Category: Reviews

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past by Traci Wilton

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past by Traci Wilton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Charlene and her parents are dining at Bella’s Italian Ristorante for an auction fundraiser for the Felicity House for Children. The event is hosted by the restaurant’s manager, and Charlene’s friend, David Baldwin. David recently won the lottery, and there’s lots of talk about his winnings. He even passes out some checks to people at the event – to his business partner, a graduate of the Felicity House program, and to the Felicity House staff (although it’s a much smaller check than what he’s promised to deliver later). His own son gets an IOU as well.

Then, before the night is over, David goes running out of the restaurant mumbling names no one recognizes. And then he’s struck, but no one saw the vehicle that hit him. Now David is dead, his second wife has closed the bank account so no one can cash David’s checks, and she’s ready to leave town with all of his money.

Charlene is determined to do what she can to help Felicity House. David’s promised money was going to go to an addition onto one of their facilities; they are outgrowing what they already have. Now, they don’t even have money for Christmas, so Charlene’s going to help find some. And Charlene’s ghostly friend, Jack, is ready to offer his insights as she works on who killed David.

Review

This is the third book in the Salem B&B Mystery series, but the first I have read. I like Charlene and her B&B. I loved the Felicity House pieces – the agency’s mission, the fundraiser, Charlene’s support of them, and the connection Charlene makes with one of the teens. That piece is probably my favorite from the book.

The ghost piece was interesting. It was like reading a book with a love triangle, but one leg of it is implausible. I liked how Jack tweaked Charlene’s mom and the cat, but otherwise the character didn’t grab me. Maybe I would have liked him more if I started the series from the beginning.

The mystery here was good. Lots of suspects to consider. I was able to puzzle out the killer before Charlene, but I was guessing for a long while.

Charlene’s mom made this hard to enjoy at times. She had some lovely moments, but not enough to completely offset her awful ones. She has a prickly, abrasive way about her, both with those she’s close to and also with total strangers. She’s a lot to take.

Series fans should check out Charlene’s latest adventure set at Christmas (with a few references to Wicca and the solstice). I think new readers can pick the series up here without issue.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/fine/sold

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 13, 2020.]

Summary

After a dating dry spell, Kate Turner lets her best friend, Laura, talk her into signing up for the Twelve Dates of Christmas. It’s an event run by the Lightning Strikes dating site. The site plans the dates with 12 matches, and all of the food and drinks are included in the cost. It’s a great way for Kate to meet 12 men, and enjoy some out-of-the-ordinary activities during the holiday season.

Living in a small town means everyone knows Kate’s business. They all know she signed up, and the gossips are staying busy keeping everyone up to speed on every dating disaster. Every time her other best friend, Matt, calls it the Twelve Shags of Christmas, she wants to forget the whole thing. It’s a good thing Kate is such a good sport.

Over time, it becomes clear that there might be a relationship from Kate’s past that is getting in the way of her moving forward with a new relationship. When everything falls apart, she will have to decide if she’s going to fight for the life she has built or if she’s willing to leave it all behind to avoid more pain.

Review

The set up for this – with the twelve blind dates – reminded me of 10 Blind Dates, a YA book I loved last year. This isn’t a comedy like that one is, but the set up works well in both books. It allows the author to introduce a bunch of quirky characters and scenarios for the protagonist.

I liked Kate a lot. She’s confident and knows who she is. She doesn’t put up with any garbage from the dates. And she has an amazing sounding job. I loved how her family and friends support her.

The dates – both the men and the activities – were fun to read. Kate meets interesting people. The activities were varied and fit Kate’s personality – a snowy hike, salsa dancing, a cooking class, etc. And even when the events end in disaster, I always liked Kate as she dealt with the surprises and the disappointments.

