Single Girls Book Review, Secret Garden Book Store Opens in Parrish, Fla., Obituary for Alan Bradley, For Whom the Spell Tolls by Devon Monk, Mystic Misfortune by Cindy Stark, Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes, First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen, Platform Decay by Martha Wells

Hey there, fellow bookish people! We're almost through May, going into the early days of June and summer season. While I'm not a huge fan of the heat of summer, the PNW where I've lived since the early 90s, doesn't get too hot until August, and we also have AC that works well to keep the house at a nice cool temp. So I can still curl up and read and not have to sweat and get sunburn outside, or open the windows to all the bugs and pollen of summer. Anyway, here are a few tidbits and 5 book reviews for you all...enjoy!

This sounds like an excellent book about the ground-breaking (and glass ceiling breaking) Helen Gurley Brown, an amazing woman whose work taught a generation of young women how to deal with the patriarchy and misogyny.  

Book Review: Single Girls

John Searles's frothy, fizzy fifth novel, Single Girls, charts the unlikely success story of self-professed "mouseburger" Helen Gurley Brown and the crackerjack team of female writers and editors she assembled to transform Cosmopolitan magazine in the mid-1960s. Searles (himself a former Cosmopolitan editor) dives into Helen's personal life, her complicated relationship with her mother and sister, and the inner lives of the half-dozen women who took a chance on Cosmopolitan--and on Helen.

Searles (Her Last Affair begins with the 1932 elevator accident that killed Helen's father, Ira). As with much of the book, the incident is true and the details around it are imagined. Searles returns repeatedly to that pivotal moment in Helen's childhood as he explores Helen's fraught bond with her sister, Mary Eloine (who eventually contracted polio), and their difficult mother, Cleo. After Ira's death, Cleo and Mary Eloine are focused on gaining stability and security, while Helen wants more from life.

Searles takes readers through Helen's early years working as a secretary and copywriter in Los Angeles, her marriage to film producer David Brown, and their move to Manhattan in the wake of her smash hit book Sex and the Single Girl. When Helen gets the chance to turn around Cosmo's fortunes, she recruits a half-dozen writers and editors, some of them unlikely: a department-store window dresser, a bartender with a secret, a typist besotted with a married man. Together, the women fill the pages of the magazine with sharp, well-written, slightly edgy stories aimed at single female readers, trying to keep the (male) higher-ups happy while pushing the envelope.

Searles gives readers a glimpse into each woman's story, exploring the writers' balancing acts as they build careers, support themselves financially, and (in some cases) try to find love. Meanwhile, each woman receives at least one magazine assignment that stretches her skills and confidence. Relationships editor Myrna takes a trip to test out the world's first champagne-glass-shaped hot tub, with surprising results, while entertainment editor Liz Smith interviews a Park Avenue call girl and makes some discoveries of her own. As Helen guides (and sometimes pushes) her team of women toward making their magazine the hottest item on newsstands, she continues to wrestle with complex feelings about her father's death.

Witty, buzzy, and full of magazine-worthy descriptions of midcentury fashion, Single Girls offers an entertaining look into the world of publishing and a tribute to the unassuming editor who revolutionized women's magazines. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

I actually remember traveling through Parrish, which is a nice area, and I'm glad to read that they have a new bookstore and plant shop.

Secret Gardens Book Store Grows in Parrish, Fla.

Secret Gardens Book Store opened in early March in Parrish, Fla., WWSB reported. The bookstore, which focuses primarily on romance, mysteries and thrillers, fantasy, and contemporary fiction, resides at 8267 U.S. Hwy. 301 N., inside of a plant shop called Fancy Leaf Plant Co.

Store owner Libby Bolles also owns the plant shop, which she opened in 2021 after launching the business as a mobile store. Bolles hosts a variety of community events, including high tea and stationery painting, bingo nights, watch parties, author signings, and book release parties.

This news gutted me, as I'm a huge fan of Flavia de Luce, who is an awesome pre-teen detective and science nerd in England during the 50s. I am glad that there will be one more book coming out about her adventures, but after that, those of us who have read the whole series will have to mourn the end of our time with the de Luce family. So sad. RIP AB.

Obituary Note: Alan Bradley

Canadian author Alan Bradley,who was best known for the Flavia de Luce mystery series featuring an 11-year-old detective, died May 19, CBC reported. He was 87. A Toronto native, Bradley was raised in Coburg, Ont., attended Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University), and worked as a TV and radio engineer before getting a position at University of Saskatchewan, where he taught for 25 years and became the director of television engineering.

Bradley retired in 1994, moved to Kelowna, B.C., with his wife, Shirley, and began writing full-time, publishing short stories for children and adults, the memoir The Shoebox Bible, and the nonfiction book Ms. Holmes of Baker Street (with William A.S. Sarjeant).

In his late 60s, "an 11-year-old girl named Flavia de Luce first appeared on the page," CBC wrote. "Precocious and smart, Flavia was a minor character in a manuscript that captivated Bradley's wife. Shirley encouraged him to develop Flavia further and she ultimately became the protagonist of the bestselling mystery series bearing her name."

In a 2013 interview on CBC's The Next Chapter, Bradley said: "I'm almost ashamed to admit that she makes me laugh out loud because I don't know what she's going to do or what she's going to say. She just does it and I laugh and jot it down.... My wife Shirley will be sitting in the next room or at the other end of the same room and she'll say, 'Flavia's just done something outrageous'.... There is a sense of wonder I can remember from being 11. You are absolutely invincible. It's that age where you think that you can build a glider out of bed sheets and jump off the castle wall and you won't get hurt. You can do anything."

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first novel in the Flavia de Luce series, was immediately successful, winning numerous honors including the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award, the Dilys Winn Award, the Arthur Ellis Award, the Agatha Award, the Macavity Award, and the Barry Award. The 11 books in the series have sold more than six million copies and been translated into 36 languages.

In a 2024 interview on The Next Chapter, Bradley said his biggest accomplishment was the impact he had on the lives of readers who were inspired by Flavia: "I've just been absolutely flattened by letters and e-mails from girls of Flavia's age who have said that they've decided to go into science.... Now that the first book has been out for 16 years, I'm beginning to hear from girls who graduated, who are now very advanced in science. I think that's a wonderful achievement, inspiring young people to go into the sciences."

The final installment in the Flavia de Luce series, Numb Were the Beadsman's Fingers, will be published November 3, and a movie adaptation of the first book appears around the same time.

For Whom the Spell Tolls by Devon Monk is another Ordinary Oregon mystery that showcases all the god-like and magical characters (like witches) who live and work in the small seaside town of Ordinary (which is anything but). Here's the blurb: A laugh-out-loud, cozy, magic-packed whodunit by Devon Monk

Come for the readings...stay for the revenge…

Jules Larkwood, a witch looking for a little adventure, doesn’t expect her friendly bet with the town’s oldest vampire to change her life. Then a powerful enemy from her past rises from the dead, and Jules’ life becomes a little too interesting.

Now she must juggle tracking down ancient spells, thwarting secret rituals, and facing old foes, while attending her book club and keeping her crystal shop open for Ordinary’s full moon festival.

But when a woman is found dead, all bets are off. Jules and her best friends Medusa (yes, that Medusa) and a seer named Piper, are on the hunt, and running out of time to catch the murderer before the next victim falls. 

