The teller of small fortunes by Julie Leong

Format: 352 pages, Paperback

Published: October 16, 2025 by Hodderscape

Cozy fantasy/own

Awww, another cute one. I do admit, at first I was a little hesitant, cozy fantasy is just so sweet, and slow. Is this for me? But then I was swept away by this pleasant story. Easy to read, fast to read.

Tao travels around in her wagon telling small fortunes. Those are easier for people to handle. The big ones, yeah people are not good with those. She also moves on fast as people have a tendency to want one thing and when it does happen, kind of scary.

She meets a thief and a mercenary that is tracking bandits who stole the mercenary´s child. Then she also comes across a baker who wants to see more of the world, and maybe try new things. A cat shows up and suddenly they do need more wagons. They travel to villages, selling fortunes, baked goods, searching for a missing daughter.

There is some danger, two countries heading into war, and she is originally from the other one. And why is she travelling alone?

But this is a cozy fantasy, only good things happen. And things work out as this is one book. No cliffhangers. I enjoyed it a great deal.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Audio: Summer with my Cowboy

Author Linda Lael Miller, Maisey Yates

Narrated by Renee Dorian

Publication date Apr 28, 2026

Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher: Tantor Media

Categories: Romance /to review

These were two sweet short cowboy romances.

First we have Kendra and Gabe. Kendra left a horrible marriage to start fresh. Gabe is a widower. They meet, there is attraction. But she does not want another failed marriage.

There is some tiny drama with someone from her past, but mostly it is these two getting to know each other and her daring to try things again.

Sweet short novella.

Then there is Jane and Spencer. Two foster kids who met a camp, fell in love and lost touch. Now Jane is back to be a counsellor as her life is stuck. Spencer is also one, and he has a ranch now.

He never forgot her. She does not really know what she want. They reconnect, find out what is important in life and get their hea.

Short and sweet too

Good narration. She handled the different stories well.

COWBOY WANTED by Linda Lael A painful divorce has brought Kendra Spencer home from Seattle to sunny Copper Ridge, Arizona. Despite a comfortable settlement, Kendra needs to keep busy—and keep herself from stalking her ex on social media. So she starts waitressing at the local diner, finding comfort in the regulars and her thankfully ordinary days. . . . Until far from ordinary newcomer Gage Elder walks in. Not only is he a champion bronc rider, turns out he's a widower—and maybe the one man understanding enough, kind enough—not to mention charming enough—to inspire Kendra to put the past behind her, and open her heart once more . . .

ONE MORE SUMMER WITH YOU by Maisey Between a fiancé with cold feet and a blocked promotion at the law firm where she works, it's as good a time as any for Jane Cahill to help out at the Oregon camp where she spent her summers as a troubled teen. But the place brings up a mix of memories, mostly about Spencer Quinn, who has also returned to volunteer. Now a ranch owner, Spencer was Jane's romance of three summers—plus one unforgettable night. In fact, neither has ever forgotten the other. And though fears about the future led Jane to break away, that future has arrived—and maybe this summer will be the one to last a lifetime . . .

TMST

 

 

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4/28/2026 What is your favorite sports team?

Nope, nope, sport is boring. Especially team sports,. Sorry 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

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Carole´s Monday: Marriage by Arrangement

 

Author: Sophia Singh Sasson

Narrator: Sharmila Devar
Title: Marriage by Arrangement

Series: (Nights at the Mahal, Book 1)

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published:  August 1, 2020
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible) 

Summary: 

When a business proposal turns

very personal…

Rule #1: Don’t fall for the client.

Because he’ll rock your world…

Architect Rani Gupta will never let a man compromise her career or freedom again. Which is a problem now that her newest client is irresistible hotelier Arjun Singh—aka the sexiest bachelor in India. A little fling with this gorgeous man would be scandal enough. But a fake engagement might just be more trouble than they bargained for—especially if Arjun has a prior arrangement!

Review:

Randomly stumbled upon this while looking for something else. Yayyyyy! And it fits a challenge? Even better. 

Here we have Rani and Arjun. Rani is an architect, and Arjun needs a firm to help build his newest hotel. There are sparks immediately, but that can never be. Rani will never let a man and his family compromise her career or freedom EVER again. Arjun is supposed to marry a childhood friend, but neither of them wants it, and neither of them can find the courage to tell their families. Nothing can happen between them....nothing at all, but the universe has other plans. 

This was a lot of fun. I liked Rani and Arjun a lot. I loved watching them get to know each other and eventually fall into lust and then love. It was sweet. I did hate that Arjun didn't tell her of his engagement, BUT 1) Arjun and his "fiancé" made a pact they can date whomever and eventually they'll break it off or delay it for as long as they can, and 2) it was just a fling. He should've mentioned it, though, but I get why he didn't. 

I hated their families. Yes, yes, traditional values and etc, but GAH. I wanted to hit them all. They all eventually see the errors of their ways, but man, it killed me seeing Rani and Arjun treated like that. :/ I was very annoyed that there wasn't more resolution and more time for them to try and make it up to them. There needed to be more apologies and more conversation. It didn't sit well with me how quickly that was wrapped up and put to the side. 

The narration was lovely. Great voices and accents. 

All-in-all, I did like this one. It was not your A-typical boy-meets-girls and etc. It had a lot of differences and depth. Lots of twists and turns. 4 stars from me. 

 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #15

- Reading Romance Challenge #12 (Office romance)