, and while she’s happy for them, she’d like her chance to find someone special, someone who will cherish her. However, her dating history has left a lot to be desired! Things are about to change when she runs into Caleb Alvarez after a date-gone-bad and he takes her home.

Caleb’s dating history has also been less than stellar, so he suggests they date each other. He’s been crushing on Layla from afar, but somehow his suggestion is taken as an experiment in dating rather than the truth that Caleb has always wanted a chance with Layla.

I’ve really enjoyed all three Lovelight romances, but Mixed Signals is my favorite to date in the series! There was just something so lovely about this couple and the drama was minimal. Layla and Caleb’s chemistry was palpable. Theirs dates fun and hilarious!

As with the first two books, B.K. Borison’s writing was beautiful and gave the story a dreamy quality! I felt like I absorbed every sight, sound, and scent! I was happy to catch up with Stella and Luca and Beckett and Evie. I love how they were so ready to jump in and help or slash a tire (a task Stella was all too eager for, lol) if needed! I’m so in love with Beckett’s utter failure to resist adopting any animal in need!

I alternately read and listened to an audio copy. Pippa Jayne’s voice is soft and rich, perfect for this series! Julio Maxwell was wonderful as Caleb. I listened at 1.75x normal speed. A definite recommend!

4.25 Stars

Book Description:

A small-town baker learns to raise her expectations for love with some help from a handsome local teacher in this sunny romantic comedy.

Layla Dupree has given up on love. She’s waded through all the fish in the sea, each one more disappointing than the last. Apparently, owning the bakery at Inglewild’s most romantic destination does not help one’s love life—despite Layla’s best efforts. All she wants is a partner who gives her butterflies, not someone who ghosts her at dinner and leaves her with the check.

Good thing Caleb Alvarez has the perfect solution. After saving Layla from another date gone bad, he has a simple one month of no-strings dating. He’ll do his best to renew her faith in men while she rates his romantic game. It’s a win-win situation. All the benefits of dating without the added pressure of feelings and unmet expectations.

But there’s one ingredient they haven’t considered. The chemistry between them is red-hot, and the urge to take things to the next level is more tempting than Layla’s mocha fudge brownies.

Review: Dead Man's Wake by Paul Doiron

 

Dead Man's Wake (Mike Boditch #14) by Paul Doiron

Publication Date: June 27th 2023 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 320

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 26min

Narrator: Henry Leyva

Source: Publisher & Library Audio Copy

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Mike and his fiancée Stacey Stevens are at his stepfather’s lake house for their engagement party when they hear a boat crash. As a Game Warden for the Maine Warden Service and with no one else available Mike set out to find out what happened with his future father-in-law, Charley, a retired Game Warden, in tow. They find gruesome remains and evidence of two deaths.

Mike investigates with the State Police Detectives. It’s very much a crime procedural with Mike interviewing witnesses and traveling around the small islands to gather evidence. I enjoy Mike’s interactions with his mentor/friend/future father-in-law Charley. He’s such a rascal, but a big help in solving the case. Even Stacey helps a lot with being able to fly and just being a sounding board helping Mike puzzle through the clues. I was happy that Mike seems to be maturing and thinking things through more before acting. A conscious decision on his part to do better and think of the other people in his life. I did miss Shadow, his part wolf dog in this installment.

The coast of Maine and the little islands are a big part of the story, Mr. Doiron brings the area to life with his lovely writing. Yes, it’s a fast-paced plot, but I like how he takes a moment to feature nature’s beauty all around.

This is book fourteen in the Mike Bowditch series, but I’ve skipped around and read out of order. I think you could read this as a stand-alone, but you’d miss some of the character backstory. The ending brought a smile to my face!

I alternately read and listened to a library audio copy. I’ll still keep working my way through the previous mysteries. The audios are great with Henry Leyva narrating the series. He has a great easy-going voice, that I now picture as Mike, and he does the Maine/Boston accents well. I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4 Stars

Book Description:

Game Warden Mike Bowditch's engagement party is interrupted by the discovery of a gruesome double murder in Dead Man's Wake, a new thriller from Edgar Award-winning author Paul Doiron.

On the evening of their engagement party, Maine Game Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch and Stacey Stevens witness what seems to be a hit-and-run speedboat crash on a darkened lake. When they arrive at the scene, their spotlight reveals a gruesome sight: a severed arm beneath the surface. As day breaks, the warden dive team recovers not one but two naked corpses: the dismembered man and the married woman with whom he was having an affair. Mike begins to suspect the swimmers' deaths were not a senseless accident but a coldly calculated murder. Alone among his fellow officers, Mike begins to sense the involvement of a trained professional, smarter and more dangerous than any enemy he has faced. As Mike and Stacey get closer to identifying the killer, their own lives are suddenly put on the line, leading to a confrontation designed to silence them forever.