 

This is yet another superbly written and plotted book by the wonderful Devon Monk, whose work is nigh-on perfect. I've read all of her series but one, and loved them all. This cozy mystery series, though only on its second book, is a real delight full of unexpected magic and interesting insight into some of Ordinary's more unique characters, like Thanos, the God of Death who has a female child's taste in clothing and an extremely dry sense of humor. While the book is short, its very satisfying with a fun ending that leaves you wanting more. I'd give it a well deserved A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the Ordinary books...you will not be disappointed.

 

Mystic Misfortune by Cindy Stark  is a paranormal cozy mystery novel that, at least for the paperback copy that I got, is printed in large print, which is great. Unfortunately, I believe this is a self-published series, so there's the inevitable typos and grammar mistakes that you have to overlook, and the prose is simplistic, while the plot is fairly generic. Here's the blurb: When fledgling gift shop owner Kalie Kennedy gets invited to a new age festival in her picturesque red-rock hometown of Mystic, Arizona, she expects a peaceful experience and opportunities to promote her store. But the spiritual fair takes a dark turn when the infamous psychic Vespera winds up dead, and Kalie becomes entangled in the investigation.

Detective Nick Monroe is highly competent at his job, and in capturing Kalie’s interest, but when it comes to supernatural matters, he’s at a disadvantage. He seeks Kalie’s help to navigate a maze of spurned townsfolk and bitter rivals, while suspicion swirls through the tranquil community.

As romantic tensions simmer with Detective Monroe, and the mystical world collides with harsh reality, Kalie must use her unique knowledge to uncover the truth. With a blood-stained tarot card as her clue and an enigmatic gnome figurine stirring up trouble, Kalie’s journey is fraught with mystical implications and hidden dangers. Only time will tell if they’re able to uncover the veiled secrets in Vespera’s past and catch the killer before the festival ends.

Mystic Misfortune is Book Two in the charming paranormal Mystic Village Cozy Mystery series. If you like a savvy heroine, a dashing yet skeptical hero, and just the right sprinkling of magic and humor, you’ll love these stories.

 
I will admit that this was a fun and easy read that only took me an afternoon to finish. There's something to be said for books that are "palate cleansers" between more meaty reads, but what I usually go for in easy reads is something with just a bit more heft and beguiling prose. Still, I'd give this large print novel a B-, and recommend it to anyone who likes magical mysteries with silly heroines.

 

Death's Daughter by S.A. Barnes is a beautifully-designed novel with purple end papers and a beautiful cover that is bound to attract collectors and readers alike. This gothic folklore rewriting with a huge addition of romantasy has gotten a ton of accolades and great reviews, sending it to the top of the bestseller lists. It's a bit over-hyped IMO. Here's the blurb: 

The steamy mythology of Neon Gods meets the dark academia of Ninth House in this contemporary romance from bestselling author S.A. Barnes.

After a lifetime of chaos, Jocasta has finally found her home with good friends, great classes, even a messy situationship with her former TA―a normal life.

Well, as normal a life as the only child of Death can have.

She’s always refused to embrace her father’s legacy. Instead of taking lives, she feeds on her classmates’ disappointments, failures, and rejections. Finals week has her feasting, and all is good.

Until Death ruins her life. Again.

Without warning, Death names Jocasta as his sole successor, making her a powerful ally… and a massive target. Devon, a descendant of Lust, claims to want to help her―for a price.

Jo will do anything to protect the people she loves and the life she’s worked so hard for. Even if it means becoming a monster.

While I understand the popularity of "dark academia" and "romantasy" genre books, I really didn't see anything in this book that made it a stand out among its peers in those genres. The "spicy" love/sex scenes were fairly cis-het generic to nearly every romantasy I've read in the past 5-10 years or so. But all of Jo and Devon's wishy-washy yearning made me tired, in the end...just make a decision already! Either get into bed or shut up about it! Yeesh. I know a lot of people enjoy this sort of yearning, back and forth, will they or won't they thing, which I can enjoy only if its witty and well written, but I can't enjoy something that drags out the plot in such a way that it becomes dull and uninteresting. Still, having read some of the authors earlier works, this is a big leap of improvement for her, and I appreciate how hard she must have worked to get here. Therefore I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone who is into legendary tales of gods and monsters with some romance thrown in for good measure.

 

First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen is a magical realism novel written in Allen's impeccable, lush prose that slides along her elegant and swift plot beautifully. Here's the blurb: Sarah Addison Allen, beloved author of Garden Spells, returns with a luminous story of the trouble with hanging on too long, and the magic that happens when you finally let go.

Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beat-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever.

But the Waverleys have enough trouble on their hands. Quiet Claire Waverley has started a successful new venture, Waverley's Candies, but it's nothing like she thought it would be, and it's slowly taking over her life. Claire's wild sister Sydney, still trying to leave her past behind, is about to combust with her desire for another new beginning. And Sydney's fifteen-year-old daughter Bay has given her heart away to the wrong boy and can't get it back. 

Magical and atmospheric, First Frost transports readers back into the lives of the gifted Waverley women - back to their strange garden and temperamental apple tree, back to their house with a personality of its own, back to the men who love them fiercely - proving that a happily-ever-after is never the real ending to a story. It's where the real story begins. 

 

Allen shares a literary heritage with Alice Hoffman of taking magical people and integrating them into our mundane human world, making their exploits fascinating to discerning readers everywhere. Here its the infamous Waverley women, all of whom make some kind of potion or baked good that is magical enough to change the lives of those consuming them. My only concern was that Bay, the youngest family member is focused completely on a teenage boy whom she discerns is her soulmate, she just has to wait for him to realize that he will fall in love with her, eventually. Which is creepy, because she stalks him throughout the book, and refuses to deal with any scenario in which the two do not end up together. Weird. But other than that, this was an un-put-downable novel that will make you think and feel differently about life and your own gifts as a person. I'd give it a B+ and recommend it to everyone who enjoys magic realism done right.

 

Platform Decay by Martha Wells is the 8th book in the fantastic science fiction Murderbot Diaries, which has been made into a streaming series starring Alexander Skarsgaard (who makes a very sexy SecUnit). Here's the blurb: Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment of Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh. This may well call for... eye contact!“Murderbot’s legion of fans will be thrilled by Wells’s latest series installment, and readers who love a good, snarky internal monologue will be glad to know that Murderbot is back in fine fettle after their self-doubt in the previous book, System Collapse.” ―Library Journal

 
Murderbot, and his fixation on "quality entertainment" space opera videos, along with his intense dislike of snotty children, makes me laugh out loud and chortle with enjoyment because I know that whatever Murderbot's gotten into, he's going to get the humans out alive just fine, because he's amazing at what he does, and he protects stupid humans all the time. You can't help but cheer for him and his crew of drones and other 'freed' space machines, from cargo haulers to other Sec Units being freed from their governor modules. Other than a bit too much techno-babble, I adore Wells spare and elegant prose, and her clean and swift plots that always end exactly as you'd expect them to. I'd give this lean novel an A, and recommend it to anyone who has read any of the Murderbot novels, because you won't be disappointed. Murderbot can always be relied on for a witty and wonderful reading experience.

