While not raving, this YA gothic-feel mystery/romance was pretty good. Neighbor children (have and have nots) grew up together. As young adults (18-21), two end up mysteriously dead in a ravine on the property of the “haves”. The sister and cousin of the victims investigate and everyone is a suspect. I liked the eerie feel that the author drew of the mansion and surrounding area, I liked the sweet romance and while I was able to deduce the 🔻

Hmmm. I think this story was supposed to be about a 50+ year-old woman finding herself after the recent death of her husband (who she was planning to divorce)? She takes off on a road trip after his death, during an estrangement with her aimless son, a sister fighting terminal cancer and a best friend also contemplating divorce (Hey, let‘s do it together! 🎉And no, I‘m NOT kidding 😳). She visits three different places (a CO AirBNB from a past 🔻

I loved Shaffer‘s debut The Wishing Game, but unfortunately this fantasy/romance just didn‘t hit the same note for me. The first half was an OK as the storyline/characters were developed (two boys go missing into a fantasy realm, return 6 months later, return again 15 years later for a missing girl). The second half let me down. There wasn‘t enough depth of detail to the fantasy realm, some of the plotline went off track and felt convoluted, 🔻

Second in series, I‘m loving the adventures of Sheriff Porter Beck and crew in the high desert of Nevada.

Beck is pulled into two investigations here…one is the infusion of an even deadlier form of fentanyl into his community, and the second involves national security drone hackers. The drug issue is personal (he‘s lost a friend to it), the drone issue can prove deadly for innocents as well as presenting an open door for hostile nations. 🔻

I wanted to like this more than I did as I had read a previous book from this author that I really enjoyed.
This is a murder mystery that takes place during a hurricane at an inn (locked-location) featuring a gathering of the deceased owner‘s daughters for the reading of his will. Our heroine is a young housekeeper who lives at the inn and is trying desperately to provide both for herself and her grandmother who has health issues. There‘s the🔻

My daughter‘s favorite book/movie is The Shining. So for her recent birthday her best friend got her this cool book nook. I‘m not that familiar with them, but the attention to detail is incredible (even down to the tiny typewritten sheets on the floor). 🖤

Do y‘all have book nooks as well? Anyone want to share? I‘d love to see!

Book six in the D.I. Kim Stone series finds Kim having to work without her team and with a previous partner/friend with whom she shares a strained and volatile relationship. Bones are discovered at an archaeological dig which indicate horrific injuries and multiple victims. As she digs into the past and the backgrounds of the families in the area, she begins to uncover legacies of racism and hate crimes. While Marsons is brilliant at juggling 🔻

This is 3rd in the Kate Shugak Investigations series, and I think what I love most about this series so far (other than the spunky, tough-as-nails Kate) is the originality of the storylines/plots. This one finds Kate undercover working on an Alaskan fishing trawler in the Bering Sea attempting to discover what happened to two former crew members and investigating allegations of corruption and fraudulence of the team. Love the writing, love the 🔻

Sixth in the Veronica Speedwell series, this finds Veronica and Stoker exploring a new facet in their relationship as well as investigating the death of a famous pioneering mountain climber who belonged to the Curiosity Club of elite intrepid women. While doing so, a connection to the case involves Veronica impersonating the princess of the small principality where the death took place after her sudden disappearance. This one‘s full of intrigue,🔻

This is a story about two women (one 30ish, one 65+) who are at crossroads in their lives. Kelsey is a junior editor who has put her dream on a back burner and become a “status quo” version of herself. Georgina is a wildly successful business woman (ahead of her time) who is facing a dire health diagnosis and has painful regrets of some of her past decisions. Following a miraculous death-defying experience, Kelsey decides to waste no more time 🔻

I forget how much I enjoy this series until I dive back in. I‘m way behind in it but had the chance to read this latest and jumped at it!

A 5⭐️ for me. Recommended!

