All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

August 18, 2025

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

Zeb Wyckham is surprised when his cousin invites him to his country house for a visit, but he arrives to find himself at the family reunion from hell. Worse yet, his ex-boyfriend who hates him for ruining his life is now working for his cousin. Could it possibly get worse? Actually, yes.

A locked-room mystery combined with an LGBTQ romance seasoned with an element of horror. There is plenty of suspense and sexual tension, plus a few steamy scenes. I love mysteries set at English country houses. The cover reminds me of the covers on old Victoria Holt romantic suspense novels (consumed those like candy when I was a teen).

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

See what I mean about the Victoria Holt covers?

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

July 26, 2025

Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong

Time traveling detective Mallory Armstrong has been stuck in 19th century Scotland for almost a year, working as the assistant to mortician Dr. Duncan Gray, the mixed race illegitimate son of an upper middle class family. She and Duncan are invited to the wedding of his best friend's sister at her fiance's highland hunting lodge. There is tension among the wedding guests and also with the locals, which only escalates when one of the guests is found murdered on the estate grounds. Instead of being a country holiday with friends, Mallory and Duncan find themselves tying to save the groom from the gallows.

The fourth book in the Rip Through Time series. The author gives enough background that this can be read as a standalone mystery if you haven't read the previous mysteries in the series, or if you're like me and it's been a while since you read the last book. Successfully evokes the customs, attitudes, and class distinctions, as well as police methods of the time. I loved how Mallory almost melted into a puddle when one of the characters finally shows up in a kilt. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Recommended for readers of historical mysteries like the Sebastian St. Cyr or the Lady Julia Grey mysteries, or the Outlander historical series.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Hunting lodge in the Scottish highlands

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

July 22, 2025

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

After using an illegal spell to create a sentient spider plant, librarian Terlu Pena was punished by being turned into a wooden statue, on display in the magical library as a warning to the rest of the staff not to dabble in the spells that they curated. But she hadn't meant any harm - she was just lonely. Nevertheless, the magic court decided to make an example of her. She stood on a pedestal in the library, frozen in place until one day, she wakes up to find herself in a winter forest on an island with no idea how she got there. Not only that, there is an enchanted greenhouse that is slowly dying, and a handsome gardener who expects Terlu to fix the greenhouse.

Charming cozy fantasy, not exactly a sequel to The Spellshop, more like a companion piece that provides the backstory of the librarian who made Caz the sentient spider plant. Terlu was the only character in the first book whose story was not resolved, so I'm glad the author decided to focus on her in this book. The greenhouses are marvelous creations, as are the green winged cat and the tiny dragons that act as pollinators. Themes are loneliness, forgiveness, and healing. The author has planned two or three more books set in this world. Another beautiful cover, too.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

A magical greenhouse

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

July 4, 2025

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Evie Sage, the Villain's perpetually optimistic assistant, is back, keeping him organized and off-balance. Their battle against the king's efforts to take over all the magic in the kingdom continues, while also managing their somewhat unruly families. Evie learns valuable new skills: fighting with a magic dagger, negotiating with magical beings, search and rescue, hanging up severed heads in the Manor's foyer. It's all in a day's work for the apprentice to the Villain. 

Sequel to Assistant to the Villain, another romantasy that is a lot of fun, if a bit longer than it needs to be. After a brief prologue that is largely unnecessary, the story picks up where the previous book ended, so I suggest you read the first book before starting this one. A number of readers complained that it wasn't as good as the first book (happens frequently with sequels, especially when they are bridging to or setting up the next book). Good supporting characters, especially Kingsley the frog with his signs. Themes include morally ambiguous characters, opposites attract, The Office in a fantasy setting, workplace romance/flirtation, snarky humor. The slow-burn flirtation continues. Yes, we are all wishing that Evie would jump Trystan already, because we're pretty sure he's not going to take the first step. Be sure to take a good look at the cover art on both books - lots of fun images.

Looking forward to the third book, coming out in August. If you enjoy this series/style, while you wait for the next book, go read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst or Legend and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

June 17, 2025

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Evie Sage needs to find a job to help support her family right away. Desperate, when the local evil overlord (conveniently if not very creatively known as The Villain) offers her a job as his personal assistant, she agrees to work for him. She is amazed at how fast she grows accustomed to severed heads hanging from the ceiling and stray fingers on the floor. But someone is trying to kill the Villain, and by extension, Evie and the other people who work for him. 