 

Love Potion Library Debuts in California, Trigger Warning Book Bus Hits the Road in Des Moines, Iowa, Midnight Library Movie, Quote of the Day, Anna Pigeon Comes to TV, Outllaw by Jim Butcher, League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton, The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey, and A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

Good evening, book people! Here we are halfway through May, and its gone by in the blink of an eye! I'm excited to celebrate Mother's Day a week late this weekend with my son Nick, by going to Half Price Books and perusing the purses at a local clothing store. It's going to be epic, and we will probably stop for a boba tea at the tea shop a few towns over, and get a hot dog for lunch! YAY!   Meanwhile I'm going to share some tidbits and reviews with you all from this past week, when I was still getting over a respiratory infection that managed to keep me in bed, reading.

 

This sounds like a great romantic store to visit, if I'm ever lucky enough to take a trip to San Fran.  

The Love Potion Library Debuts in San Francisco, Calif.

The Love Potion Library, a romance-focused bookstore and cafe, made its debut in San Francisco, Calif., on April 25, the San Francisco Standard reported.Located at 284 Noe St. in the Castro, Love Potion Library carries a wide array of romance and romance adjacent titles, with books categorized both by relevant tropes and sub-genres. The cafe side of the business serves tea from a local tea shop as well as locally-sourced pastries, and it is licensed for beer and wine. The store's event plans include book clubs, game and trivia nights, and both queer and straight speed-dating events.

Prior to opening the Love Potion Library, store owner Veena Patel worked in alternative energy for nearly 10 years. She left that job in early 2025, telling the Standard: "I realized it wasn't something I enjoyed doing, being behind my computer all day. I just felt really lonely." A life-long romance reader, Patel opened the bookstore with the help of her husband, Varun Dutta, who is a software engineer and sometimes works the register at the bookstore.

The store's reception since its debut on Independent Bookstore Day has been fantastic, the Standard noted, with certain titles selling out within days of opening and a Heated Rivalry trivia night bringing in almost 50 customers with a substantial waitlist. According to the Standard, it is San Francisco's only romance-focused bookstore.

I love this idea, repurposing a bus to turn it into a local mobile bookstore. I will have to ask my friends who live in Des Moines to check it out.

Trigger Warning Book Bus Hits the Road in Des Moines, Iowa, Metro Area

Trigger Warning Book Bus hosted a ribbon cutting celebration recently in Waukee, Iowa, after which owner Becky Vandermark made a stop at Local 5 News to talk about her venture.

The mobile bookshop is located inside a 22-passenger shuttle bus that has been transformed into a romance bookstore.

"I wanted to do something different, and I thought I need something like a food truck and a bookstore... and here's the book lists," said Vandermark, whose day job is serving as a Waukee police officer. "I'm just excited to share my love of reading with people. I think everybody to use a little bit more love in their life."

Low, warm lighting casts a seductive glow over shelves filled with stories of desire, danger, and devotion. Neon script softly illuminates the floral textures and rich tones creating a space that feels private, tempting--almost forbidden. Every inch whispers: stay awhile. The bus will hold approximately 600 romance novels available for purchase."

In March, Vandermark told the Des Moines Register that she began her love of reading as a U.S. Marine: "No matter what country I was in, no matter what was going on, I was always able to just escape into a book." She particularly enjoys romance novels, a way for her to "escape reality," and likes the appeal to "our human need to feel accepted, to feel loved."

This ultimately led to purchasing and renovating the bus. "This was a retirement home shuttle bus before it was this," Vandermark said, noting that the mobile bookshop's name is an homage to her law enforcement background and an acknowledgment of the explicit content of the books she plans to offer. She plans to sell in the Des Moines metro area at events and rent the bus for parties.

I loved the Midnight Library, and I'm going to try to get a copy of the sequel this weekend, but meanwhile, I'm excited that they're filming the ML based on the novel...it has big shoes to fill. I hope that it doesn't disappoint. 

Movies: The Midnight Library

Florence Pugh (Dune franchise) will star in and produce The Midnight Library, based on Matt Haig's bestselling novel and directed by Garth Davis.

Deadline reported that Pugh will play Nora Seed, "who finds herself in a library between life and death with the chance to experience all the potential lives she could have lived."

The screenplay is by Laura Wade (Rivals) and Nick Payne (We Live in Time). Studiocanal and Blueprint Pictures are behind the project, which the former is launching for the Cannes market, Deadline noted. Haig will executive produce. The project is set to enter pre-production this fall with shooting to begin early next year.

"I am so happy that Nora's story is in such great hands, and that her myriad possibilities will be vividly reawakened by the absolute perfect team. And I can't wait for people to see my book reimagined for the big screen," Haig said.

Books are powerful, and that is why libraries and bookstores are so important.

Quotation of the Day

"But there is something the powerful have never been able to destroy.

Not princes, not presidents, not lawyers, not the grinding machinery of institutional silence. The power of a book.... Virginia and Amy Wallace did not write their book so that we would mourn her. They wrote it so we would read it. So that things would change.

"It is on the shelves of beautiful bookstores. It is in libraries. It is on nightstands. It is being read tonight by people who will close it and know--with absolute certainty--that her testimony cannot be ignored. That the world she described demands an answer. The woman can be silenced. The book cannot.

"This is what the greatest acts of witness always do. They do not close a story. They open it outward--into all the other stories that were never told, all the voices that were silenced before they found a page.

Books are not monuments. They are instructions. Not merely to record what happened to one person. But to change the way the reader sees the world.

"That is what we do. That is why we write, publish, and sell books. This is what one book can do--when it is written honestly enough, published bravely enough, and read by enough people willing to be changed by it. And the truth, once a book unleashes it in the world, has a way of outlasting everything that tried to stop it. It makes the world a little less safe for the predatory and powerful, and a little more possible for the rest of us."--Sarah Wynn-Williams

This sounds like a fantastic series coming to TV, and hopefully a streaming service this summer. 

TV: Anna Pigeon

The first trailer has been released for the new USA Network series Anna Pigeon, based on the bestselling novels by Nevada Barr. Morwyn Brebner is showrunner and Tracy Spiridakos stars in the series that "follows Anna, a former city slicker who becomes a park ranger after a devastating loss that changed the trajectory of her life forever. While Anna tries to outrun her demons, her focus turns to solving crimes that have taken place within national park grounds, no matter who or what gets in her way," Deadline reported. The show is set to premiere August 7.

Spiridakos said the pilot is based on Track of the Cat, the first novel in the Anna Pigeon series: "I hope that audiences can really immerse themselves in the wilderness, which is definitely its own character. It's so stunningly beautiful. Every day we were working, and I looked around, pinching myself and wondering, 'How is this my life?' "

Outlaw by Jim Butcher is a Dresden Files novella that I was anxious to read immediately, because Harry Dresden is freaking amazing, and my chosen book boyfriend. I love Chicago's only real wizard, and his big heart and strong moral compass...and the fact that he kicks major arse with his nearly 7 ft tall, leather greatcoated self, carrying his staff and consulting Bob the ancient spirit inhabiting a skull that he keeps in his work room. Here's the blurb: 

The past comes back in a big way for Chicago’s only professional wizard in this action-packed novella from the bestselling Dresden Files series.

In a city that’s just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently―and quite annoyingly―shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets.

