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robinb

robinb

Joined October 2016

LibraryThing member RWBrock

Fiction fan, ❤️ hist. romance/mystery/suspense, urban fantasy. GR: www.goodreads.com/rwbrock ; Litsy Birthday fairy :)
review
robinb
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Pickpick

This is 4th in the Maggie D‘Arcy mystery/police procedural series about a Long Island homicide detective who has moved with her daughter to Dublin to live with her lover and his son. She has completed her Garda training and is assigned to a local neighborhood as a street cop. She is temporarily pulled into a murder case of a young model and her missing toddler. There are lots of suspects, twists and turns and a big surprise during the 🔽

robinb denouement. This has really turned out to be a new favorite mystery series for me as there‘s good writing with interesting characters and well plotted storylines. Recommended. 5/5⭐️ (edited) 2d
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
robinb
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Pickpick

I loved this book. Isadora is a 30 yo university researcher who because she has an analytical mind and a lifelong history of emotional abuse has a hard time with social interactions. She is tasked with helping a psychology professor with his new book research while she‘s also conducting her own study to disprove the validity of a magazine article entitled “31 Ways to be Happy”. As she tests each item on the list, she begins to notice changes in 🔽

robinb her life…new connections, new outlooks, new possibilities. But can her fear of being vulnerable and hurt ever truly be overcome to find her way to happiness in life? Isadora was such an endearingly unique character…frustrating at times but also cheer worthy and relatable. As we watch her grow and gain confidence through shared experiences with new people, she becomes a brave and self-aware woman who must decide if and how 🔽 3d
robinb she can move forward with her newfound life lessons while also living with her fears. Funny, heartbreaking and with a stellar cast of secondary characters, this one is special and a lovely inspiration. 5/5⭐️ 3d
kspenmoll Love your review! 3d
robinb @kspenmoll Thank you! 😊 3d
47 likes7 stack adds4 comments
review
robinb
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Pickpick

This is a dual timeline (1948/1999) story featuring grandmother Cora and granddaughter Mickey centered around their ancestral home Beech House on Martha‘s Vineyard. Cora is shown as a young devoted wife drawn to a local carpenter who renovates her kitchen sanctuary. Decades later she has a second chance at love. Mickey has made management mistakes with her and her boyfriend chef‘s upscale restaurant. As the family gathers to celebrate a 🔽

robinb big event, misunderstandings ensue, surprises (both good and bad) are revealed and new beginnings are on the horizon. This was an average book for me. Fairly predictable, but Cora‘s and Mickey‘s love of cooking (as well as their devotion to each other) bumps it up a bit. 4/5⭐️
4d
46 likes1 comment
review
robinb
Always Isn't Forever | J. C. Cervantes
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Mehso-so

This is a story about teenage love and how all-consuming and fraught it can be. Ruby and Hart have known each other since early childhood and have become soulmates. Following a devastating turn of events Ruby loses Hart. But through an angel‘s intervention, he returns in the body of the troubled and arrogant bad-boy quarterback. Will Ruby realize this before all of HIS memories fade/are taken away? While this was fine and had its moments, I 🔽

robinb didn‘t really get all the feels of an emotionally compelling love story/loss. I felt like I didn‘t have enough background/insight into the protagonists. Unfortunately, I just didn‘t feel that invested. 3.5/5⭐️ 5d
45 likes1 comment
blurb
robinb
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“The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you”.

*The Happy Life of Isadora Bentley (preface)
**Subject to change upon publication.

blurb
robinb
The Spinster Book | MYRTLE REED
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I‘m looking forward to my #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin this month. One is next from a favorite series, the other (hopefully) an informative guide.🤞🏼

Thanks Sarah! 👏👏👏

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Enjoy!! 6d
35 likes1 comment
blurb
robinb
Fanatic! | Henry Rollins
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Thanks for the tag @Andrew65 (I wonder why you thought of me 😂).

1. I honestly have no idea. 🤷🏻‍♀️

2. The more, the merrier…unless they start going off the track. My longest running is currently 55+ and still going strong (In Death, JD Robb).

3. Oh yes. Julie Anne Long‘s Pennyroyal Green; Darynda Jones‘ Sunshine Vicram … if it‘s a good one, I hate to see any of them end. 😔 I get emotionally attached. 🥹

#wondrouswednesday

Eggs # 3 - so true! Thanks for playing 🥳🥳 7d
Andrew65 😂😂😂We do get emotionally attached to a series and often upsetting when they end. 7d
29 likes2 comments
review
robinb
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Pickpick

Margot Hammer is the former drummer of the famous rock band Burnt Flowers which dramatically and publicly disbanded 20 years ago. She‘s divorced from her famous British actor husband with whom she shares a grown daughter (Poppy) and lives reclusively alone in NYC. Billy Perkins is a happy, cardigan-wearing self-employed music teacher in Baltimore with a college-bound son (Caleb) that he shares with his ex-girlfriend and her husband. When Caleb 🔽

robinb sets up a bogus meeting at their local record shop (Charm City Rocks) in order for his dad to meet his former crush Margot, things get interesting. Add in Margot‘s selfish but hilarious philandering ex-husband (Lawson), and you‘ve got the makings of a pretty good rom-com. I enjoyed this for a couple of reasons. Margot had pretty much given up her music when she meets Billy. He helps her see that being a drummer and writing music is who she is 🔽 1w
robinb and what brings her joy. And the humor (especially from the incorrigible “villain” Lawson) is spot on and wonderfully written. It‘s not perfect as there were some eye-rolling moments and too much bad language, but it was well worth the read. 4.25/5⭐️ 1w
40 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
robinb
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Pickpick

4.25/5

This is second in the Saffron Everleigh historical mystery series set in 1920s London.