A bit of a longer review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6655045153

Just saw this…❤️❤️❤️

A match made in heaven. 😊📚📚📚

*Goodreads on Instagram

And here‘s my #ReadYourKindle list for July. 😊

Thanks, Cydney! 🤗

Just under the wire here! 😅

Here‘s my July #BookSpin / #DoubleSpin list.

Thanks, Sarah! 🤗

So great to be back in the Veronica Speedwell universe. This one sees a return of a villain thought dead and a surprise villain working together to use Veronica in a power-hungry scheme for control of the empire. Veronica meets her half-brother, is kidnapped, helps to arrange a tortoise wedding and she and Stoker continue their mating dance. Humor and hijinks abound as I continue to fall more and more in love with this series. 5/5⭐️

Not sure how I felt about this one. Set on the island of Crete, it starts a series centered around Nick Fisher, a retired DCI from London. He is pulled into investigating the death of his estranged son‘s fiancée on Crete in an effort to free his accused son. The pace felt a bit slow, there were some red herrings and some instances of “that would never happen”. Just an OK from me. Not sure if I‘ll continue on. 3/5⭐️

#DoubleBookSpin

Well written and at times humorous debut.
But I had too many issues with characters (especially the female protagonist) and the convoluted storyline to recommend it. 2.25/5⭐️ for the writing and humor.

My full GR review is at:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6622442529

This is the second in series and as I gave the initial one a 4.25/5 stars I was looking forward to this next one. Unfortunately, I just didn't get the same excitement factor from this one. I think part of my dissatisfaction is not getting more from the female protagonist here. I feel that Sebastian is a well-fleshed out hero, but Gemma needs more "airtime" and more of a chance to contribute to the overall storyline. Also, as I was not surprised?

A soft pick.
I enjoyed a previous book from Foley (The Guest List) and looked forward to this next outing. This one started a little slow for me, picked up in the middle and had a surprising but satisfying ending. It's told in various character voices and back and forth between the past and present, but luckily, I didn't have any issues keeping up with it all. It definitely had a spooky atmosphere, and the "trees/woods" almost took on a life ?

So, my 86 yo mom is not a huge reader…mostly the Bible and magazines/newspapers.

I want to see if I can get her interested in some cozy mysteries…but I‘m not really very familiar with them as they‘re not a favorite genre for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Any suggestions as to a good cozy book/series to start with?

Thanks much! 🩷

Dropped today, this is 3rd in the fun historical mystery series centered around beloved Jane Austen characters. This time Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney are teaming up to thwart a murder before it happens. 4.25/5⭐️

Love this series! If you‘d like to read my long-winded review (of course you do 😂😂), here‘s my GR link:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6448060306

The latest in the Lady Darby series just dropped today, and it was wonderful! 5/5⭐️

My review is rather long-winded so if you‘re interested, here‘s my Goodreads link:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6445470240

OK, my friends. I‘ve come to realize that the majority of my mystery/thriller books are in my Kindle library. Most of my physical ones are from series, and I don‘t want to throw y‘all into that. 😂 So…I‘ve included 2 here that were commented on but not chosen from a previous round, and the others are ones I‘m interested in purchasing. So please rank them by your interest, and if one is chosen that I don‘t own, I‘ll pick it up. 😊👍

And the celebrations continue…July Littens, you‘re up next! 🎂🎂🎂🩷 Looking forward to all the birthdays coming up next month. 😊

If you‘d like to be added to the #birthdayfairies calendar and receive a little extra #birthdaylove on your special day, just send your Litsy handle and your birthdate to litsybirthdays@gmail.com.