Review: The Cafe at Beach End by RaeAnne Thayne

 

The Cafe at Beach End (Cape Sanctuary #5) by RaeAnne Thayne

Publication Date: June 13th 2023 by Canary Street Press

Pages: 336

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Meredith and Tori, once as close as sisters, are estranged since Meredith left for what seemed to Tori a life of privilege. Meredith has lost everything and became embroiled in the scandal where her now dead husband bilked millions from unsuspecting investors. Now she’s back home. Meredith owns 49% of the small beach café now run by Tori as well as one of the beachside cottages her grandmother owned. Tori is not happy about this, but things are not as they seem.

I loved Meredith! She’s sad and feels partially responsible for the pain and financial ruin her husband caused, but I loved that after leading a privileged life she had no qualms about rolling her sleeves up, digging in and working hard. She didn’t make excuses, but she had plenty! It broke my heart.

I felt for Tori, as she felt abandoned. She was hurt, especially since Meredith didn’t even attend their grandmother’s funeral, but she didn’t have the full story. I felt she was pretty tough on Meredith, but this was a journey of forgiveness, healing, moving on from your mistakes, and embracing those important to you.

There’s a romance for both Meredith and Tori and I rooted for each of them! Liam disguised his identity and motives from Meredith, and I wasn’t too happy with him at first, but I understood as all was revealed. Tori has feelings of attraction for Sam, the brother of her dead husband, and the guilt she feels about that as well as the worry over what others think is a bit of a hinderance. They each have a teenage daughter, cousins, who get up to some teenage drama. Thankfully, they had each other for support.

As usual in this series, Ms. Thayne brings the Northern California coastal setting to life with her beautiful descriptions! It’s such a gorgeous area, sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean that take your breath away! There’s a spot I visit at least yearly, close to the Oregon border that I pictured in my mind as I read.

 

The Café at Beach End brought out all the feels for me! I loved this emotional story so much!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

When Meredith Collins was a child, the little beach town of Cape Sanctuary lived up to its name. Spending summers there with her grandmother, Meredith finally felt safe and loved.

Now she’s returning in disgrace. Her late ex-husband swindled investors out of millions of dollars and made Meredith a figure of scorn—though she knew nothing about his scheme. But she still has the beach cottage she inherited from her grandmother and half ownership of the local café. It’s a place to work and earn a little money. That’s if her cousin, Tori, will let her through the door. Once, Tori and Meredith were as close as sisters—until Meredith chose her neglectful parents’ expectations over their bond. Now widowed with a teenage daughter, Tori isn’t setting out a welcome mat for the woman who let her down so badly.

While Meredith tries to make a fresh start, she is drawn to a mysterious writer renting the cottage next door. Liam Byrne’s kindness is a balm, though she worries he might not be so friendly if he knew who she was. But Liam has his own secret and a mission that will help Meredith confront her past—and maybe, claim a surprising future…

Review: Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

 

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Publication Date: July 4th 2023 by Berkley Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Chandler Cohen had dreams of writing fiction when the practicalities of making a living prompted her to switch focus to journalism instead, but the dream has never died. However, after being laid off she had to change her career focus again and started ghost writing celebrity memoirs. Her latest job working with a shallow influencer has her questioning her path. This is how she ends up having a drink that leads to an awkward one-night stand. She thinks she’ll never see him again only to find out he’s her newest celebrity client.

Finnegan Walsh, stars in a supernatural TV series, The Nocturnals, that formed a cult following. It kind of reminded me of the love for Buffy (huge fan here!) series, centering on werewolves. Finnegan is shocked to learn that the one-night stand was less than stellar for Chandler, and he’d like a chance to improve which leads to Chandler and Finn embarking on lessons while they work together, road-tripping on Finn’s fan-tour across the states.

I did feel the reason Chandler held back in their relationship, thinking Finn wasn’t serious about her only that he was in it for the lessons only, was weak. Her insecurities about their status could’ve been cleared up with a conversation. Thankfully, this wasn’t a drawn out, drama filled situation.

Their lessons are extremely steamy, but their connection becomes more than physical as the tour goes on. As they spend time delving into Finn’s life, Finn wants to know about Chandler as well, and they swap stories forming a deeper and deeper connection.

Finn and Chandler were complex characters, imperfect, but likable. There were some heavier subjects dealt with here like coping with OCD, complicated parental relationships, and antisemitism. There was nice Jewish representation, as well. Business or Pleasure is the third book I’ve thoroughly enjoyed by Rachel Lynn Solomon and it’s the hottest book to date!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in "ghostwriter" until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. But Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.

Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there's a way for them to have both.