As a botany research assistant at university, Saffron has had to prove herself in a male-dominated workplace. She is involved in her first research assignment with Dr. Michael Lee when a series of murders with various floral bouquets left behind pulls her into assisting the police with clues. She and Lee ingratiate themselves with a victim‘s 🔽

robinb fast friends and discover secrets/surprises.

I enjoyed this story! Saffron is a lovable character, and Lee and her roommate Elizabeth provide lots of comic relief. There‘s a bit of a love triangle that emerges and though I was a bit disappointed in our heroine‘s back and forth, I‘m looking forward to seeing if that‘s really resolved and what she gets up to in her next adventure. 4.25/5⭐️
1w
Laughterhp Oh! I loved the first book! Can‘t wait to read this one. 1w
Cupcake12 I‘ve just got hold of the first in the series x 1w
robinb @Laughterhp I‘m really liking this series! 😊 I‘ll look forward to hearing what you think. 1w
robinb @Cupcake12 Yay!!! Hope you enjoy it! 1w
45 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
robinb
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Panpan

When Jess‘ marriage disintegrates, she and her 30-year-old daughter decamp from Charleston to her Cape Cod childhood home for support from her mother and bff. She and her bff (who is also at a crossroads) decide to buy a local bookstore. As they work toward business success, their daughters pitch in as well. OK, this just did not work for me. First, the writing felt simplistic and just not up to par. The characters had no depth, therefore I 🔽

robinb wasn‘t invested enough. They felt like they were simply reacting to situations (my marriage derailed, I‘ll impulsively buy a bookstore, etc.) without planning ahead or making thoughtful decisions. It felt like there wasn‘t much of a storyline either…end of a marriage, returns home, new investment, new life. And all five women (mothers and daughters) end up with pretty perfect lives…somehow.
Just not for me. 2.5/5⭐️
1w
41 likes1 comment
review
robinb
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Mehso-so

The first in a new series by a new-to-me author, this story revolves around a reclusive duke who suffered emotional abuse as a child and a young woman who dreams of inheriting her father‘s London bookstore.

Elizabeth Sharpe is trying to keep her father‘s generations-old bookshop open while he descends into an alcohol-fueled depression. When they are in danger of losing their historical benefactor, Garrett, the Duke of Montrose, she steps in 🔽

robinb to deliver his weekly book order. As Garrett begins to know Elizabeth, he admires her spirit and determination, and the two begin a sort of book club of their own. But as their meetings threaten Elizabeth‘s reputation, is she willing to sacrifice it for a man she‘s drawn to? And is he selfish enough to allow it? Are their stations in life too far apart to permit more? While the premise of this story was cute, the writing was simplistic to me. 🔽 1w
robinb There wasn‘t much historical context and at times I found Elizabeth and Garrett a bit wishy-washy. The romance seemed to happen fairly quickly without much of a buildup so I didn‘t feel as much tension between the two.

For me, this was just an average read.
3/5⭐️
1w
37 likes2 comments
review
robinb
Same Time Next Summer | Annabel Monaghan
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Pickpick

Sam is a 30-year-old successful woman living in Manhattan, planning her wedding near her childhood beach home on Long Island. But when she and her fiancé travel home to finalize details, she comes face-to-face with her childhood best friend and first love, Wyatt, who broke her heart and left her despondent at 17 and now lives in CA. As she begins to relax at the beach with her family and feel more herself, she begins questioning her decisions in?

robinb life and what exactly happened to cause Wyatt‘s loss.

I enjoyed this book. It had likable characters (although I did get a bit disgruntled with Sam occasionally), a good mix of past/present storylines and a good look at how we sometimes need to take a step back and make sure we recognize ourselves, both as we are and how we want to be.

Sweet with just the right amount of depth and angst. 4.25/5⭐️
1w
45 likes1 comment
review
robinb
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Mehso-so

Esme Cahill is living the dream she had so carefully mapped out in the publishing industry in NYC…until she‘s fired, disrupting all of her carefully laid plans. She returns home to Asheville, NC at the request of her deceased grandmother Adele, to the lakeside retreat family business and her grandfather and estranged mother. Sadly, the refuge she called home with her grandparents is now run down and losing money. Together with her mother, her 🔽

robinb grandfather George and an adventurous chef named Dawes, they work to bring the retreat back to its glory days. While doing so, Esme learns more about her grandmother‘s past through her unusual handmade quilts found in an attic and begins to write her fascinating story. As the retreat begins a new resurgence and Esme‘s writing does as well, will she return to NYC and the literary world she loves, or will she remain with her roots 🔽 1w
robinb in NC surrounded by the friends and family who love and support her dreams? I enjoyed this one for the most part. The chapters alternate between Esme‘s life and her grandmother Adele‘s in the 1940s. I found the Adele chapters fascinating in parts especially relating to the Biltmore Estate. But while the storyline was fine, I had some difficulty connecting with the characters themselves at times. I didn‘t feel the depth that I would have liked 🔽 1w
robinb with Esme, and there is a whole surprising development with the chef Dawes at the end that really threw me off balance. And once things began wrapping up, it all felt a bit too neatly tied up with a bow. All-in-all, well written and interesting but with some depth issues for me. 3.5/5⭐️ 1w
36 likes3 comments
blurb
robinb
Under the Magnolias | T. I. Lowe
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Disclaimer: Not Book Related

Does anyone love magnolias like I do??! Their creamy, majestic beauty and that FRAGRANCE! 🤍🤍🤍 They‘re a big reason why I look forward to this time of year.