I figured out where things were going by about page 10, but I enjoyed the journey to get there. There’s a lot of great food described here (the final copy of the book will have recipes), and tons of holiday elements to help readers get into the Christmas mood. Don’t miss this fun Christmas romance. (Language, off-page sex, LGBTQ+)

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½=Good+

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings by Liz Ireland

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

April Claus is newly married to the big man himself. Nick inherited the job when his older brother died. Some day, Christopher, Chris’ son, will take over the job, but for now, Nick is holding down the holiday fort.

Less than 10 days before Christmas, Nick and the elves have plenty to do. But when an angry elf is found dead, everything is in an uproar.

Giblet had been angry about his second place finish in the ice sculpture contest. As he stormed off, he accused Nick of being a murderer. Now that Giblet is dead, his family thinks Santa killed him. Rumors are swirling around the North Pole.

As things start to look worse and worse for Nick, April feels like she has to look into things for herself. She has to find the evidence to clear her new husband’s name before Christmas is ruined for everyone.

Review

This was a delight from the very first page! The world-building for this North Pole mystery was excellent. The author had her work cut out for her. She had to craft and convey the Christmas setting while also building a mystery. And she does an fantastic job with both! (This reminds me of the Wishcraft Mysteries with the cozy mystery and the fantasy setting.)

I loved April. The whole Claus family is fascinating, really. I wanted more from April and Nick. For newlyweds, there was no chemistry between them. To be honest, though, they hardly had any scenes together thanks to the mystery and the Christmas rush. It works out well to make April wrestle with the rumors and her questions about Nick on her own, amping up the tension of the book.

The mystery was terrific. The culprit was on my radar, but not my only suspect. I needed April to put all the pieces together to be certain. I loved watching the whole thing come together.

The author has set this series up to be able to set stories both at the North Pole and in Oregon at April’s home. I can’t wait to see how the stories develop in these two distinct places, and where the overlaps come into play.

Cozy lovers and Christmas book fans should not miss this one. It was fantastic! A keeper for sure.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½=Loved it! Would read again.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will release on October 20, 2020.]

Summary

As Christmas draws near, Meg has her hands full coordinating the Helping Hands for the Holidays ministry for the Ladies Interfaith Council. Her volunteers are pitching in all over town, doing household repairs, yard work, and other projects for folks in need.

Meg’s biggest project is for Harvey Dunlop, also know as Harvey the Hoarder. The town helped Harvey with his yard a few years back. The house is in even worse shape. Harvey’s cousins and neighbors have threatened to call in Adult Protective Services. And the town building inspector is about to declare the house a danger zone. Harvey knows if any of those people come in, they’ll simply throw his things away. Meg makes him a better offer, and Harvey takes it.

But all of the work the volunteers do comes to nothing when Harvey is injured and killed. When all the evidence points to murder, Meg is determined to find out who cut Harvey’s life short, just when he was getting the help he needed.

Review

There’s a TON going on in this book, and the mystery is just one part of it. In some ways it felt like a smaller piece of the story than it should be. But at the same time, what’s there – especially at the end – is highly satisfying.

The Caerphilly community – and Meg’s family – are a delight in this Christmas novel. There are the holiday events and gift-giving pieces that are fun when you have a large cast in an ongoing series like this one. While Meg’s husband still performs his one-man A Christmas Carol, it’s only a small piece of the larger story. The magpies are a fun but small sliver in the larger picture, too.

The service projects are a significant layer of the holiday activity. Harvey’s project is a big part of that aspect of the book. Even as the chief investigates and Harvey’s relatives squabble over wills and inheritance, Meg and her team are securing and sorting Harvey’s things, hoping to find clues. The case is a steady presence in the story. Meg doesn’t do a ton of interviewing or questioning suspects. But her examination of Harvey’s things draws plenty of attention, allowing her to help the chief get to the truth.