The first book in a trilogy, a romantasy filled with mystery, humor, and a hot male protagonist (and who doesn't love a hot male protagonist?). Like The Office in a fantasy setting. After a while, I did want to yell at Evie and Trystan to find a bed and get on with it already. Perfect for a hot summer afternoon or vacation reading - strictly entertainment, it's not going to strain your mind. Cliffhanger ending, so be warned that you may have to continue on with the series.

The modern fantasy office

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

April 10, 2025

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

Dan scores a reservation at the exclusive La Fin du Monde restaurant and takes his wife Jane to celebrate their wedding anniversary. But his timing is off, since Jane has decided that she is going to ask for a divorce over dinner (also maybe not the best timing). Not to mention that climate change activists have chosen that night to bomb the restaurant.

Quirky and fun, with a long-term marriage that turns out to be a romance after all. Recommended for readers who enjoy off-beat fiction like Nothing to See Here or Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review. 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

March 4, 2025

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Violet Sorrengail was supposed to be a scribe but after the death of her brother and father, her mother (who is also the commanding general) decrees that Violet should join the dragon riders, an elite group of warriors who protect their country from their enemy's griffon riders. But the dragon riders are highly competitive and many cadets are not chosen by one of the dragons, so they are perfectly willing to kill their fellow cadets to get ahead or for revenge.

The Hunger Games meets The Scholomance. At first, this is a typical magic college/dark academia story where students are competing for position as well as survival, and in their spare time, hooking up with each other. But at about the 1/3 mark, the dragons show up and the story really takes off (sorry, bad pun). The gauntlet obstacle course sounds like something you'd see on Wipeout. I did get tired of Violet's constant injuries and everyone trying to kill her. The sex is fairly graphic so if that bothers you, this may not be the book for you. The last paragraph of the book has a good twist. Not sure if I'm going to continue with the series but the first book was fun.

Black dragon

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

December 20, 2024

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Megan Chase lives on a pig farm in the Louisiana Bayou with her mother, stepfather and half-brother. She is an outcast but her best friend Robbie, another outcast, has always been there for her. On her 16th birthday, like a miracle, the quarterback of the football team asks her to lunch, only for Megan to become the victim of a vicious prank. Things only get worse when she arrives home to find that a changeling has taken the place of her half-brother who has been spirited off to the land of Faery. Megan is determined to go after him and bring him back, whatever the cost.

First book in the Iron Fey series. These faeries and elves aren't the Disney variety, more like the Eoin Colfer type (see the Artemis Fowl series). Many well known characters such as Puck and Oberon, and Grimalkin the faery cat is a great character. There are some fun and creative parts, like the road back to Faery through a dance club in Detroit. Many of the settings in the Iron King section have strong overtones of The Lord of the Rings. Note to fey folk: if you know that iron can kill you, maybe it's not the best idea to go into a land made of iron. Will appeal to readers of YA fantasy/romantasy.

The land of Faery

The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan

September 14, 2024

The Lost Letters from Martha's Vineyard by Michael Callahan

After being nominated for an Academy Award, starlet Mercy Welles suddenly vanished without a trace from Hollywood. Sixty years later, Kit O'Neil and her sister are cleaning out their late grandmother's house on Martha's Vineyard when Kit comes across photos of her grandmother that look suspiciously like the missing actress.

I didn't love this as much as many other readers have. I thought this was going to be a really good end-of-summer read, and I usually love books about old Hollywood, but something about this one didn't sit right with me. Maybe because it was written by a man, and he was fixated on what the women in the story look like, especially whether they are slim or frumpy or the kind of woman a man (like him) wouldn't look at twice. Also, there are a lot of familiar over-used tropes, like the struggling unknown actress who is suddenly nominated for an Oscar and catapulted to stardom, the wealthy dysfunctional family, the pile of family secrets in the attic that somehow no one else has discovered, among other things. The story is also overly long and the plot drags. Although billed as a mystery, there isn't much mystery and a lot more romance. Recommended for readers of romantic suspense.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Martha's Vineyard

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

July 17, 2024

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Kiera is a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, and her assistant is Caz, a spider plant who suffers from anxiety (he's especially paranoid about goats and fish). When the city is taken over by rebels and the library is engulfed in flames, Kiera and Caz flee (along with a few crates of spell books) to the far north to the island of Caltrey, Kiera's birthplace. But the village has fallen on hard times, and Kiera decides that if they are here to stay, she will need to figure out how to fix what is wrong with the village. The only problem is, it's illegal for non-wizards to perform magic spells.