It starts with a visit from Harry’s most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who’s looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it’s not a request he can refuse. He’ll just wish he had.

Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn’t want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn’t trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could’ve expected: an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago.

Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world.

There is something so satisfying about a Dresden Files book...good always wins against evil (though the price in human lives/suffering is high) and Harry always learns something about his magic and his life. This short novel featured some of the best side characters that the series has to offer (the ones that haven't died, like Karen Murphy, Harry's love interest), from Gentleman John the gangster king to Bob the skull to Bear the Valkyrie...the only person we didn't get to see was Waldo (where's Waldo?..there, I said it, you know you were thinking it!) Butters the ME who is a carrier of a heavenly sword. We also didn't get a glimpse of Michael the retired archangel and his daughter Molly, who is currently a fae queen. But they're not as interesting or important as Butters or Bob. Butcher's ability to lighten battles and scary villains with wit and snark is unrivaled, and you'll find yourself smirking and enjoying every minute that Harry is filleting someone with his sharp tongue. To Butcher I can only say "Bravo! MORE PLEASE!" as I give this fun novellla an A, and recommend it to anyone who loves the Dresden Files series. 

 

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton is a Victorian romantasy, in which there's a lot of kerfuffle about various sides of the magical community, and how they shouldn't mix, until, inevitably, a witch and a pirate do fall in love and have to navigate the prejudices on both sides to be together. Here's the blurb: Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the teahouse. . . .

Miss Charlotte Pettifer belongs to a secret league of women skilled in the subtle arts. That is to say—although it must never be said—witchcraft. The League of Gentlewomen Witches strives to improve the world in small ways. Using magic, they tidy, correct, and manipulate according to their notions of what is proper, entirely unlike those reprobates in the Wisteria Society.

When the long lost amulet of Black Beryl is discovered, it is up to Charlotte, as the future leader of the League, to make sure the powerful talisman does not fall into the wrong hands. Therefore, it is most unfortunate when she crosses paths with Alex O’Riley, a pirate who is no Mr. Darcy. With all the world scrambling after the amulet, Alex and Charlotte join forces to steal it together. If only they could keep their pickpocketing hands to themselves! If Alex’s not careful, he might just steal something else—such as Charlotte’s heart.

 

There's a lot of prim sniffing and aristocratic snarling and one-upmanship in this book, which is just another way to say that the 19th century version of snark and sarcasm is definitely on board here. There's also a lot of flirting and sexytimes between Charlotte and Alex, who find sniping at one another arousing in every sense of the word. The prose is a bit old fashioned, and Holton does drone on a bit with descriptions of the house interiors and the clothing of the characters, but the plot is sturdy enough that it refuses to derail until the end, which is good news for readers. I'd give this fun and funny book a B, and recommend it to anyone who loves banter and enemies to lovers stories.

 

The Cyprian by Mercedes Lackey is the 19th book in her Elemental Masters series, and this one is a retelling of the Swan Maiden fairy tale. I've loved this series, until I caught the nasty whiff of pedophilia in this particular story that was sad and nauseating. One of the male protagonist heroes, Stephen, develops a desire to see a little girl he met at a ball when she was 13 and he was an adult! EWWWW. fortunately he doesn't see her again until she's 17 or 18, but even then he wants to bed and marry her right away, and it is obvious that he's decades older than she is! Ugh. Why, ML?! Here's the blurb: A cozy, cottage-core Regency fantasy perfect for fans of Bridgerton
Elena, having lost her father, must rescue herself from her evil stepmother, a Master of Water, who has bespelled her brothers into swans. She is left without home or protection by her father's villainous widow, who plans to regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder.

Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers.

The latest in Mercedes Lackey's Elemental Masters series is a standalone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Wild Swans.

The story of the 7 Swans who transformed for an hour back into humans but were otherwise cursed to live as birds gets retold here in a somewhat charming fashion, with a bit of Cinderella thrown in to make things as difficult as possible for the youngest child, a daughter, to break the curse and redeem her brothers from her evil stepmother's curse. The evil stepmother was once a high class whore, or Cyprian, as they were called at that time, and she plots to start a brothel and sell Elena's virginity to the highest (rapist) bidder. Another shudderingly awful plot point. ML's prose is dynamic and her plots never flag, so her novels are truly page-turning adventures with romance woven throughout. I'd give this book a B-, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys fairy tale retellings.

 

A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist is a Western Christian historical romance novel that takes place in mid 19th century Seattle, lumberjacks and all. I wasn't aware that it was a Christian romance, otherwise I might not have purchased it, but the lure of reading a fictionalized account of Asa Mercer's Brides brought to the wild west of Seattle at a time when mostly men where there as gold diggers, miners, lumberjacks or business owners (or lawmen), was too great to resist. Here's the blurb: In 1860s Seattle, a man with a wife could secure himself 640 acres of timberland. But because of his wife's untimely death, Joe Denton finds himself about to lose half of his claim. Still in mourning, his best solution is to buy one of those Mercer girls arriving from the East. A woman he'll marry in name but keep around mostly as a cook.

Anna Ivey's journey west with Asa Mercer's girls is an escape from the griefs of her past. She's not supposed to be a bride, though, just a cook for the girls. But when they land, she's handed to Joe Denton and the two find themselves in a knotty situation. She refuses to wed him and he's about to lose his land. With only a few months left, can Joe convince this provoking--but beguiling--easterner to be his bride? 

 

It's inevitable that Joe and Ivey will fall in love, my only problem with their romance is that Ivey feels responsible, personally, for every person in her life who has died, and therefore believes she can't marry because she's tainted and unworthy. I believe this is part and parcel of the Christian ideology, which is misogynistic enough to try and force women to believe that everything bad that has happened in society is because of women's "original sin" which was to eat the apple on the tree of knowledge (on the cunning advice of a talking snake). This ridiculous belief is apocryphal, and tries to keep women submissive, stupid and slave-like. Blech...I call BS on that. Still, the story was engaging and the background of how lumber was harvested and taken to the mills back in the early days of Seattle is fascinating. It was also interesting to read about all the food that Ivey had to cook just to keep 8 or so lumberjack men well fed (it was a LOT of work). It reminded me of my grandmother Lang, who used to cook huge breakfasts for her husband, children and farm hands every morning, and pack them lunches for noon (and then feed them a light supper before they retired for the evening, either at home, or in the barn's hayloft. Both of my grandmothers were skilled cooks who could literally make nourishing meals out of next to nothing. Both grandmothers had "truck patches" of vegetables in gardens that often also contained fruit trees, which were used to make jams and jellies, along with veggies and meats that were canned and preserved for the winter months. My grandma's canned roast beef became, when ground with mayonaise and breadcrumbs and pickles, a fine sandwhich spread that was tangy and delicious. In this book Ivey makes use of every scrap of food, making soups from the tops and scrapings of vegetables and adding in bacon ends and other meat, and using bacon grease for a variety of recipes that were hearty and healthy and kept the lumberjacks well fed and happy. The book had a lovely HEA as well. I'd give it a B+, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys "clean" non-spicy romances that are set in a specific historical time and place.