Aims42 I love them too and wish this variety grew around me 🤩 They‘re so pretty!! 2w
Tamra I wish we had them here! Lucky you 💜 2w
robinb @Aims42 @Tamra This is a pic from a tree in my front yard. Opening my front door is a heady experience when they‘re blooming. 🩷 When we moved here 26 years ago, the tree was small and took forever to seem to grow, but now it‘s huge and will be one of the things I miss most if we ever move. 2w
See All 9 Comments
Aims42 @robinb Awww, I love that! 🥰 2w
kspenmoll We have a pink magnolia which blooms in May. The white looks gorgeous! 2w
robinb @kspenmoll oh wow! I don‘t think I even knew there was a pink variety. How cool and gorgeous I‘m sure. 🩷 2w
robinb @kspenmoll My bad! 😂 I just realized that a lot of southern folks call the pink magnolia a tulip tree. And they are simply gorgeous!! 2w
eanderson Beautiful!!! 2w
robinb @eanderson they really are in every way. Kind of like some people I know…😉😘😘 2w
45 likes9 comments
blurb
robinb
The Spinster Book | MYRTLE REED
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Here‘s my updated #BookSpin / #DoubleSpin list, Sarah! 🤗

Happy Gardening! 🍅

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! I've been gardening all week and it's SO happy!!! 2w
robinb @TheAromaofBooks 🥒🥕🌽🍅🥬🧅🌶️🫛 2w
31 likes2 comments
review
robinb
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Pickpick

Lucy is a teacher‘s aide whose wish is to be able to afford adopting 7 yo Christopher. She is one of four contestants offered the chance to own the rights to mega popular children‘s series author Jack Masterson‘s long-awaited Clock Island book. As she competes to answer Jack‘s (Master Mastermind) riddles, she learns that she needs to be brave and face what scares her the most to be able to win what she truly wishes for. There‘s much more here, 🔻

robinb but I won‘t go into everything. Suffice it to say, this is a sweet and poignant story that brings to mind Willy Wonka but centered around books. The moments between Lucy/Christopher are touching, and there‘s an endearing curmudgeon of a cover artist to provide humor and sparks. But it‘s the magic and nostalgia around Jack and Clock Island itself that makes the story a truly special one. A bit of a sugary sweet ending and 🔻 2w
robinb some over-the-top drama from Lucy, but it‘s utterly worth the ride. Now my fervent wish is for an invitation to Clock Island. 😊 4.5/5⭐️ (edited) 2w
58 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
robinb
Anatomy of Murder: A Novel | Imogen Robertson
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Pickpick

2nd in series, I enjoyed this one (set in 1781 London) even more than the first. The backstory is a bit long-winded but the series revolves around two unlikely amateur detectives, Harriet Westerman and Gabriel Crowther. This one is unique in that it is told by two voices investigating murders that end up connected. Involving treason, there are twists and turns and surprisingly some heartbreakingly sad moments as well. Well plotted, well written,🔻

robinb well researched and interesting flawed characters…it‘s everything I look for in a good historical mystery series. Recommended. 5/5⭐️

#DoubleSpin
3w
robinb @Laughterhp @BookishBelle @BookwormAHN just a heads up, this is the second book in my #LMPBC choice if you‘re interested. 😊 (edited) 3w
BookishBelle Thanks! I‘m in the middle of the first and loving it! 3w
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robinb @BookishBelle oh good! Glad to hear that. 😊 2w
paper.reveries Never heard of this one before! Gonna add it. 2w
robinb @daisyheadmaesie great! 😊 I‘d definitely recommend reading the first one before (see above). Otherwise you might be a bit lost with the characters/prior events. 2w
paper.reveries @robinb Of course! :) 2w
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 2w
49 likes4 stack adds8 comments
blurb
robinb
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REPOST for @LitsyBirthdays :

May might not be over yet, but the #BirthdayFaries are busy preparing the #BirthdayLove fairy dust for all the wonderful Litten celebrating their birthday in June!

🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈

If you‘d like to be sprinkled with virtual heaps of #BirthdayLove and fairy dust, send your birthday and Litsy handle to litsybirthdays@gmail.com .

🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

squirrelbrain 🎉❤️🎉❤️🎉❤️ 3w
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🎊🎉🎈🎁❤️ 3w
36 likes2 comments
review
robinb
When Blood Lies | C S Harris
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Pickpick

17th in series, this series never disappoints and is one of the few that I will preorder at full price with no idea what it‘s about. 😂 This one is set in 1815 Paris as St. Cyr is faced with more turmoil and heartbreak surrounding his decades-missing mother and mystery of his paternity. Lots of political intrigue, shady characters and twists. I did miss some of the “crew” in London, but this felt a step in the right direction to giving St. Cyr 🔻