I think series fans will enjoy spending time with Meg and her friends and family during the holidays. Other readers may come for the Christmas story and enjoy a mystery on the side. There’s lots of fascinating stuff here about the history of the town during the Depression. And the reaction of Meg’s twins to Harvey’s hoarding was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Newcomers might struggle to track all of the events and characters in this one and might start with an earlier book before tackling this one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Christmas Book Reviews

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: Christmas Book Reviews

Posted on by Jaymie

I usually do a post in October about the Children’s Literature Festival in my area. But due to Covid concerns, it is not happening this year. Instead, I will be posting full reviews – all day – of some of the Christmas books releasing this fall.

I was fortunate to be granted access to several Christmas ARCs this year – far too many to fit into my Wednesday reviews of books for adults alongside the other ARCs I received. So instead of posting them on Wednesdays, you will get to read them all here today.

If you want to pop in periodically, the new posts will arrive every half hour, starting at 11:30 this morning, through 4pm this afternoon. Of course, you can always just come back after 4:00 and read them all.

Here are the books I’ll be reviewing, in order:

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

REVIEW: Crownchasers by Rebecca Coffindaffer

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

After the Twenty-Five Year War, Emperor Atar Faroshi unified the quadrant. All of the prime families came together in peace. While the Emperor has never had children, he has also never named a successor. And now he is dying.

Captain Alyssa Farshot of the Vagabond Quest is an explorer. In fact, she just received accolades from the Explorer’s Society. Hungover from the celebration, she wakes to a communication from her Uncle Charlie, the envoy to the Emperor, also known as “Uncle Atar” to Alyssa.

Atar cannot name Alyssa Empress – even if she wanted the job, which she absolutely does NOT. Instead he names her crownchaser for the Faroshi family.

There hasn’t been a crownchase in hundreds of years. When there is one, a royal seal is hidden somewhere in the empire. Each of the prime families chooses a crownchaser to hunt it down. Whoever finds the seal and returns with it will be crowned.

While a religious zealot Alyssa trusts about as far as she can throw him holds the throne, six crownchasers, childhood friends and rivals, begin their quest to explore a 1,000-planet area, solve puzzles, meet challenges, and find the seal in order to become the new leader of the quadrant.

Review

Outstanding. Stunning. Perfect. Magical.

This could well be my top book of 2020. I loved every moment with this book. I would start reading it again right now if I didn’t have 70 ARCs waiting for my attention.

This is a science fiction story, which is the first mark in its favor. I love sci-fi. There are interesting planets, space battles, aliens, and futuristic technology. It was awesome!

The characters are another mark in the book’s favor.  I loved Alyssa. The early chapters of this have a Polaris Rising feel to them. (Another mark in the book’s favor.) The biggest difference is that while Ada (Polaris Rising) is all about masking her emotions and controlling her responses, Alyssa is more what-you-see-is-what-you-get. She’s just as smart and strong and skilled. But she’s more irreverent and impulsive than Ada. I love both characters.

Then there’s the stellar (pardon the pun) plot. It felt familiar, but I never could place what this reminds me of. There’s a reluctant royals piece – something I love and read often. Then there’s a competition. It’s not meant to be a last-one-standing deal like The Hunger Games, but the stakes are high. There’s also the fact that Alyssa doesn’t want to win. She competes out of obligation. She’s more focused on the process than the end goal. She wants a good outcome for the future of the quadrant. She cares about how people are doing and about fixing the problems she can. But she isn’t a win-at-all-costs sort of person. She mostly just wants to get back to her life.

The ending is excellent! I wanted book 2 in my hands immediately, but since the book just released two days ago, that is not going to happen for awhile. I had to settle for having my own print copy, which I ordered immediately after finishing this.