 

B&N Opens New Store in Seattle, Better Than the Movies Movie, Author, Editor on Phishing Scams, Amazon Shifts Prime Day to June, Story of Ferdinand at Carle Museum, Burn Bright by Becca and Krista Ritchie, The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith, Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey, The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores and From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper

It's already the second week of May, and I've read through 5  books and I will be done with my TBR stack before the month is out. Tomorrow is Mother's Day, the first one I will have to celebrate without my own mom, who died this past March. She was a great mom, and I miss her so much, it hurts. She wasn't the kind of person who stood on ceremony, and she disliked most holidays and was very anti-religion. So she would tell me, if she were still here, to rest, relax and have a cup of tea in her honor. Happy Mother's Day to all the hard working moms out there.

Speaking of Mother's Day, I am hoping that my son Nick will take me to this new B&N store in downtown Seattle tomorrow, where I can stock up on a few items. Both Nick and I have been ill with some kind of respiratory infection that only subsides once you're on antibiotics. Since we both got on antibiotics a few days ago, we're feeling better, so I'm hoping we will be well enough for at least a quick visit.  

B&N Opening New Space in Seattle

B&N is also opening its new bookstore in Seattle, Wash., today. The store returns downtown after the location in Pacific Place closed in January 2020. Located at 520 Pike St., the 18,000-square-foot space is situated a couple of blocks from the Convention Center and Pike Place Market.

The official opening to the public will feature local author Robin Hobb cutting the ribbon and signing copies of her book Blood of Dragons: Volume Four of the Rain Wilds Chronicles.

"The return of a major bookstore to Downtown Seattle is testament both to the revitalization of the downtown area and the vigor of bookselling generally," said James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble. "The Downtown Seattle Barnes & Noble was for many years a flagship for the bookseller. We are very pleased to restore this again with the new Pike Street bookstore."

This was a fun novel, so I can hardly wait to see what they do with it in a movie. Speaking of adaptations, Remarkably Bright Creatures, based on the book by Shelby Van Pelt, has been made into a Netflix movie that I watched last night, and although its not as good as the book, I still cried, and loved seeing Marcellus brought to life (he's a wise old Octopus).

Movies: Better Than the Movies

Julia Hart (I'm Your Woman) will direct a film adaptation of Better Than the Movies, the bestselling YA novel by Lynn Painter, for Netflix, Deadline reported. Hart is also a co-writer on the project with her husband and creative partner Jordan Horowitz, who will produce for Original Headquarters alongside Shauna Phelan. 

Better Than the Movies "is a love letter to romantic comedies, in which senior Liz Buxbaum relies on her obsession with rom-com movies to get the attention of her untouchable crush, with an assist from her annoying but cute next-door neighbor," Deadline wrote.

These scammers and AI bots are becoming more bold and horrible by the day. It's evil, and completely unnecessary. Hoppefully it is something that will fade away over time.

Author, Editor on Bookish Phishing Scams

“It's so hard to be an author. It's also super hard to keep an independent publishing company afloat for nearly 30 years... and this scam and whoever or whatever is behind it is just such a waste of time and hurtful, unnecessarily hurtful.”--Johanna Ingalls, managing editor & director of foreign rights, Akashic Books

Phishing scams directed at authors are all the rage (or, more accurately, rage-making) in the book trade. Just yesterday in Shelf Awareness Pro, we ran an Editor's Note warning that names of some of our staff members have been used in recent phishing attempts.

As it happens, I've been in conversation about the topic recently with author Jessica Keener, whose latest novel, Evening Begins the Day (Koehler Books), was released in March; and Johanna Ingalls at Akashic Books.

"Covid spawned a new era of online events and activities," Keener observed. "But this AI-generated flood of online marketing spam is another beast. It's targeting that vulnerable streak that every author has--a need, and hunger to grow their reader base and sell more books."

And when I e-mailed Keener to clarify some details, she said she had just "deleted and blocked yet another long letter appealing to how great my new book is and how they would like to help me expand readership via Goodreads and Litsy.

"It's almost pathetic. The marketing letters use AI and repurpose familiar descriptions of the book online, and sentences from reviews found online. It's endless!" Be careful out there.--Robert Gray, contributing editor

I guess that Amazon isn't satisfied with getting a big boost to their bottom line in July, so they've got to move the date for Prime Day forward...corporate greed is disgusting.

Amazon Shifts Prime Day from July to June

Amazon has confirmed earlier media reports that Prime Day 2026 will take place in June rather than in July, when it has been held since 2015. The company gave no reason for the change and has not yet officially released dates for the four-day sales event for Prime members, saying only: "Stay tuned--we'll share more details as the event approaches."

In March, Bloomberg had reported that the change was coming, citing people familiar with the matter and noting: "The change will affect both Amazon and its constellation of third-party vendors, which count on the discounting surge to attract shoppers. Since Amazon captures about 40 cents of every dollar spent online, the timing of Prime Day is also closely watched by competitors, which look to draft off of the promotions and web traffic."

This was one of Nick's favorite books for me to read to him when he was little. I thought it was pretty awesome, being a children's book about anti-violence and anti-animal abuse.  

The Story of Ferdinand Exhibition Opens at the Carle Museum

Tomorrow an exhibition celebrating the 90th anniversary of the publication of the classic The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson, the tale of a bull that didn't want to fight, opens at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Mass. The exhibition includes the original manuscript and drawings for the book, as well as material from the animated Disney film and Ferdinand memorabilia. Under the Cork Tree: The Story of Ferdinand runs until November 8.

Burn Bright by Krista & Becca Ritchie is a deliciously written and beautifully produced YA romance, with a gorgeous cover and blue butterfly end papers. Though it's ridiculously long (over 700 pages), it is a fast and fun read, with a lot of teenage melodrama and emotions flying everywhere. Here's the blurb:  He's a rich jock with a larger-than-life family. She's a punk-rock nerd with a troubled past. (editor's note: troubled past equals growing up poor with parents who are either criminals, drug addicts, divorced and/or mentally unfit to raise a child...because of course children of wealthy parents have much more love and support for their childhoods...blech! Classist nonsense!).

Ben Cobalt is number six. Not sixth place—in fact, he’d be considered at least third draft pick for the NHL if he didn’t quit hockey during college. And he’s not sixth-in-line for any throne. Though, most consider his larger-than-life, billionaire family American royalty.

He is the sixth-born Cobalt.

Out of a normal family of seven, he might get lost in the shuffle. But being the black sheep of the Cobalt Empire comes with its own intense spotlight. After he hits a major low at college in Philly, his four older brothers convince him to move in with them in New York City. Transferring to Manhattan Valley University—piece of cake.

Living in an apartment with all of his brothers while harboring a giant secret among a family who’s more tight-knit than a secret society—total effing chaos.

He has to find a way out of the tense living arrangement, especially as he clashes with his oldest brother Charlie. Ben turns to an unlikely source for help. A grumpy, punk-rock girl with a troubled past who's already pissed off one Cobalt brother.

So when an undeniable attraction ignites, Harriet Fisher is expecting the flames to die out. Except…what happens when they don’t? Falling for a Cobalt brother with secrets might be a Shakespearean tragedy she can't rewind. 

