Sunday Post #286

 

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 in Southern California right now. We flew down and stayed with our son on Friday in the Northern Los Angeles County area to his new (to him) house. It's a nice place and the property is beautiful with lots of roses and fruit trees. Whoever laid out the garden and outdoor space did a wonderful job! We left this morning (Saturday) and traveled down to Orange County to attend a work dinner for my husband. We're flying out for home tomorrow morning.

Puzzles done while listening to audiobooks:

1000 Piece Puzzle: Twilight Sentinel by Charles Wysocki

I hunted this puzzle (I Love Canada by White Mountain) down on eBay after seeing it on Susan's blog. It was a of fun to put together!

Wild daffodils from the yard

Tree fern on my run/walk

Read:

Click on cover for Goodreads link:

Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez-5 Stars

Dead Man's List by Karen Rose-4.5 Stars

Blood Moon by Sandra Brown-4 Stars

Lost and Lassoed by Lila Sage-3 Stars

Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister-4 Stars

I had a good reading week. I'm behind on writing reviews, though. 

Received:

Thank you to Berkley, G.P. Putnam's Sons, St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books!

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Audiobook Review: Blood Moon by Sandra Brown

 

Blood Moon by Sandra Brown

Publication Date: March 4th 2025 by Grand Central Publishing

Pages: 448

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 15 mins

Narrators: Kyf Brewer

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Crisis Point, a popular true crime TV show is about to air an episode on the case of Crissy Mellin, a girl who went missing three years earlier and was never found. Beth Collins, a producer for the show, thinks Crissy is only one of several women taken and that the perpetrator is motivated by the Blood Moon, which is set to reappear in four days. Beth flies to Louisianna to meet with John Bowie, one of the detectives on the case, and see if she can prevent the next abduction.

 

John isn’t too thrilled with Beth at first, but he’s been haunted by Crissy’s case and the incidents that happened around it. With the spotlight on the case again, John’s corrupt boss warns him to keep his mouth shut on the matter, but John doesn’t want another girl to suffer the same fate and so he reluctantly works with Beth. There’s an attraction brewing between them from the start!

 

I’ve enjoyed Sandra Brown’s twisty mysteries for some time now, so I was excited to pick up Blood Moon. Romance and suspense combined in just the right amounts to make for a thrilling read! Fast-paced, short chapters hooked me from the start! Both Beth and John had to work against their respective bosses. Beth is trying to put the brakes on the show airing because of the discrepancies they discover, but John’s boss and henchmen held more of an urgent threat! I listened, riveted until the end!

 

Kyf Brewer did an excellent job narrating the story! His rough, masculine voice was perfect for John and I liked his performance of Beth’s voice, as well! His narration definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the story!

4 Stars

Book Description:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown returns with a sexy thriller where an unruly detective and an ­­­­ambitious tv show producer work against the clock to prevent another young woman from disappearing before the next blood moon—while trying to resist the attraction between them.

Detective John Bowie is one misstep away from being fired from the Auclair Police Department in coastal Louisiana. Recently divorced and slightly heavy-handed with his liquor, Bowie does all that he can to cope with the actions taken (or not taken) during the investigation of Crissy Mellin, a teenage girl who disappeared more than three years prior. But now, Crisis Point, a long-running true crime television series, is soon to air an episode documenting the unsolved Mellin case. Bowie has been instructed by his unscrupulous boss to keep to himself his grievances and criticisms over the mishandling of the investigation.

Beth Collins, a senior producer on Crisis Point, knows what classifies as a great story and when there’s something more to be told. After working on the show for seven years researching, fact checking, and editing dozens of episodes, Collins is convinced that Crissy Mellin’s disappearance was not an isolated incident. A string of disappearances of teenage girls in nearby areas have only one thing in common: They took place on the night of a blood moon. In a last-ditch effort to find out the truth, Beth leaves New York City for Louisiana to enlist Detective Bowie in helping her figure out what happened to Crissy and find the true culprit before he acts on the next blood moon—in four days’ time.

At the risk of their jobs and lives, Bowie and Collins band together to identify and capture a canny perpetrator, while fighting an irresistible spark between them that threatens to upend everything.