Science fiction fans, YA fans, reluctant royal fans, and competition story fans should snatch up a copy and clear their schedules for a few days (or a few hours) to dive into this one. I could go on and on about how much I adored this book! (Language, LGBTQ+, science fiction violence – blasters, space battles, etc.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++ = Best of the best

BONUS REVIEW: St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

BONUS REVIEW: St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Maeve discovered she was adopted when she was 6 years old, and a hateful cousin told her in a fit of temper. Maeve’s adopted parents were awesome. They told her about her mother, Annabelle, still a girl herself when Maeve was born. And when she was 16, Maeve tried reaching out to Annabelle. But all the letters were returned to her unopened. Hurt, Maeve decided if her birth mother couldn’t be bothered, she didn’t need her in her life.

After a string of bad luck – lost her job, boyfriend caught on video cheating on her, mugged – all in one day, Maeve moves back home with her parents to regroup. That’s where she is when she gets the call that Annabelle has died.

At first, Maeve wants no part of her birth mother’s life, including her funeral. But she decides to go, and discovers Annabelle left everything to Maeve – a house, a car, and a cat! But Timber Creek is as good a place as any to try to find herself and restart her life. And maybe, after time with her birth mother’s friends and in her house, Maeve will better understand the woman who didn’t want her.

Review

This was so good! I love that we got chapters from Annabelle’s perspective that filled in some of the story behind her decision to place Maeve for adoption. Even though Maeve was hurt and had lots of questions, the reader knows Annabelle loved her.

Timber Creek was a fascinating community. Annabelle’s friends and neighbors added interesting pieces to the story, as did the animals Maeve encounters. Maeve’s adoptive family was fantastic, too. Truly, all of the characters in this are terrific.

I was captivated by the whole story. I had to know what Maeve would do with the fresh start she had been given. Annabelle’s story was compelling, too. This was a start-to-finish read for me. I couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened with everyone.

This is a fantastic character-driven story with a bit of romance and suspense thrown in. I highly recommend this one! (Language, TW: Domestic violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½=I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker

REVIEW: Murder Most Sweet by Laura Jensen Walker

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Teddie St. John is an author living in Lake Potawatomi, Wisconsin with tons of friends and her family nearby. A cancer survivor, Teddie took early retirement from her government job and toured Europe before settling down at home to become an author of cozy mysteries. Life is too short to not do what you love.

Tavish Bentley is an author, too, visiting Lake Potawatomi for a book signing. Teddie ends up missing it due to a hot flash issue (early menopause thanks to her cancer). But she’s first on the scene to find Bentley’s ex-fiancée dead. And to discover the woman was strangled with a scarf someone stole from Teddie earlier in the day.

As a mystery writer, Teddie can’t ignore a murder mystery right in her home town. And as a suspect, she needs to clear her name before her publisher drops her for violating the morality clause in her contract. So she’ll be pressuring her friend the sheriff for details and keeping her ears open for clues. And maybe even going under cover! Whatever it takes to find a killer before they strike again.

Review

This was fabulous!! From the very first page, the writing and the voice grabbed me. In fact, in those early pages it felt like nothing I had read before. The voice is fresh and fun. I would love to be part of Teddie’s circle. (I am a Wisconsin girl, too, and from the area around where Lake Potawatomi is supposed to be.) Every reference to kringle (the Wisconsin stuff, not that stuff in the one Hallmark Christmas movie) made me crave it.

As if all of the Wisconsin pieces weren’t enough to endear this to me, Teddie is fabulous. She’s a writer, and a mystery writer at that. And her whole vibe over being a cancer survivor is brilliant. She discusses her mastectomy in a matter-of-fact way, sometimes with humor, which made her stand out for me compared to other mystery protagonists.

So, by all means pick this up for the perfect setting and awesome protagonist. But stick around for the great mystery. I had two favorite theories going into the home stretch, but I had to wait for the big reveal to find out which would be correct. Also, I don’t usually like mysteries where the protagonist is the main suspect. I find them extra stressful. But the balance here of suspects was terrific. The author paces the whole novel in such a way that Teddie can really dig into investigating a suspect. I loved it! She also does a great job of giving Teddie a reason for sleuthing that felt plausible.