Amazon bot reviewers claim this is an adult romance novel, but the main characters are all in their late teens or early 20s, just like most YA lit, and the romance is very "exploratory" because the characters are so young and have never been in love before. The so-called "Giant Secret" Ben is hiding is that he's mentally ill with OCD, which somehow leads him to believe every bad thing that happens to his brothers and sister, or his beloved Harriet, is his responsibility, because he's somehow poisoned with bad luck. Several of his other brothers are also in therapy and dealing with mental illness, as is his father, who, despite all attempts to the contrary, sounds like a controlling asshat one-percenter (his mother is, of course, more sane, but still cold and controlling). Ben is ridiculously naive and childishly innocent, because he can't beat any kind of violence or killing...not even of bugs (like cockroaches, which are vile and filthy bugs that carry a variety of diseases). Harriet is also dealing with terrible self esteem issues, and doesn't feel worthy of love or care from the famed Cobalt brothers and family. She has, in the past, given out blow jobs in exchange for things she needs, or to help others get what they need. This is couched in sneering terms, as if she's tainted by being sexually active while not "in love" with her "soul mate." Which is misogynistic bullcrap. But, in the end, after everyone has had their running-away freak-out, the two main characters are together and happily going forward with their lives. I couldn't figure out, after Harriet discovers what a jerk her father the surgeon is, why she still insists on going to medical school to become a doctor, which she originally wanted to do to show him that she was "worthy" of his love and attention. When it becomes obvious that she's never going to get that, I would have assumed she'd drop expensive med school and become a drummer in a punk band. But it is inferred that now that she has all the monetary backing of the Cobalts, that she must excel at her career and become worthy of the love of that wealthy family, which is gross. Still, the fast plot and the tight and glossy prose made this a page-turning doorstop read. I'd give it a B+ and recommend it to anyone who has ever dreamed of being inside a one-percenter family and having access to anything they want in life.

 

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith is the sequel YA romantasy to The Rose Bargain, and it's darker and more depressing than the first book in the series, unfortunately. Here's the blurb: 

Wed to one brother. In love with the other.

Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time—and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever—and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna.

 This is a "dark" fantasy, which generally means horror genre level of plot, but here they also indulge in plenty of "torture" porn, with young women getting jailed, chained, beaten, etc, over and over, yet somehow still surviving to whine and fight a losing battle the next day. The fae are portrayed here as nothing but immature psychopaths whose only interest in humans is how to torture, kill and abuse them. There never seems to be anyway for Ivy to win in the otherworld, where she's kept captive by the evil and capricious (read: cruel and childish) King Bram. Things slow down at the end, but most of the book is taken up with the creative ways that magical fae can abuse and kill mere mortals for sport. If you're in any way disgusted by serial killers, then skip this book and buy something a bit less painful. The prose wasn't as clear as it should have been, often falling prey to the overly flowery description of 19th and early 20th century authors. The plot meanders a bit, but eventually gets you there. I'd give this book a B-, and only recommend it to those who find horror-romance hybrids fascinating.

 

Anywhere You Go by Bridget Morrissey is an LGBTQ romantic comedy that is whimsical and sparkling. Here's the blurb: 

Two women discover love after swapping their homes. Fleeing the messiness of their personal lives, a small-town waitress and a big-city Broadway press agent swap addresses and lives in this queer contemporary romance.

Tatum Ward and Eleanor Chapman lead totally opposite lives. Tatum’s never left her Midwestern hometown. She resides in a quaint guest cottage on her parents’ property while working part-time as a waitress, where she spends most shifts ignoring her feelings for a beautiful regular named June. Eleanor dedicates every waking hour to her high-profile press career, sacrificing personal relationships for professional success, save for the occasional hookup to fight off her loneliness. When both women’s lives unexpectedly blow up at the exact same time, they each need an escape, and fast.

In Tatum’s hometown, Eleanor expects a quiet hideaway where she can recharge. Instead she gets wrapped up in the family drama that Tatum left town to avoid, pulled in by Tatum’s charismatic older sibling, Carson, who charms Eleanor at every turn. Tatum ends up in Eleanor’s New York high-rise apartment with June. One week together in the big city might make it impossible for Tatum to avoid not just her true feelings for June, but her real dreams for her life.

Amid a friendship with a reclusive Hollywood actress and a complicated family reunion, Tatum and Eleanor each discover much more than they bargained for away from home. Their house swap won’t last forever, but it might be just long enough for both women to surrender their defenses and finally fight for the life—and love—they deserve.

Though I enjoyed the queer romance aspect of this novel, and the country mouse vs city mouse swap, I felt that there needed to be a bit more depth to the characters and their backgrounds, which are kind of glossed over. I also found Carson confusing, as They were portrayed as gender non binary, but without the background to know how they had evolved into the person they were now...so readers are unsure if Carson is a trans male or female. For me, (realizing that I'm a dinosaur) it meant that I found the love scenes confusing and the sexual attraction murky at best. Still, the prose was strong and the plot fun and zippy. I'd give this book a B, and recommend it to anyone interested in lesbian and non binary romances.

 

The Witch and The Vampire by Francesca Flores was a stiff and bumpy YA "dark" LGBTQ romantasy that became tedious and derivative before it was halfway through. Here's the blurb: Francesca Flores's The Witch and the Vampire is a queer Rapunzel retelling where a witch and a vampire who trust no one but themselves must journey together through a cursed forest with danger at every turn.

Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother Eugenia needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order to hide that she's a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement and stop her mother's plans to destroy the town, Ava must break out, flee to the forest, and seek help from the vampires who live there. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes.

Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she'd started to have for Kaye before that terrible night.

But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other's greatest threat―and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed. 

As per usual with horror (called "dark") romantasy novels, there was a great deal of blood and torture and pain heaped on the main characters and everyone they love, while Ava's quest to become part of a "nice" vampire nest turns out to be futile, because there are no nice vamps, and she is apparently alone in her quest to not drink the blood of humans to survive. The book starts out depressing and only gets darker and more pain-filled as it goes along, on a plot that dips and bumps like a mile of bad road. I'd give this poor quality book a C, and recommend it to those who actually liked the awfulness that was Twilight.

 

From Bad to Cursed by Lana Harper is a witchy rom-com that should have been added to the YA genre, especially since the main characters are "finding themselves" as people and for future careers. Here's the blurb: 

Opposites attract in this wickedly charming rom-com by Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback’s a Witch.

Wild child Isidora Avramov is a thrill chaser, adept demon summoner, and—despite the whole sexy-evil-sorceress vibe—also a cuddly animal lover. When she’s not designing costumes and new storylines for the Arcane Emporium’s haunted house, Issa's nursing a secret, conflicted dream of ditching her family’s witchy business to become an indie fashion designer in her own right. 

But when someone starts sabotaging the celebrations leading up to this year’s Beltane festival with dark, dangerous magic, a member of the rival Thorn family gets badly hurt—throwing immediate suspicion on the Avramovs. To clear the Avramov name and step up for her family when they need her the most, Issa agrees to serve as a co-investigator, helping none other than Rowan Thorn get to the bottom of things.

Rowan is the very definition of lawful good, so tragically noble and by-the-book he makes Issa’s teeth hurt. In accordance with their families’ complicated history, he and Issa have been archenemies for years and have grown to heartily loathe each other. But as the unlikely duo follow a perplexing trail of clues to a stunning conclusion, Issa and Rowan discover how little they really know each other… and stumble upon a maddening attraction that becomes harder to ignore by the day.