Review: Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

 

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Publication Date: February 18th 2025 by Bramble

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Felix is the Archduke of Estarion, but in name only.  Count von Hertzendorff, an evil, conniving man, took charge and is ruling behind the scenes. Felix knows it’s only a matter of time before the Count arranges a “accident” that results in his death, so runs to a place where he knows the Count can’t touch him: the Mountains of Kitvaria where the infamous Witch Queen Saskia rules.

 

Felix intends to throw himself on Queen Saskia’s mercy, but when he arrives, he’s mistaken as the dark wizard they’ve hired to catalog the magical library and Felix doesn’t correct them. He figures he’ll bide his time and explain later. However, Felix falls into his job naturally and befriends the castle inhabitants as well as Queen Saskia.

 

Queen Saskia wrenched the throne away from her wicked uncle and she’s kept her kingdom safe so far, but trouble is brewing. She knows her uncle is again plotting against her. Saskia must find a way to eliminate the threat for good and so she keeps experimenting with spells to fortify her borders and tasks her new dark wizard to search for anything that could help, too.

 

For being a supposed “wicked” witch queen, Saskia had a big heart and treated all in her kingdom with kindness and love. Her priority was keeping her people safe. I really liked her! Felix quickly became her confidant and supporter, fiercely protective of her, so that when his identity came out it didn’t blow up like you’d think it would. Their attraction grew as they worked together.

 

I really enjoyed Felix and Saskia's slow-burn romance and rooted for them to prevail against their enemies! I liked the little twist with Felix at the end. I look forward to the next installment which centers on Queen Lorelei.

4 Stars

Book Description:

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

About the Author:

Stephanie Burgis grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, but now lives in Wales with her husband and two sons, surrounded by mountains, castles and coffee shops.  She writes wildly romantic adult historical fantasies (including The Harwood Spellbook, over 20,000 self-published copies sold) and has had over forty short stories for adults and teens published in magazines and anthologies.

Review: To Sicily With Love by Jennifer Probst

 

To Sicily With Love (Meet Me in Italy #4) by Jennifer Probst

Publication Date: February 18th 2025 by Berkley

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Aurora’s career as a life coach and motivational social media influencer is prospering and her boyfriend’s determination and goals match her own. She’s strict about her adherence to her life goals, diet and fitness.

 

However, her Italian mother thinks Aurora doesn’t have the passion she should and that she’s missing out and not embracing true happiness by always denying herself. And then suddenly her mother dies and turns Aurora’s life upside down.

 

Aurora can’t just brush away her grief like her boyfriend expects. He was a piece of work! The main driving force in her strict lifestyle, IMO. She can’t continue to coach and produce podcasts telling people how to live their life when hers is unraveling and she has no support. On a whim she sends in her DNA to see if there’s any family and gets the shock of her life. Her mother has a bunch of family in Italy.

 

I enjoyed seeing Aurora draw close to her Italian family, uncover the mystery of why she never knew about them. The food and setting of Italy sounded delicious and gorgeous! I loved Aurora’s loud and boisterous family! Quint, who started off as a friend and ended up as so much more, was lovely!

 

Aurora’s journey through grief and figuring out what’s important was a moving one! I enjoyed seeing her slow down and savor the gifts life has to offer. 

4 Stars

Book Description:

When she learns she has a big Italian family she never knew about, a lonely woman travels to Sicily for a life-changing summer in the new romance from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst

Aurora York had it all loving parents, a steady relationship, and a promising career. But after she loses both parents unexpectedly, she can’t seem to stay on track any longer. Lonely and lost after a public meltdown that threatens her professional credibility, she’s shocked when DNA test results show a blood relative in Sicily. When her cousin reaches out online and begs her to come to Italy to meet everyone in person, Aurora makes the leap.

Aurora arrives in Sicily for a month, and there she meets a colorful, dynamic family steeped in tradition. The younger generation is fascinated by her social media fame in America, and even though her grandparents have more traditional viewpoints, Aurora begins to heal from her grief…and enjoys the attention of a kind and handsome Italian man.

But when the summer ends, a new opportunity calls her back to the States and her old habits threaten to reemerge. Will Aurora leave everything in Sicily she loves behind, or take the chance on a whole new future?

Sunday Post #285

 

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.

It's been a busy week with the usual. The weather has been beautiful here with one day reaching 80 degrees! The cats were very pleased! We're back to normal temps in the 50s and it's pouring rain right now. 

Today we ran errands and had lunch in town where there was a book sale at the local library. I was able to snag several books and a puzzle.