I was thrilled to discover the second book in the Bookish Baker Mystery series – Deadly Delights – is already scheduled for summer 2021. And I also realized I have a review copy of the launch of the author’s second cozy series – the Faith Chapel Mystery series – waiting to be read. I’ll be reviewing Hope, Faith, and a Corpse in January 2021. In fact, as I looked into the author’s backlist I discovered that I have read her work before. She published at least two books with Thomas Nelson (Christian) publishing that I enjoyed years ago – Reconstructing Natalie (2006) and Miss Invisible (2007). I can recommend those books, too.

I am so pleased to support this fellow Wisconsinite and a great writer. Cozy fans should NOT miss Murder Most Sweet!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥= Outstanding, Excellent, Amazing

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

BONUS REVIEW: Princesses Versus Dinosaurs by Linda Bailey

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Tundra Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

As a group of princesses celebrates being in a book about all tiaras, gowns, and glass slippers, they encounter a rival group of dinosaurs who believe the book is all about them.

This is darling! I enjoyed the split pages where each group convenes about the dilemma. Then they bring in the heavy hitters, which is my favorite part.

Things get silly for a moment, but in the end, the princesses and dinosaurs come to a delightful compromise.

This will be a fun read-aloud with a good message – that this is a book for everyone. But kids are definitely going to want a close up look at the fun illustrations, too, so be prepared for plenty of lap reading and read-to-self time.

Rating: ♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥½= Good+

BONUS REVIEW: The Campaign by Leila Sales

BONUS REVIEW: The Campaign by Leila Sales

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Seventh grade is off to a less-than-stellar start for Maddie. And it feels even worse when her favorite teacher, Mr. Xian, tells her that the new mayoral candidate is campaigning on a platform that includes a cut to all arts programs in the public schools. If she wins, there will be no music, no drama, no art – and no Mr. Xian. And since no one is running against her, this is all essentially a done deal.

Maddie convinces her post-college nanny, Janet, to run for mayor. Janet agrees that the arts are important, and she wants to be a voice for people like Maddie who can’t vote. But Janet and Maddie are both in for a steep learning curve over what running for mayor entails.

Review

I enjoyed this! Maddie is quirky, and I liked her. I was amused – and saddened – at how often her mom was off at some seminar to be a better parent rather than actually sticking around and BEING a parent to Maddie. And don’t even get me started on Maddie’s dad. I was happy that the family pieces of this were part of the backdrop to the larger story rather than the focus. Thankfully Maddie had Janet!

The friendship pieces here were also part of the backdrop, but a little more pertinent as Maddie has to face her friendship issues during the campaign. She discovers that it really isn’t just about what the other kids are or aren’t doing, but also about what SHE was doing and not doing in these relationships. It’s a smaller piece of the book, but I liked it. I think kids will find some interesting pieces here to talk about, too.

But the focus of the book is on this local election. And I loved this whole part of the story. A local election has more direct impact on our day-to-day lives. It’s also where citizens can get the most directly involved which is what Maddie and her friends do. Some readers have raised the issue that a mayor wouldn’t have any voice in what the school curriculum includes, but I think as a springboard, that doesn’t matter to the goal of the book or how I would use it with kids. I thought questions could be raised, too, about why the townspeople didn’t ask harder questions of the councilwoman about the issues they had in town. If she hadn’t addressed them as part of the council, why would they think she would as mayor? But, again, this is a springboard to conversation. This book isn’t going to be a perfect illustration of every city government.

Readers get to see Maddie – and Janet – learn how to get on the ballot, how to find and connect with voters, and how to look outside personal preferences to the needs of the larger community. This book is, in my opinion, meant to LAUNCH a conversation, not be the be-all-end-all. Use this to help readers ask questions about the same processes in your community. Get involved in a local campaign as a family. Attend a town hall or a debate. If you are looking for a way to talk with kids about the upcoming election season, start here!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read