Get your party hats ready, July babies!! 🥳🥳

🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

I simply love this series. And one of the things that I love most (and there are quite a few) is that I never get bored. Every book is unique, every book adds another layer to the storyline/characters, every book leaves me waiting for more. This one had two major reveals: the history behind Brodie‘s decision to leave the Metropolitan Police ten years before, and the first serious disagreement between Brodie and Mikaela, leaving us to wonder how ⬇️

This was a follow-up to the Bow Street Duchess series, and this one was centered around a family member, Lady Cassandra Sinclair, with only brief glimpses of the two prior mains. Some time has passed since we last saw Cassie, which I found a good thing, as she had previously seemed very young, naive and a bit spoiled. As she has no plans to ever wed due to a tragic mistrust, she establishes Hope House, a private residence where pregnant, unwed ⬇️

This review is a longer one (and I‘m really not sure if I explained my feelings about certain aspects very well 😂), but if you‘d like to muddle through, here‘s the Goodreads link:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5974070733

4.25/5⭐️

*Was lucky enough to see her recently on her book tour. Really funny and a great speaker.

In this follow-up to Stars and Smoke, pop superstar Winter Young is once again recruited by agent Sydney Cossette to assist the elite covert ops Panacea group. They travel to Singapore to locate and retrieve a missing Panacea agent and uncover an assassination plot that must be thwarted to avoid a war. There is pretty much nonstop action here as well as treachery, double crosses, a tragic loss and lots of romantic chemistry along the way. ⬇️

Forgot to post my #ReadYourKindle list for June…so behind. 😩

Ok, another long review, and this one will probably be an #unpopularopinion. 2.75/5⭐️

If you‘re interested, my review is on GR:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6565799242

5/5⭐️ - +++
Out today

Loved this book so much…hence my long review on GR. 😂 If you‘d like to read that review, here‘s the link:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6319025223

It‘s been a minute since I‘ve read a Heyer, and I had forgotten just how hilarious they can be! 😂 Really enjoyed this one with a couple of romance tropes involved: opposite social standing and enemies to lovers. Lots of misunderstandings/assumptions/hijinks and a strong and stubborn heroine with a heart of gold. While I loved Deborah, it was her aunt who had me laughing out loud and rolling my eyes most of the time. What a character! Heyer is ⬇️

I loved Hello Beautiful and liked this one as well, just not as much. (4/5⭐️)

My review is longer than usual so I‘m leaving my GR link below for anyone interested.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6172713059

I simply love Turner‘s books. They are feel-good, heartwarming, funny and always keep me smiling.

My review for this one is on the longer side so I‘m leaving my Goodreads link below for anyone interested.

This one I rated 4.25/5⭐️ but now I‘m thinking more 4.5. 😂😂

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6354243544

OK, I‘ve managed a Bail and an almost Pan on this one for my #ReadYourKindle picks in May so far…I‘m on a roll! This one unfortunately was simply boring (not much actually taking place), and there was entirely too much waffling back and forth by the main character on whether one character was a good guy or bad guy. And there didn‘t seem to be much chemistry in the romance portion. Now that I think of it, it really does sound like a Pan.😆 2/5⭐️

Here‘s my June #BookSpin / #DoubleSpin list.

Thanks for the reminder, Sarah!

I just love this series! I sometimes deliberately fall behind just so I‘ll have one or two waiting in the wings. 😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️ This 6th addition was especially great I thought. We‘re treated to Charlotte‘s first interaction with Moriarity (aka Mr. Baxter) as he hires her to infiltrate a religious cult and find his missing and rebellious daughter. There are several storylines going on in this one so I had to pay close attention as the play is deep.⬇️

It‘s on its way @Jerdencon . Hopeful arrival by next Wednesday 5/29. 🤞🏻🤞🏻

#LMPBC

This was my #LMPBC so I won‘t give a detailed review until later to avoid any spoilers for my group. 😊 I did enjoy it though.

I‘ll be getting this in the mail sometime this week @Jerdencon . I‘ll update when it‘s on its way.