robinb some answers/closures. Highly recommend the entire series. 4.5/5⭐️#BookSpin (edited) 3w
Lynnsoprano I‘ve seen this series, but never tried it. Looks like I need to correct that. 3w
robinb @Lynnsoprano Yay!!! I hope you do! I always recommend it to those who ❤️ historical mysteries. Meticulously researched, wonderfully flawed characters and lots of intrigue. Best to start at the beginning with this one. 🔻 Would love to hear what you think. 😊 3w
See All 13 Comments
Lynnsoprano @robinb That title sounded familiar. I have it on my Kindle! Moving quickly up the TBR😄 3w
robinb @Lynnsoprano 😊👍 3w
TheAromaofBooks I will have to check this series out!!! Even though they aren't really alike, thinking about incredibly well-researched historical mysteries made me wonder if you've read the Brother Cadfael books? 3w
robinb @TheAromaofBooks I actually haven‘t but have checked and found that I own this first one on Kindle. I think it had gotten lost in the shuffle. 😉 I‘m glad you brought it back to my attention! 3w
TheAromaofBooks It is definitely a series to read in order as the characters really grow and the stories build on one another. I LOVE those books. I felt like they just got better and better as the series went on. 2w
robinb @TheAromaofBooks I‘m going to add it to my June BookSpin list so it won‘t get swallowed up again. 😂 2w
TheAromaofBooks I have a separate TBR that is JUST mystery series I'm interested in reading, and it's up to 114 series, so I feel you on the “getting lost“ bit!! 😂 2w
robinb @TheAromaofBooks That‘s a good idea…thanks for sharing! It would help tremendously to divide them by series/genre. 2w
TheAromaofBooks Oh we all know I love tracking things about reading as much as (or maybe even more than LOL) actually reading. I have a spreadsheet with multiple tabs. One is what I consider my “general“ TBR - random stand-alone books I don't own. Then I have one for mystery series, one for other series, and one for nonfiction, plus one for books I own! Not sure if this means I'm organized or crazy! 😂 Oh and the general one is also color-coded by genre! 2w
robinb @TheAromaofBooks wow…that is awesome!! My only attempt at organization is a spreadsheet of all the physical books I own, read and not read. I need to go back over my Litsy and Kindle “wish lists” and make a spreadsheet there too. Then I could see (and remember) what I‘ve REALLY been meaning to read. 🙄🤷🏻‍♀️ (edited) 2w
43 likes13 comments
review
robinb
Identity | Nora Roberts
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Mehso-so

I‘ve always been a fan of Roberts, especially her JD Robb persona. But this romantic suspense was just too long. 450 pages may not sound lengthy, but the middle was slow and unnecessary in parts. A young woman saving up to own her own bar has her identity and dreams stolen and her bf murdered by a cyber thief/psychopath. Starting over she relocates to live with her mom and grandma, finds a great job, great guy and regains her strength and 🔻

robinb confidence because she knows he‘s coming for her as his only mistake in his murdering spree. It has the romance (though the male lead is annoyingly alpha), the suspense (mostly towards the end) and Roberts‘ signature blunt writing style (also annoying at times), but I just was not able to get into it as I usually do her books. Still, not a bad read overall. 3.5/5⭐️ 3w
CoverToCoverGirl Love her JD Robb series but avoid her writing as herself. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3w
robinb @CoverToCoverGirl I‘ve always loved both, but lately her Roberts writing has seemed off for her. This is not the first recently that I haven‘t totally loved. I ❤️ Robb too! 😊👍 3w
Octoberwoman I really struggled with this one. Probably my least favorite of her books so far. 3w
robinb @Octoberwoman Glad it‘s not just me. Although I have read some other reviews that pointed out the things that bugged me. 3w
46 likes5 comments
review
robinb
Gray Lady | Byrd Nash
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Pickpick

This is 4th in the Madame Chalamet historical mystery/fantasy series about a Ghost Talker who helps folks with their ghostly problems.😉 In this book, Elinor is called on to try to rid a family of its curse involving a “Gray Lady” ghost. There are lots of secrets and lies that come out around a murder and also some connections made to previous adventures. While I enjoyed it, I didn‘t feel it was on par with previous books. 3.5/5⭐️

review
robinb
Someone Else's Bucket List | Amy T. Matthews
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Pickpick

Jodie Boyd must complete Bree‘s (her late sister) bucket list (and post her adventures for Bree‘s social media followers) in order to pay off the massive hospital bills that have the family struggling. As she completes each task she begins to come more and more into her own, and when one of the tasks involves her high school crush/baseball teammate, will she be able to complete the final task on the list? This was a sad, funny, and courageous 🔻

robinb story. Jodie was a joy to watch as she discovered both more about herself as well as how much of a support system she had. I wasn‘t thrilled with the turn Kelly‘s (her crush) storyline took near the end (more honesty and communication needed there), and the way Jodie was made to shoulder some of the blame, but still the book was a winner for me. 4.25/5⭐️ 3w
57 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
robinb
Emma of 83rd Street | Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding
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Pickpick

This was a modern friends/lovers spin on Austen‘s Emma and reminded me a lot of the movie version as well as the Clueless version. Emma Woodhouse and her sister Margo grew up and were bffs with their backyard neighbors George and Ben Knightley. When Ben and Margo marry, Emma “adopts” Nadine from her college class to “makeover” and occupy herself. As she and George continue bickering (on Nadine‘s makeover and on every other subject), they 🔻

robinb eventually realize that their bff love has morphed into something much more. I enjoyed the first 3/4 of the story more than the end, and I‘m not sure why. It‘s a pretty standard ending. But somehow as Emma and Knightley become involved it felt a little icky to me? She‘s 23 and he‘s 31, and I know it‘s not a huge age difference, but he remembers her from her birth…and I felt a little weird about that…especially as they became more intimate 🔻 (edited) 3w
robinb with some fairly explicit love scenes. But overall, it‘s cute and sweet and enjoyable. 4/5⭐️ 3w
50 likes2 comments
review
robinb
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Pickpick

This was my May #LMPBC and is the first in an historical mystery series set in 1883 on Amelia Island (FL). I won‘t say much here to spoil it for my group, but I did end up enjoying it after a bit of a struggle. It started off slow for me but by the middle I was invested. Loved the heroine (Cassie), and there were actually several plots going on (which could be confusing). A bit silly at times (got past that), but overall I liked it. 3.5/5⭐️

BookwormAHN 😺😺 1mo
43 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
robinb
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Pickpick

