Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (2020)

This book was fricking amazing. One of the best of the year and it's only March.

Wait, you say. What made it so fantastic?

1) Its maturity in how it handled complicated emotional issues. 

Just like me, the OTP -- April and Marcus -- have rocky relationships with their parents. They recognize their parents' shortcomings but still get hurt in spite of that awareness. Just like me, they know that random people's opinions don't determine your self-worth, but old wounds unexpectedly crop up when least expected. Reactions and hurts are analyzed afterwards, instead of simply taking them as the truth of that moment. The pair are mature enough to admit they were wrong, to consider someone else’s emotions, and to use that consideration to temper their own. I could relate to both in their doubts and insecurities. In making your friends your family. In not wanting to hide anymore and being brave enough to go through with taking off the protective mask.

Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega #4) by Patricia Briggs (2015)

As usual, I am impressed with Briggs’s creativity and writing. There were times, as I read this, where I had to just stop because I was amazed at how much she communicated with so few words, through showing rather than telling us. And this was quite a story. 

Anna’s birthday is around the corner and Charles is looking for a special birthday gift that she won’t be uncomfortable with. (She doesn’t like the ostentatious jewelry he and Brother Wolf like to buy her.) It gives him an opportunity to see an old and dear friend after 20 years. Once there, Charles discovers that Joseph is dying from lung cancer. His father, Hosteen, is the Alpha of the local werewolf pack and doesn’t understand why Charles won’t save his son; Joseph doesn’t want to turn but Hosteen doesn’t want to lose his son. 

Not long after they arrive, Joseph’s daughter-in-law, Chelsea, leaves a scary message on her husband’s phone. About blood and being afraid for their children and something being wrong with her. The incident reveals the malevolence of this new Fae war on humans: a Fae put a compulsion on Chelsea to butcher her children and then kill herself. In the aftermath, Charles and Anna hunt for the Fae and work to stop the Simulacrums that they've left behind.

At Last Comes Love (Huxtable Family Quintet #3) by Mary Balogh (2009)

Meg finds love and we're treated to a gem of a tale 😊

Out of all the romances I have read, I never expected Meg, aka Maggie, to be the most like myself. Nor did I expect so much in the story to resonate so deeply. In the previous books, Meg was a little boring. In fact, I almost skipped the book since I knew that Stephen's story is next. But I stuck to my habit of reading series in order and this book proved me wrong in the best way. 

Out of all the romances I have read, I never expected Meg, a.k.a. Maggie, to be most like myself. Nor did I expect so much in the story to resonate so deeply. In a the previous three books, Meg was a little boring. In fact, I almost skipped the book since I knew that Stephen’s story was next. But I stuck to my habit of reading series in order and this book proved me wrong in the best way. So if you’re struggling with the same apprehension, fear not. You won’t be disappointed.

We quickly find that Meg feels a little boring, as her siblings describe her as a paragon of righteousness and steady character. She’s ready to move on from the parental mantle she voluntarily donned and to start living again. Even if she’s 30 and most assuredly on the shelf. Meg’s problem, or rather her hindrance, is her strength and steadiness of character. It’s odd that it should make her seem boring, especially since I see myself so much in her, once I got to know her. But, just like with her siblings, Meg’s habit of being the impassive, inscrutable bedrock, risen out of her sense of duty, is what keeps her hidden from us. Just like me, she’s been hurt by disappointment in romance (and love), worries that she quite dull and too serious, and has forgotten how to be anything but the staid, serene spinster destined to be dependent on her brother for the rest of her life.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E Harrow (2019)

Synopsis

In the early 1900s, a young woman embarks on a fantastical journey of self-discovery after finding a mysterious book in this captivating and lyrical debut.

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.

Then she finds a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds, and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

Lush and richly imagined, a tale of impossible journeys, unforgettable love, and the enduring power of stories awaits in Alix E. Harrow's spellbinding debut--step inside and discover its magic.

Review

Amazing, Engrossing and Original

This is a story of 2 stories. This is a story of a girl named January, whose mother is dead, father is absent and whose spirit is slowly being stifled by the rules of the early 20th century. Her foster father, Mr. Locke, has worked tirelessly in her father’s absence to raise January to be a proper young lady (even if she’s not totally white). Being white makes a difference in the world; he’s not allowed membership in the Archeological Society which employs him even though he obtains for them archeological objects of wonder from far-off places.

Pandemic Procrastination

 Hi, my friends, 

While I’ve been reading about a book a day, I’ve been bad about posting my reviews. Not the best way to start a blog, is it? 

I’m resolving to do better, despite the tendency to feel tired and cruddy. It’s not COVID-19 (don’t worry). It’s the stuff that makes me high-risk instead. Also, migraines. Those who get them know what I mean. 

I’ve also been dealing with a mouse problem, which so grosses me out. I was away for over a month helping my mom after my stepdad was hospitalized and then later passed away. My dad was kind enough to watch my dogs (and the house) but didn’t notice the mice. Flash forward and the mice have moved in for the winter. Since I’ve gotten back, it’s been a devil of a time getting rid of them (mousetraps that don’t spring when they go for the cheese, strategically placing rat poison so my dogs don’t eat it). They might be cute in theory but boy are they gross and annoying in real life. I’m finally going to be going back to a full 40 hours at work, so hopefully I’ll be able to hire an exterminator soon!

At least 2021 is looking better than 2020, what with a President who is taking the pandemic seriously and is listening to science and experts rather than alternative facts and conspiracy theorists. Fingers crossed!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J K Rowling (2017)

This is a review of the audiobook. 

Terrifically creative tome of magical beasts

Eddie Redmayne does a fantastic job with the audiobook. It made what could have been a little on the dry side entertaining and attention-keeping. Some of the creatures listed here are incredibly creative, original and unique. Like the bird that resembles a snitch and another like a dodo. 

If you’re a fan of books like D&D’s Monster Manual or National Geographic’s Book of Mammals, I definitely recommend.

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The Highlander's Promise (Highland Brides # 6) by Lynsay Sands (2018)

Aulay Finally Finds True Love!

Greatly enjoyed this installment of Highland Brides. It’s one of the funnier of the series and lets us get to know Aulay and Rory (and even Alick) better. I have to say, Aulay’s now one of my favorite Buchanans. Of course, I like them all, but if I had to rank them… Aulay’s right at the top of the list. 

We know from previous books that his facial scar has left him a bit hopeless about ever winning a wife, but in this book, he meets someone who thinks the scar is rakish and prefers it because it keeps him from being too beautiful. As the book starts, the anniversary of his twin’s death is approaching. Aulay retreats to the family lodge to suffer his annual grief and melancholy away from his loving family’s annoying interference. The lodge has been rebuilt (due to events in book 4) close to the seashore and Aulay plans to go fishing. Unfortunately, Alick is slightly clueless (as usual) and tags along. 

When they reach the beach, Aulay spots something floating in the water. It turns out to be a woman strapped to the broken mast of a ship. She’s half dead with terrible head wounds (see strapped to mast during horrible storm) but she’s conscious enough to smile and call Aulay her angel. (Cue touching cheek caress by damsel.) Then she sleeps for 3 weeks as she recovers from her brush with death. With healer Rory advising, Aulay is her nursemaid and he calls her Jetta because of her jet black hair.