I enjoyed this funny, sweet and at times, moving book.
Millie Chandler, a 30-year-old receptionist, had her heart broken in a public way by a cheating co-worker boyfriend. She‘s also dealt with and witnessed bad behavior/hurt feelings from other co-workers, family and friends. She decides to get her true feelings out about these moments through drafting emails that were never sent…until they were. This is the premise of the story. How does ⬇️

This thriller adds a paranormal element to the mix (as Roberts often does). Twelve-year-old Thea and her younger brother Rem always look forward to their summer two-week stay with their Grammie in the Appalachians of Kentucky while their parents take a couple vacation. However, a horrific event sees them permanently uprooted to live with Grammie. Thea, who has a “gift” that is not spoke of, discovers that this ability runs through her mother‘s ⬇️

I loved this sweet story and its lovable characters.
Georgie Rowe is an outspoken and opinionated young governess who believes that children should enjoy a childhood that is everything hers was not…namely filled with fun, laughter and adventure. Her first long-overdue posting (see outspoken and opinionated…) is to the household of former naval captain Harry Kincaid whose flighty sister leaves her three children with him for an extended stay ⬇️

I loved this book…wonderful sense of place (Greenland and France), complex and lovely characters, and an interesting and engaging storyline. Centers around Ilse, a translator who lives in Greenland but is overjoyed by a trip to France to meet a famous poet, Po, and translate his poems. She falls for France and the charming aging Po as well. But will she also fall for his charismatic son or is the pull of her home, friends and family stronger? ⬇️

June is fast approaching, and we have a wonderful lineup of Littens celebrating their birthdays during the month! 🎉🎉🎉

If you‘d like to have your own celebration added to the Litsy birthday calendar, simply send your birthdate and Litsy handle to litsybirthdays@gmail.com (your info only, please). The #birthdayfairies will do the rest!

Looking forward to all the June celebrations!

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

This was an OK for me. Sweet Teen/YA about Natalie and Finn who meet and are paired as partners on a reality show filmed along the Appalachian Trail to win college scholarships. She‘s a definite extrovert (annoying at times) with some anxiety and family issues. He‘s a bit subdued with a tragic loss in his life. Along the trail they learn there‘s more to the other than originally thought, and they learn how to survive as partners. Cute with a ⬇️

The 5th addition to the Lord Julian mystery series and another to love. This finds Julian asked by his lady love to help a friend find his wife (alive or dead) who has been missing for 5 years. Lots of frustrations for him as he deals with a cold trail, unhelpful siblings and a husband who is decidedly not a saint. My only quibbles here were that the denouement seemed a bit far fetched, and Julian‘s lady love could be a bit irritating at times. ⬇️

This first in series police procedural had its moments…a cheer worthy female protagonist with a haunting personal loss, her seasoned mentor, a possible mysterious love interest. But my problem here was in the execution of the story itself. There‘s a male protagonist who in the midst of a murder investigation becomes a suspect. He doesn‘t even meet the MFC until a ways into the story, but in the meantime we are hearing alternating chapters ⬇️

This 5th series entry finds Kim struggling to find a connection between victims seemingly being stabbed at random. Meanwhile her arch nemesis, sociopath Dr. Alex Thorne, a manipulative psychiatrist she put in prison, is still pulling strings…some involving Kim and her estranged mother. There‘s always lots going on in these books, and this one is no exception. Loved seeing more of the dynamic between Kim/mom/Thorne. 5/5⭐️

I just love this series more and more as I go along. This is number 4, and Kim finds herself and her team investigating a serial killer who‘s leaving victims on a “body farm” viciously beaten and stabbed. This one has some surprises and a reappearance of a possible love interest for Kim. Love these characters, stories and humor in these books. Recommended. 4.5/5⭐️

#BookSpin

When Liv (a bartender) and Finn (a singer/songwriter) meet in a Cornish coastline bar, there‘s instant attraction. Following a tragedy, they are pulled apart by distance (he lives in LA, she won‘t leave her special needs brother), but Finn promises to come back each summer (there are 6 of them) if they are each unentangled. As Liv despairs of a full life together, they both reluctantly move forward with other people and are happy. However, the ⬇️