Double Daffodil in the garden

Starla & Smokey: two peas in a pod

Peanut selecting his next read

Latest Puzzle Completed: Nantucket Winds by Charles Wysocki

We're headed to Southern California later this week for a short trip to visit our son.

Read:

(Click on cover to take you to Goodreads)

The Plymouth Express by Agatha Christie-4 Stars

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis-4 Stars

To Sicily with Love by Jennifer Probst-4 Stars

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger-4 Stars

Received:

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and Berkley!

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Review: Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 by Lisa Unger

Publication Date: February 25th 2025 by Park Row & Harlequin Audio

Pages: 384

Audio Book Length: 11hrs 34 mins

Narrators: Vivienne Leheny

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Adele has had a tough five years. Having her husband take off and disappear after finding out he embezzled money from his company was a shock. Now she and her two kids, Violet and Blake, struggle to get by and Adele wonders how she’ll pay for college or ever be able to retire. But Adele has pulled herself up and has been building a following in her fitness challenges, reclaiming her life as a single parent. When her son Blake suggests she take part in an extreme contest of hide and seek on a remote island with a cash prize of one million dollars, Adele’s hesitant. Especially since there’s been rumors swirling about the host, Maverick Dillan and a missing girl, but the lure of that money makes it hard to say no.

 

This is the second story I’ve read where the main characters have lives centered around social media, living a life in front of the camera worried about views and sponsors. Maverick and his team were prodded on by this and it wasn’t a good thing. Makes you think about the pitfalls of social media.

 

There are many POVs here: Adele, her kids, Violet and Blake, as well as Maverick and his girlfriend and co-worker, Angeline, but at the center of this story, for me, was Adele. I was most invested in her journey, rooting for her having to pick up the pieces after such a devastating betrayal!

 

I enjoyed “seeing” true-crime podcaster, Harley Granger show up again!

 

Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 was an engrossing page-turner! A crumbling hotel, an isolated island location, and approaching storm created an air of danger. However, I felt the mystery and suspense centered more around the personal conflicts and issues each character was facing rather than the actual contest. 

I alternately read and listened to Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 and recommend either version. Vivienne Leheny’s did a great job making each character distinctive. Her narration enhanced my enjoyment of this addictive story! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.

Review: Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

 

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

Publication Date: January 14th 2025 by Atria Books

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

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

My Thoughts:

Rosie has had her heart broken both emotionally and literally! She finds out that the heart she received in a transplant belonged to the wife of Morgan Thorne, one of her favorite authors, and feels like this is some sort of sign that they’re meant to be together. Rosie starts messaging back and forth with Morgan and he seems perfect. However, some of the details of Morgan’s wife’s death emerge that give Rosie pause, so she digs further.

 

I felt for Rosie so much, but I was also annoyed with her several times. She feels everything so acutely and goes all in when she loves/crushes on someone! She’s so determined to find love that she ignores the red flags. However, things are not as they seem, so hold judgement. There were a couple of twists that had me thinking: wait, did that just happen?! I had my suspicions here and there and couple ended up being correct. I can’t believe the last scene. Girl, after all of that, really? Don’t get me wrong, I was pleased with the final outcome. I have hopes. If you read this story maybe we can discuss…

 

Parts of Cross My Heart were like watching a train wreck and not being able to look away! It was a crazy, twisty mystery; one I couldn’t put down! 

4 Stars

Book Description:

She has his dead wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

Rosie Lachlan wants nothing more than to find The One.

A year after she was dumped in her wedding dress, she’s working at her parents’ bridal salon, anxious for a happy ending that can’t come soon enough. After receiving a life-saving heart transplant, Rosie knows her health is precious and precarious. She suspects her heart donor is Daphne Thorne, the wife of local celebrity author Morgan Thorne, who she begins messaging via an anonymous service called DonorConnect, ostensibly to learn more about Daphne. But Rosie has a secret: She’s convinced that now that she has his wife’s heart, she and Morgan are meant to be together.

As she and Morgan correspond, the pretense of avoiding personal details soon disappears, even if Rosie’s keeping some cards close to her chest. But as she digs deeper into Morgan’s previous marriage, she discovers disturbing rumors about the man she’s falling for. Could Morgan have had something to do with his late wife’s death? And can Rosie’s heart sustain another break—or is she next?