There's a serious Romeo and Juliet vibe in the romance of Rowan and Issa, though they're older than Shakespeare's tragic teen lovers. I liked that there was also the enemies to lovers trope involved here because it bolstered the somewhat thin plot. The prose was lush and intricate enough to keep the reader going along the trail of mystery set out at the beginning of the book. I'd give it a B- and recommend it to anyone interested in rival family drama and witchy magic.

 

Indie Bookstore Day A Success, LeVar Burton's Take on IBSD, Everflame Comes to TV, Quote of the Day, Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe, The Bookshop Mysteries by S.A. Reeves, The Secret of Dunhaven Castle by Nellie H Steele, So Not Meant To Be by Meghan Quinn, and Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan

Hale and well met fellow book people! It's May, the lusty spring month, and as I'm allergic to pollen, I'm staying indoors in the AC and curling up with the books from my TBR, which will hopefully get more books added on Mothers Day this month. Meanwhile, I've got 5 reviews and tidbits for you. Enjoy!

Hurrah! Indie bookstores get a boost during their special day last month. I wish I could shop at Indie stores exclusively, but we live miles from any real bookstore, so I'm at the mercy of my sons schedule for driving me out to one. 

Independent Bookstore Day a Huge Success!

The lucky Golden Ticket winner was at Green Bean Books in Portland, Ore.  Libro.fm offered special promotions throughout the week, including a new member offer, a week-long audiobook sale, and the Golden Ticket in-store giveaway for 12 audiobooks. Golden Tickets were hidden in more than 1,500 bookstores in the U.S. and Canada.

Libro.fm CEO and co-founder Mark Pearson said, "Independent Bookstore Day is more than just a celebration; it's a movement. Seeing the record numbers of Golden Tickets in bookstores (and long lines to find them) shows that indies can compete with big tech. As audiobook listenership hits new heights, we are proud to show that technology can be used to strengthen, rather than replace, the independent shops that are the heart of our culture."

I love LeVar Burton, and have been watching him since he was the lead male in the Roots TV series, which was hugely popular in the 70s when I was a teenager.

LeVar Burton celebrated Independent Bookstore Day 

Actor, director, producer, and podcaster LeVar Burton was Independent Bookstore Day ambassador, and earlier said, "From my earliest memories, books carried me beyond the world I knew. They let me explore distant planets, ancient kingdoms, and lives very different from my own.

Independent bookstores are where those explorations began. They are sanctuaries of possibility where a single story can change a life."

The event was supported by lead sponsors Ingram and Penguin Random House, publishing partner sponsors Simon & Schuster, Second Story Press, Edelweiss, and the eight regional booksellers associations.

Exclusive Indie Bookstore Day items were offered by Abrams, Blackwing, Bonfire, Drawn & Quarterly, Enviro-Tote, HarperCollins, HarperCollins Children's Books, Macmillan, Out of Print, Tachyon, The Quarto Group, and Usborne, among others. Cartoonist Tom Gauld designed the limited-edition tote bag.

 I can hardly wait for this series to come out, it sounds like something right up my alley!

TV: Everflame

Hulu has taken is developing Everflame, a TV series adaptation of Penn Cole's bestselling romantasy novel Spark of the Everflame, the first book in the romance fantasy series the Kindred's Curse Saga. The project is from Death and Other Details co-creator Heidi Cole McAdams, Cole, and 20th Television, Deadline reported.

"I'm thrilled to be working with Heidi Cole McAdams to adapt the Kindred's Curse Saga," said Cole. "She truly understands the core messages of the series and what makes Diem's story compelling. Heidi has an incredible eye for re-imagining the story for a visual medium while preserving the aspects of the books that readers love most, and her enthusiasm for collaboration makes her an author's dream to work with. I have no doubt this adaptation will be as beloved to new audiences as it will be to the series' passionate fan base."

Everflame "is set in a world where mortals live in poverty, subjugated by an elite race known as the Descended. When her mother goes missing, Diem Bellator suspects that the most powerful and most feared Descended in the kingdom--Prince Luther Corbois--may be responsible. As she embarks on a search for answers, she becomes an unexpected force in the mortal rebellion against the Descended, and the center of an even more unexpected love triangle," Deadline noted.

The quote is true, at least for me, that I can always be cheered by going to a bookstore and just perusing the shelves. The same can be said for libraries, though I prefer to have a copy of any given book to myself.

Quotation of the Day

'If You're Short on Hope or in Need of a Mood Lift... Go to an Independent Bookstore'

"If you're short on hope or in need of a mood lift--and, oh boy, who's not?--I offer a suggestion: Go to an independent bookstore. If you think we live in a society where people don't talk with their neighbors or no one puts their phone down to read an actual book, I beg of you: Go to an independent bookstore.

"The strength of a community is about the strength of its connections and the power of its ideas; both are in ample supply at indie bookstores. Visiting one may not save the world, but it can help you feel connected to your little corner of it."--From Jen McGivney's op-ed piece "The hopeful reason behind Charlotte's indie bookstore boom"

Stay For A Spell by Amy Coombe is a cozy romantasy that is witty and charming and a real page-turning delight. Here's the blurb: 

A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?

I loved Tandy and her deep adoration of books and her cat that is part octopus/kracken, and her dragon shop assistant who is a lesbian, and all the other weird and interesting characters that we meet while princess Tandy finds herself and learns to stand up to her parents, who have been using her as the public face of the crown for years, leaving her no time for herself or her TBR. Having grown up with a mother who also had strong expectations of me due to being female (It was my duty to be calm and quiet and take care of the men in the household, because they couldn't be expected to take care of themselves, which lead them to be immature idiots who only wanted girlfriends/wives, etc in their lives to feed them, do their laundry, have sex and never ask anything for themselves...like slaves, but with less autonomy), I know how Tandy feels, in a sense, because I always struggled to find time to read my books at home, and I longed to leave home to be somewhere that people would appreciate me as a person, for myself and whatever talents that I could discover that I might have. It was also important to me to get away from all the negativity that my family regularly hurled at me, (my mother and brothers enjoyed putting me in situations where they could laugh at my reaction), as well as the abuse I received every weekday from my classmates at school. I was too smart, too fat, too much of everything for everyone around me, and I found that being treated like an outcast palled after awhile. Just like the expectations around her role as princess palled for Tandy. I was excited to move away for college, and my mom, like Tandy's mother the Queen, still wanted to control my life and would call and weep and growl about how I'd abandoned her, when she knew I was going away to college, because she helped me get the money together to do so, after my father spent my college savings account on jewelry for his latest mistress. I thrilled at Tandy's stance with her parents, telling them that she was staying with her handsome pirate and her bookstore. The prose in this book was lovely and clear, and the plot flawless. I'd give this book an A, and recommend it to any bibliophiles who enjoy cozy female-lead stories.

 

The Bookshop Mysteries: A Bitter Pill by S.A. Reeves is a cozy mystery written by a husband and wife team who live in England, UK. Though it is self-published it had only a few typos and was generally readable and fun. Here's the blurb: 

When a book signing turns deadly, two bookshop owners turn detectives.

Gemma loves the quiet life of her bookshop, the Bookworm—a haven for book lovers in a quaint town in the heart of Derbyshire. But everything changes when Gemma discovers the body of local author Dominic Westley during the shop’s latest book signing event.