Second in series, Mallory, a modern-day Edinburgh homicide detective who found herself transported back to Victorian Edinburgh (in a housemaid‘s body) following a brutal attack, is once again assisting her employer Duncan (a doctor/medical examiner) and a police detective when a string of men (seemingly unrelated) die by poisoning. Could it be the work of a Poisoner‘s Ring consisting of their wives? I would call this book average (as its 🔻

robinb predecessor was) with echoes of the excellent Kendra Donovan series. My biggest complaint was that the plot line was tedious and confusing at times…a bit too convoluted with motives and suspects going off on tangents. I felt there were too many twists and false paths which led to some sighs from me and a “get to it already”. Still overall not a bad read. Would definitely recommend reading the prior one first. 3.5/5⭐️ 1mo
41 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
robinb
Perilous Times | Thomas D Lee
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Panpan

I wrestled and struggled with this historical fiction fantasy. The premise was promising. The Knights of the Round Table were given immortality by Merlin and live under their own tree to be brought back when Britain is in peril. The peril here is global warming, but there are mentions of others throughout history. While the knights and their contemporaries are essential characters, Mariam, a young rebel fighting against power mongers, really 🔻

robinb leads the charge. My main issues with this book were its length (500 pages, needed lots of editing) and its over abundance of preachiness. There were boring stretches throughout rehashing plot points ad nauseam. And while I know global warming is a real and viable concern, this storyline became tiresome as it was saturated in endless platitudes and political motivations. I actually considered DNF because I felt battered and weary. 🔻 1mo
robinb Those who love Arthurian legend will probably enjoy this (although the characters are very different in some cases), and it is well written, but it just wasn‘t for me. 2.5/5⭐️ 1mo
40 likes2 comments
review
robinb
The Dueling Duchess | Minerva Spencer
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Mehso-so

Second in series featuring the strong, independent women in an all-female circus, I had really enjoyed the first book and had high hopes for this one as well. Cecile is a 36 yo French woman who is part owner of the circus and has an expert markswoman act. Guy is the heir to a dukedom and apparently God‘s gift to women as he is known for his many liaisons. Celine and Guy had an affair, but she ended it when he asked her to be his mistress. A year🔻

robinb later, after assuming the title of duke, Guy is usurped by an unexpected cousin. He decides that his downfallen state might be for the best as he can now marry Cecile. He goes to work for her doing menial labor to prove his love and regret for his former action. I was disappointed in this book. While I love the premise of these strong women in charge of their own lives, I failed to connect with Cecile and even found myself actively 🔻 1mo
robinb disliking her for most of the book. Guy, at 33, was too immature. And they both were arrogant and a bit shallow at times. There were several/too many plot lines going on and some past/present chapters (it would help to read the initial book for background). Intimate scenes were very sexy. If I could have connected with the characters, it might have saved the day. Sad to say, but this definitely hovers on the precipice of a pan for me. 2.75/5⭐️ 1mo
44 likes2 comments
blurb
robinb
The Spinster Book | MYRTLE REED
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So excited for my May #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin ! The Harris is from one of my favorite historical mystery series, and the Robertson is the next in an historical mystery series of which I just read the first in my current #LMPBC round. 👏👏👏 At least on the Robertson book the characters will be fresh on my mind. 😊

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 1mo
28 likes1 comment
review
robinb
Her Fixer Upper | Emily Kerr
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Pickpick

Another sweet rom-com (I‘ve been reading lots of them lately) centered around reunited childhood friends Freya (a school teacher) and Charlie (owner of a social media agency) who each dream of owning their own home. As they neither are able to secure loans, they team up and buy a fixer upper (horrendously in disrepair). Freya, a meticulous planner, writes up The Rules, a guide of dos and don‘ts of joint ownership. An easy-going and amused 🔻

robinb Charlie agrees to it. But as they work together to restore the cottage so they can flip it for their own homes, Freya finds herself loosening up and Charlie becoming more responsible as they begin to appreciate their old friendship (and perhaps more).
Both characters were endearing in different ways and the house with all its troubles/charms became a character in itself. Cute and funny and enjoyable. 4/5⭐️
1mo
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
robinb
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Pickpick

Second in the Mr. Darcy & Miss Tilney historical mystery series, this one finds the dynamic duo of Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney as they meet again visiting the Willoughby residence and the Brandon residence, respectively. Following a small dinner party, Mrs. Willoughby collapses and dies. As rumors run rampant, Jonathan and Juliet (along with Darcy‘s childhood friend Bamber) discreetly commence an investigation as the village 🔻

robinb begins to suspect a supposedly jealous Marianne Brandon of the deed.
I adored the first in the series, The Murder of Mr. Wickham, and while (in my opinion) this one was not quite as wonderful it was still great fun and a delightful read. The mystery itself was fairly easy to solve, but it‘s the characters, the settings, and the writing that I‘ve enjoyed most about these books. It is delightful (as an Austen fan) to picture these characters 🔻
1mo
robinb from her various books interacting with each other. There‘s dry humor and a hint of possible romance, but it‘s the pleasure of knowing the backstories of these characters that give the stories a richness and an intimate feeling…lots to reminisce about from the original Austen books. Both Jonathan and Juliet are endearing and lovable characters, finding in the other an intelligence and almost innate connection that is sweet to watch as it 🔻 1mo
robinb blossoms. I definitely recommend this series and look forward to more outings with Jonathan and Juliet. 4.25/5 ⭐️ 1mo
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Bklover Well it sounds wonderful! I‘ll check out the first in the series. Thanks❤️❤️❤️ 1mo
robinb @Bklover I think you‘d love it. 😊🤗 1mo
Lynnsoprano I loved the first book, now I‘m anxious to read this, too! 1mo
robinb @Lynnsoprano it‘s such a unique premise! I found myself wondering what Austen would have thought of her character‘s‘ adventures together as a group. 😆 1mo
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robinb
Famous for a Living | Melissa Ferguson
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Pickpick