Charming romantasy, perfect for a summer read on the beach or on your patio at home, although it would also make a cozy winter read, wrapped up in your favorite throw. And there are merhorses! Giant irridescent seahorses! What a wonderful creation! Plus Caz the spider plant and Meep the cactus. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy a sweet fantasy or romance, or both, also for librarians and those who respect books and knowledge.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Merhorse!

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

June 30, 2024

Most Ardently by Gabe Cole Novoa

Oliver Bennet knows that he was assigned the wrong gender at birth. While the world calls him Elizabeth, he knows inside that he has always been a boy named Oliver. A few close friends and family members know his secret, but as he approaches the threshold of adulthood, wearing women's clothing becomes more and more onerous. Worse yet, his mother is determined to find him a suitable husband.

A transgendered remix of the classic novel Pride and Prejudice that the follows the original plot closely. Like the original, there is a lot of traipsing around to other people's houses for tea and gossip. Making Darcy a queer man who has no interest in women, rather than a hetero man who disdains women, was a smart move and explains his actions neatly. Until the middle of the 19th century, there were no official birth certificates, so if your family and your doctor testified in court that you were a male, that was good enough for the English legal system at the time.

If you are a super Jane Austen fan (which I'm not), you will probably not care for this. If you want to read a sweet trans-romance, this is for you. Charming cover art, too. 

Illustration of a molly house, the 19th century version of a gay bar

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

May 24, 2024

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune

Wallace Price is having a really bad day. When he dies suddenly and pops into his own funeral, he starts to realize what others really thought of him. Worse yet, there is a Reaper waiting to herd him to the afterlife. Wallace realizes that he was so focused on growing his law firm and being ruthless, that he never really lived life.

This title was one of my choices for Pride Month. I love TJ Klune's previous novel The House in the Cerulean Sea, and while this one isn't quite that good, it's still pretty damned good. Considering the subject is death, it balances the ultimate heavy topic with humor, kindness, and wonderful characters, including a charming dog named Apollo. In the acknowledgments, the author notes that this was a very personal book for him to write (yes, I do read the acknowledgments at the end of every book, and you should, too). Take a good look at the fantastic cover, also keep some tissues handy. Recommended for readers who enjoy fantasy with a whimsical slant.

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

May 21, 2024

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle

Robert the dragon exterminator hates his job - his dream is to become valet to a prince. When he is called to the castle in Bellemontagne, he quickly discovers that they are infested with dragons. And the dragon vermin must go immediately, before Princess Cerise's prospective groom, Prince Reginald, becomes aware of them. But Reginald has his own problems: his father has sent him on a quest to slay a dragon, a BIG dragon (as one of those "it'll make a man of you" ideas) and he enlists Robert to help him.

It's the Princess Bride meets Terry Pratchett in this fairy tale, with a beautiful princess, a clueless prince, a long-winded evil wizard, and a brave but humble and practical hero who doesn't want to go on a dragon quest, but grits his teeth and gets the job done. It's Peter S. Beagle - what more do you want? Beautiful cover, too. Recommended for readers who enjoy high fantasy or fairy tales.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Middletide by Sarah Crouch

May 15, 2024

Middletide by Sarah Crouch

Early one morning, two fishermen find the body of Dr. Erin Landry hanging from a tree near their favorite fishing spot, an apparent suicide. But the sheriff isn't so sure - something about the scene isn't right. As he investigates the death, someone points in the direction of Elijah Leith, a town resident who wrote a mystery novel over a decade earlier, describing the exact scene of the doctor's death.

This is a debut novel, with multiple timelines that switch frequently. The plot is very slow-moving, crawling for about 75% of the book, with a lot of narrative about eating, nature, and homesteading/living off the land, as well as Elijah's sorry love life. For some reason, the author decided to make up a fictional Native American tribe, which added to the confusion. The characters are all blah, except for the victim. Not recommended unless you enjoy a little bit of mystery mixed with what is mostly high school style romance. Hopefully the author will do better on her next outing.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

May 2, 2024

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

Cinnamon Hotpepper, a spice trader, stumbles home drunk from a village festival, only to find a demon hiding in her family's cinnamon grove. After she sobers up, the demon tells her that he needs her help, and if she doesn't help him, it could go badly for her family. So she agrees to go with him to achieve his quest, with the stipulation that he return her home safely when the quest is completed. Except of course, it's not that simple.

Fun, steamy fantasy. Reminded me somewhat of Legends and Lattes, but with a lot of sex tossed in, some of it quite explicit. Be warned.