When the police rule the death as an accidental overdose, Dominic’s estranged widow points the finger at one of his past lovers. Gemma and her trusty assistant, Mavis, won’t rest until they uncover the truth. Was it an accidental overdose or something more sinister?

Fans of cozy mysteries will delight in The Bookshop Mysteries - A Bitter Pill, a charming and suspenseful read that will keep you guessing until the very end. If you enjoyed books like The Thursday Murder Club or The Missing Maid, then this is the perfect book for you to curl up with!

 

The Reeve's prose was easy and clear, and the plot was a breezy roller coaster ride straight to the end, without any plotholes to drag the story arc down. It's almost YA level in terms of easy reading, and it would make a great beach read for those who like cozy English mysteries and who watch Masterpiece theater...so skewing to an older crowd (over 55 at least) to be sure. Though the female protagonist is a bit too self-effacing and cowardly for my taste, I still enjoyed her journey in bringing the bad guys to justice. I'd give this swiftly plotted novel a B- and recommend it to any older gals or guys who enjoy the small town mystery trope.

 

The Secret of Dunhaven Castle by Nellie H. Steele is the first book in the Cate Kensie Mystery series, and it's a real corker. There's a bit of paranormal mystery woven throughout the book, and the author of this self-published gem is  using a non de plume to create her series featuring an academic, Dr Cate, who, while down on her luck (how unsurprising that academia is sexist) discovers that she's heir to a Scottish castle in the middle of that country, miles from anywhere. Here's the blurb: Inheriting a castle seemed like a dream—until she discovered the staggering secrets inside.

Down-on-her-luck history professor, Cate Kensie, is thrilled to be thrust into a world filled with family history after a startling inheritance. Nestled in the heart of the misty Scottish Highlands, where ancient legends and modern living collide, rumors and dark tales swirl about Cate’s new castle.

Cate finds her once peaceful, private life upended by hidden secrets and puzzling enigmas. Driven by her passion for history and an insatiable curiosity, Cate embarks on a journey that not only unravels the mysteries but transforms her into a formidable sleuth. Guided by a cryptic note from her predecessor, she deciphers veiled clues and generations-old secrets. With each step, Cate is drawn deeper into a web of intrigue that not only risks her own safety, but the fate of a hidden legacy that could reshape history.

As the mysteries of the past beckon, will Cate find answers or become the castle’s next piece of history?

Combining cozy mystery a la Murder She Wrote with the time-bending suspense of Doctor Who, this series will have you eagerly trading sleep for another chapter.

Join amateur sleuth Cate Kensie as she unravels the mysteries of the Scottish Highlands in this enchanting cozy mystery series. 

 

What I found odd about this book was that most of it was spent with Dr Cate being on her back foot, so to speak, and dealing with all the boring details of her life at home, and when she finally gets to Scotland, she again spends a great deal of time wondering about what is happening to her with "lost time" and not actually accepting things and moving on to deal with her ability to time travel (which would actually thrill most historians!) I felt like the book only really got going in the second half, once she finally got to Scotland and then started in on the mystery of what is happening to her. There was a slight romantic through line, though if you're looking for full-fledged spicy scenes, you will be sorely disappointed. The prose was a bit rote, and the plot way too easy for the reader to figure out, but the book moves fast and is intriguing enough that once you get past the first 125 pages it zips along just fine. I'd give it a B- and recommend it to anyone who dreams of living in a castle in Scotland one day (and being surrounded by handsome men in kilts!)

 

So Not Meant To Be by Meghan Quinn is a romantic comedy with plenty of wit and spice for days. Here's the blurb: From author Meghan Quinn, comes a fresh take on a romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally. This steamy, laugh-out-loud, enemies to lovers romance is about an annoyingly handsome coworker and the woman who refuses to be charmed by him.

Am I friends with JP Cane? Ha! That's laughable.

Besides the fact that he’s adopted some far-fetched notion from the movie When Harry Met Sally that says men and women can't be friends and work together, it’s safe to say we're not friends. He's annoyingly loud, obnoxiously handsome, and has made an art out of poking all my hot buttons . . . multiple times a day.

So you can imagine how disgruntled I am when I not only have to fly to San Francisco with him for work, but stay in the same penthouse. Yup, we're sharing the same air, twenty-four-seven. We're talking full-fledged working roommates.

The man doesn't know what it means to wear a shirt, thrives off protein bars, and you guessed it, moans loud enough for people to believe he's Meg Ryan in a restaurant.

Spoiler Alert: I WON'T be having what he's having.

Tack on his continuous flirting and his polished good looks, and I'm caught staring down the barrel of a seductive temptation that makes it hard for me to sleep at night. But guess who can control herself? This girl.

Because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that JP Cane and I are so not meant to be. 

I laughed at the scene where, instead of a woman 'faking' an orgasm, Cane fakes one in front of Kelsey, the reluctant female protagonist who doesn't believe in love, especially with a coworker. Of course, everyone who reads this book will be thrilled to watch the enemies-to-lovers trope play out, and the two protagonists fall in bed together while building their love for one another underneath their staunch denials of affection. The sex scenes are pretty standard, from what I've read in every recent rom-com and romantasy book, starting with the woman getting oral/digital sex from the male protagonist, because apparently, that is still fairly rare for couples in the real world (which is sad). Then it progresses to penetrative sex in various positions followed by the grateful female protagonist performing oral sex on the surprised and enthralled male protagonist, who almost always has to "teach" the female "how" to perform a BJ, because apparently innocence of oral sex is somehow a real turn on for men, at least the ones in romance novels. This kind of sexist BS always angers me, because, even though I didn't have any boyfriends to have sex with, I had read detailed instructions on how to perform BJs by the time I was 20 years old....and I fully believe that a number of young women whom I went to high school with knew how to do this by the time they were 16 or so. Infantlizing women by making them petite and innocent makes me want to hurl. Anyway, I still enjoyed this book, though the prose was overblown (no pun intended) and the plot meandered a bit after the many sex scenes. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to those who like a laugh or two with their spicy romance.

 

Thistlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan is a beautifully produced (gorgeous cover art and the book itself is bound in purple cloth) romantasy adventure tale with a fascinating take on the fae and fairies in general, and how their magic works. Here's the blurb: Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother’s side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle’s offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

 I liked the fact that Corrigan didn't have her fairies fall into the overly sweet, pastel-winged and pixie dusted variety of creatures, but instead imbued the main fae, Thornwood, with a rather grisly and cruel attitude, enough so that he takes body parts from those he makes "deals" with, and Mouse has to be on her toes around him, lest he destroy or kidnap her before she can lay claim to her ancestral home. I wasn't thrilled to see that the female protagonist was nicknamed "Mouse" and was a fearful and shy wee creature, which is apparently standard for romantic heroines these days. She did finally grow a spine halfway through this large tome, and she did manage to get everything set to rights, but I still had lingering questions about her "shell shocked" brother who had to be institutionalized after the horrors of the trenches in WWI. I think it was made obvious that even the fae can't fix things like PTSD, and somehow readers are meant to believe that he's all set for a better life by the end. How? Why? Where? The prose is charming and the plot slick and determined, though I felt that a good editor could have whacked about 60 pages off this novel and it wouldn't be missed at all. I'd give it a B, and recommend it to those who love fae-human romances and lost causes.