This was such a cute rom-com! I had read a previous book from this author and enjoyed it so now I‘m officially on board.😊 Cat is a wealthy influencer in NYC who needs a place to hide out after being accused of financial crimes with her business partner. She takes a job with her beloved park ranger uncle in Montana and is thrown together with his coworker Zaiah, a flip phone user.😂 As they grow closer, Cat begins to see that she might be ⬇️

robinb missing out on life on her own terms as she tries to please her public with theirs. Again, a sweet (no language, sex) story about acceptance and being one‘s self. And as a side note, Cat‘s best friend Serena and her park intern roommate Mina each need their own books…seriously. 💙 Recommended. 4.5/5⭐️ 1mo
47 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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robinb
The Garnett Girls | Georgina Moore
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Mehso-so

This is a debut novel centered on three grown sisters (Rachel, Imogen and Sasha) and their complicated relationships with their free-spirited mother (Margo). Taking place at their childhood home on the Island of Wight, it‘s a look at all the complications and messiness of family and its secrets. Richard and Margo were an epic love story that gradually disintegrated following Richard‘s downward spiral. He abruptly left the family with no ⬇️

robinb explanation after 10 years of marriage, leaving Margo depressed and their daughters confused and in the dark while trying to take care of Margo and hold the family together. As the girls grow up, Margo becomes both a source of comfort and strife as she loves fiercely but also controls in equal measure. Each has her own issues with their mother (and absent father) as well as their own life dilemmas to work through before they can be free to move ⬇️ 1mo
robinb forward and live on their own terms.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. The writing was fine. The plot (with some childhood snippets), while a bit thin in parts, was fine. The characters however…I didn‘t connect/particularly like any of them. And perhaps that was the point? But at times I became so frustrated and annoyed at the back and forth of their love/hate that I felt mentally exhausted and dreaded reading further. Margo was too⬇️
1mo
robinb domineering and immature for her 59 years, and her daughters too obsessed with her, seeking her approval and detesting her, often in the same paragraph. In the end, I‘m just ambivalent about the book. Not all bad but not great either. 3.5/5⭐️ (edited) 1mo
52 likes3 comments
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robinb
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Pickpick

This is 3rd in series, and I‘m loving it more with each installment. Set in WW2 England, Electra McDonnell, a feisty, intelligent former safecracking thief, is sent to Sunderland to help investigate a possible spy ring/counterfeiting operation. Her “boss”, intelligence agent Major Ramsey, meets her there with more info as bodies begin to pile up. Who is the spy/murderer among her new acquaintances? This one was especially good as the slow-burn ⬇️

robinb attraction between Ellie and Ramsey begins to heat up a bit. Weaver does character development especially well in her books. I love Ellie for her fearlessness, her resourcefulness and her endearing love for her family. And Ramsey, who‘s a bit of a stern mentor is starting to loosen up and grow on me. I always love to hear there‘s a new adventure coming out, and I‘m always up for it. 4.5/5⭐️
#coverlove
2mo
kspenmoll I read the first in this series- your review makes me eager to read the next 2! 1mo
robinb @kspenmoll Thanks, Katherine. 😊 It really is a fun series with a great heroine. 1mo
55 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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robinb
Beauty Reborn | Elizabeth Lowham
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Pickpick

Yes, this is a re-telling of the classic Beauty and the Beast but with some key differences. The biggest one is that Beauty is basically running to the castle (albeit she does officially go to save her father) because she‘s running AWAY from a personal trauma. The beast here is more of a balm for her soul than a terrifying monster. While there‘s not a lot of action (more towards the end), I enjoyed the slower introspective pace as I felt ⬇️

robinb given the sensitivity of the subject matter (trauma is mostly alluded to), I felt it should be a “quieter” book, if that makes sense. We are able to follow Beauty from a vivacious 18 yo, to a broken, disillusioned victim and finally to a stronger, more confident woman on the other side. There could have been more development on the Beast, but as the title bears out, this was Beauty‘s story. 4/5⭐️ #coverlove (edited) 2mo
51 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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robinb
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Pickpick

This story is centered on Clover, a 36-year-old woman in NYC who works as a death doula. It chronicles her life (beginning at age 6) and shows the evolution of how circumstances and those around her influenced her choice of this unusual career.
I really enjoyed this book. It is so well-written I found myself highlighting many beautiful/poignant passages throughout. And Clover is portrayed as how I‘d picture the perfect companion at one‘s death, ⬇️

robinb highly empathetic, pragmatic, and always with her clients‘ best interests and needs/desires at heart. But her path in life was not a smooth one. She faced her own obstacles and heartaches and is lonely as she finds it hard to allow anyone close. We watch as she slowly begins to realize that she must live life before she regrets its loss. And those characters along the way who help her do this are warmly wonderful in their own ways ⬇️ 2mo
robinb as they are just who she needs in her life to help pull her out of herself.
It's a unique book…the subject of death, how we feel about it and how we face it. This story brings home the need/desire in all of us to have an ending filled with dignity, self-possession, and love.
There will probably be tears (and definitely smiles and laughter) but these are the hallmark of most worthy books. And of course, there‘s a feel-good, lovely ending. ⬇️
2mo
robinb And as this one is a debut, I‘m excited for more from this talented author.
Definitely recommended. 4.5/5
2mo
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AmyG Wonderful review. I find the death doula fascinating. Stacked! 2mo
robinb @AmyG thank you! I think you‘ll like it. 2mo
Soubhiville Wow, this feels weird… my sister is Clover and she‘s a hospice nurse. Pretty similar, I‘ll have to pick this up for her! 2mo
Cinfhen Thanks for tagging me! This book sounds wonderful xx 2mo
kspenmoll Fantastic review. Stacked! 2mo
squirrelbrain Amazing - stacked! 2mo
youneverarrived Nominated this one for #camplitsy it sounds so good! Fab review 🤍 2mo
robinb @Soubhiville Seriously, I just got goosebumps…wow. 😮 2mo
robinb @Cinfhen 👍👍😊 2mo
64 likes4 stack adds13 comments
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robinb
The Spinster Book | MYRTLE REED
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Thought I‘d go ahead and post this since I‘ve got it ready. 😊📚