Two dragons (yes, there be dragons here)

The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray

April 29, 2024

The Girl from the Grand Hotel by Camille Aubray

When her grandmother refuses to pay for her final year of college, Annabel Falcone travels from America to the French Riviera to work at her uncle's hotel. It's August 1939, and the first ever Cannes Film Festival is about to get underway, with celebrities, athletes, and actors from all over the world in attendance. When a German tennis star is found dead in his hotel room, Annabel begins to suspect that there is more going on than just a big celebrity party.

Inspired by real events and the first failed Cannes Film Festival. Slow moving Anna plot that takes a long time to get anywhere. Also, Annabel is kind of bland. There are almost too many famous names dropped into the story. If you read everything about the golden age of Hollywood, you will probably enjoy this one. If not, maybe skip it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

French Riviera

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

September 18, 2023

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

While preparing an exhibit of Hollywood costumes, a museum curator comes across a gown with a tag that says the designer was Zora Lily. But the curator has no idea who Zora Lily was. Seattle 1924 - Zora Hough's family lives in near poverty, but Zora is a talented seamstress and dreams of designing gowns for the rich and famous of Hollywood, even as she shares a bed with two of her sisters. In the evenings, she enjoys going with her friends to Seattle's speakeasies, where she meets a special man. But then her lover is deported for bootlegging and Zora is devastated. When she is offered the change to work on a movie in Hollywood, she decides to take a chance at achieving her dream of being a fashion designer.

I love fiction about the Golden Age of Hollywood and especially about costumes, design, and sewing (I have a 1920s fashion print hanging in my bedroom). The story does not really have a dual timeline - the museum curator in 2023 merely sets up Zora's story and then winds in the threads at the end. Zora is a very likeable character who makes some dumb mistakes (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story) but not so dumb that they can't be fixed. Zora is totally disillusioned when someone else takes credit for her work (like this has never happened to any of us). The descriptions of the speakeasies and the glamorous clothes were wonderful. Historical fiction recommended for readers who enjoy Fiona Davis and Melanie Benjamin.

Many thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

Greta Garbo wearing one of her iconic gowns

Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Canas

September 14, 2023

Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Canas

Growing up on Nena's father's ranch in Tejas (Texas), Nena and Nestor were inseparable as children. But when they were 13, Nestor flees from the ranch, believing that Nena is dead and that it is his fault. Nine years later, Nestor returns to find Nena alive and grown, working as a healer. But the peaceful life of the ranch is threatened by the whites from the north as well as a supernatural creature that steals souls as well as lives.

It's almost fall, so it's time for some seasonal reading, in this case Mexican gothic. Full of folktales, legends, and family stories with a romance thrown in. The vampires in the story aren't only the supernatural kind. If you like the novels of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, you'll enjoy Vampires of el Norte.

The chupacabra, which figures in Mexican folklore and may be the vampire in the story

The House Witch by Delemhach

August 23, 2023

The House Witch by Delemhach

Finlay Ashowan is a house witch who serves as cook to the king and queen of Daxaria. Fin and his familiar, a kitten named Kraken, just want everyone to stay out of the kitchen and let him get on with putting meals on the table. Fin is able to keep it all under control and his identity under wraps, until war is looming with a neighboring country. At the same time, he is drawn to a highborn lady far above his station.

Cooking? Yes. Fantasy? Yes. Sign me up. Light romantic fantasy. A lot of the humor is on the 14 year old boy level and the writing could have been more polished (how many times does the author need to describe Annika as a black-haired beauty?). The main character also delivers a number of soliloquies on respecting others, political correctness, etc., which got old. Note to writers: show, don't tell. Recommended only if you're a diehard fantasy fan who reads only fantasy.

The art of kitchen witchery

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg

June 18, 2023

Heir of Uncertain Magic by Charlie N. Holmberg

Sequel to Keeper of Enchanted Rooms. At the end of the previous book, Merritt Fernsby is just realizing that he has some magical abilities and that he's in love with Hulda Larkin of the Boston Institute for the Keeping of Enchanted Rooms. He sets out to explore his heritage while Hulda tries to find her friend Myra and hold onto her place with BIKER.

Very enjoyable follow-up to Merritt and Hulda's story, if not quite as good as the first book. It was good to revisit the other characters like Owein, Beth and Baptiste as well. It sounds like the next book will focus on Owein (ominous chord) since we find out that he has much more magical power than any of the other characters.  Looking forward to it. If you like urban fantasy, try this series.

It's Owein!