Thanks, Sarah! 🤗

#BookSpin #DoubleSpin

Soubhiville Oh wow, is it that time again already? 2mo
robinb @Soubhiville LOL. I‘m usually early with mine. I always look forward to those numbers. 😉 2mo
41 likes2 comments
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robinb
In Place of Fear | Catriona McPherson
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@BookwormAHN I got your next #LMPBC book out today! 😊 Hopefully with arrival by Tuesday, 4/25. 🤞🏻

tpixie 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 book mail 💝💝💝 2mo
BookwormAHN Great, I'll watch for it 😺 2mo
robinb @tpixie Always the best kind. 😉 2mo
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tpixie @robinb yes!! 2mo
robinb @BookwormAHN Ashley, just checking in to make sure your book arrived OK. I've lost my postal tracking receipt. 🙄 1mo
BookwormAHN It's here, sorry I meant to post it. 1mo
robinb @BookwormAHN No worries! Just checking in. 😊 1mo
33 likes7 comments
review
robinb
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Mehso-so

This is 2nd in series and my first to read, but it was fairly easy to follow. Nonna Maria is an octogenarian living on her beloved island of Ischia near Naples. She is a local legend, a friend to all and helps solve the occasional crime. There are actually two here. Her goddaughter, a hotel maid, is accused of stealing a guest‘s valuable necklace, and a native woman returns decades later and ends up murdered. I liked this one to a point, but ⬇️

robinb did have some frustration with it. Nonna Maria is almost too perfect and appears to solve cases effortlessly with the help of her legions of friends and family. How she has time to cook elaborate 4-course meals every day for others (since I don‘t think she eats much at all…I‘m serious) is a mystery in itself. While I enjoyed the island descriptions, it was a bit hard to keep her friends/family straight, ⬇️ 2mo
robinb and as far as the mysteries, nothing earth shattering there. The writing felt too simplistic, and the exchanges between characters too formal. It really just wasn‘t that compelling to me. 3/5⭐️ 2mo
40 likes2 comments
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robinb
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I have a love/hate relationship with some books. Just when I get my sleeping schedule on a good track, one comes along to mess it all up. 🤪😳 Bleary-eyed this am, but I won‘t complain too much. 😉😉❤️

Can anyone relate?! 😆

AmyG Ha! 2mo
squirrelbrain Ooh, this one has been nominated for #camplitsy23. 2mo
robinb @squirrelbrain I‘m 25% in and loving it! 2mo
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robinb @AmyG I know, right?! 2mo
CBee This looks right up my alley!! 2mo
willaful I have the stupidest habit of starting an interesting book right before bed... 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2mo
robinb @CBee Cydney, I think you‘d 💜 it! 👍 2mo
robinb @willaful Exactly!! I tell myself to start fresh tomorrow with a new one, but no matter how late it is I can‘t stop myself. 😄 2mo
53 likes8 comments
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robinb
The Castle Keepers | Rachel McMillan, Aimie K. Runyan, J'nell Ciesielski
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Mehso-so

This includes 3 short stories from 3 authors which are connected through different generations of the same British family, the Alnwicks and their ancestral home Leedswick Castle. The time periods are 1870, 1917 and 1945. The stories center on the male heirs and the strong women behind them. The stories cover the horrors of war/PTSD and the pressure and expectations of inheriting a family legacy that may not be your choice. While the stories ⬇️

robinb were OK, two of them were not as well-written, easy to follow or as interesting as the third. My favorite was the J‘Nell Ciesielski story. 3.25/5⭐️ #coverlove 2mo
51 likes1 comment
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robinb
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Pickpick

I gained a lot from reading this book. It is a faith-based approach on how to think about and the reasons why to work towards "getting out of bed" for those struggling with mental health issues. It is not based on a "scientific" study but rather a treatise on how looking outwards when we are in the throes of a crisis can help motivate and push us out of our own thoughts. This may not be for everyone. It is not a cure-all with guarantees of ⬇️

robinb complete healing. However, for those who are believers, it does give sound advice and guidance for better, more rewarding days. 4.5/5⭐️ 2mo
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
robinb
In Place of Fear | Catriona McPherson

@BookwormAHN I‘ll have this one in the mail to you later in the week. I‘ll give you a heads up! 😊📚
#LMPBC #Round17 #GroupH

BookwormAHN Okay 😺 2mo
27 likes1 comment
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robinb
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So many wonderful Littens are May babies!! 🌼Looking forward to all the fun celebrations coming up! If you‘d like to have YOUR special day added to the #BirthdayLove calendar (and the #birthdayfairies hope you do!), send your Litsy handle and birthdate (yours only, please) to litsybirthdays@gmail.com.

Litsyland will look forward to celebrating with you! 🥳

squirrelbrain 🎉🎉🎉 2mo
Nessavamusic Woohoo for my fellow Taurus ♉️! 2mo
robinb @Nessavamusic 💥💥💥❤️ 2mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Woohoo 🎉 🎊🎉🎈🎂🎁 2mo
37 likes4 comments
review
robinb
No Two Persons: A Novel | Erica Bauermeister
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Pickpick

I‘m not sure where to start with this review. This book affected me in profound ways that I haven‘t even begun to scratch the surface of. While physically this book is only a mere 300 pages, it felt much longer to me as I found myself slowing down to savor EACH sentence, its meaning and its beauty, before moving on to the next. I also found myself dreading reaching the final page…as I feel with all great books. For my full (long) review: 🔻

paper.reveries I'm starting to regret not having chosen this ARC! So glad you found it as moving as you did. :) 2mo
Soubhiville I love this author! Looking forward to being able to read this! 2mo
See All 7 Comments
robinb @daisyheadmaesie I requested based on how much I loved The Scent Keeper. So glad I did. 😊 2mo
robinb @Soubhiville I will definitely read anything she writes. 😊 2mo
Meshell1313 Sounds amazing! ✅ stacked! 2mo
robinb @Meshell1313 I thought so! I hope you enjoy it as well. 😊 2mo
53 likes6 stack adds7 comments
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robinb
No Two Persons: A Novel | Erica Bauermeister
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This book is KILLING me…but I‘ll go down reading. 🤣🤣 The writing…man oh man…I could highlight 50% of the book. 😆

Out 5/2

review
robinb
In Place of Fear | Catriona McPherson
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this one but won‘t say much here as it‘s an #LMPBC pick (a great choice @Laughterhp ). 😊 It centers around 1948 Edinburgh, the beginning of the NHS in Scotland and a young medical almoner who is determined to bring justice to a murdered woman. Great heroine, twisty plot, interesting details/background. 4.25/5⭐️

46 likes2 stack adds
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robinb
A Heart Worth Stealing | Joanna Barker
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Pickpick

This was such a fun, sweet story…a great feel-good book. Genevieve Wilde has been left a young heiress at the death of her beloved magistrate father. She is headstrong and determined that she will continue to make him proud and protect and prosper her inheritance. At the theft of his pocket watch (Ginny‘s most prized possession), she hires a thief-taker (former Bow Street runner Jack Travers) to find it. But soon more sinister things begin to 🔻

robinb happen around her, and she and Jack work together to unravel the “who” and “why” of the mystery. I had two favorite takeaways from this one…character and writing. Ginny is such a wonderful heroine. While still grieving for her father, she steps up (at a young age) with determination and spunk to try and fill his shoes. And Jack, well Jack is so charming and engaging as a perpetual rogue and flirt. But what I loved most about him was 🔻 2mo
robinb that he never made Ginny feel invisible or ignored…he helped her but didn‘t sweep in to take care of things when she wanted to handle them herself. They were such a good match. The writing was smooth and flowed easily with details and descriptions that were a pleasure to read and imagine. Really well-done. 4.5/5 #coverlove 2mo
CoverToCoverGirl Lovely review, stacking! 2mo
robinb @CoverToCoverGirl thank you! Hope you love it too. 😊 2mo
41 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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robinb
All the Pretty Girls | J.T. Ellison
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Mehso-so

This mystery/thriller was just OK for me. It‘s the beginning of a series of 8 featuring Taylor Jackson, a Nashville Metro Homicide Lieutenant. She (with help from her live-in FBI profiler lover) has two cases to solve here…the Rainman serial rapist and the Southern Strangler, a serial killer who leaves his victims‘ bodies in one state, then leaving one of their severed hands in another state with the next body. While there were some twists and 🔻

robinb turns, I found some things that didn‘t ring true/feasible regarding police procedures, and I also felt that the highly emotional elements weren‘t really there (dealing with horrific crimes and their tortured victims). Plus, I never really got a sense of heightened danger for the protagonists or a real sense of impending possible doom. While the writing was fine, I just hoped for more from this one. 3.5/5 ⭐️ #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks (edited) 2mo
BrittanyReads I weirdly skipped this one but liked her books The Cold room, The Immortals and So Close the Hand of Death. I just realized I kind of started this series with book 4....oops... 2mo
robinb @BrittanyReads 🤣🤣 I‘d be willing to try another one. This one wasn‘t horrible, just a little irritating at certain points. Glad to hear you‘ve enjoyed others. 😊 2mo
43 likes3 comments
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robinb
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Pickpick

Such a wonderful gem! I was surprised by this one and how often I highlighted passages, both because they were beautifully written and insightful but also because I felt them on a personal level. Brynn is a first-time new mom who seems to have the perfect life…loving husband, financial security, able to be a stay-at-home mom by choice. But she struggles to do everything right…care for her son Cody, take care of her home, be a good wife, 🔻

robinb make new mom friends…all glorified by social media advice from supposedly perfect women. She‘s struggling. Joy is an octogenarian living alone (around the corner from Brynn) with children who are too caught up in their own lives to give her the attention/love that she needs. She spends much of her time reminiscing on her past and regretting many of her decisions/actions regarding both her children and her husband Freddie. As the two women 🔻 2mo
robinb accidentally meet, they find what each need in the other. This book is definitely not all roses and sweetness. It hits on some difficult issues in life. Post partum depression, dealing with grief and loss, social media “perfection”, the loneliness of isolation (both literal and self-imposed) … all are covered here. But while there are heart wrenching moments, it‘s the bond and strength of these two women that shines and gives 🔻 2mo
robinb this story its backbone.

Loved this one (and Brynn and Joy!). Definitely Recommended and so glad I discovered it. 5/5⭐️
2mo
CarolynM Sounds good. Stacked 🙂 2mo
robinb @CarolynM it‘s always nice to be surprised by a book. 💚 Would love to hear what you think. 😊 2mo
50 likes1 stack add5 comments
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robinb
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Pickpick

A 2nd good entry in the Bow Street Duchess mystery series. Audrey, the Duchess of Fournier, is recovering from a family scandal at her country home when a good friend is found dead. Murder? She requests Bow Street Officer Hugh Marsden to come and investigate on behalf of her friend‘s family. Will Audrey‘s supernatural gift be able to aid them following another death? Good pace, characters and slow burn relationship. Next one out 4/22. 😉 4.5/5⭐️