Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Tuesday 31 October 2023

TMST

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.

10/31/2023 What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

We do not really have Halloween here, but yes we do have Halloween in a way here. No trick or treating, damn if any kids showed up I would tell them to get out and come back at Easter.

But my kid loves decorations, so we carved a pumpkin and put up some decorations. Today we took a Halloween food course and made spider cookies. And on Halloween we will eat some halloween fries and halloween nuggets

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Monday 30 October 2023

Carole´s Monday: Sweet on you

Author: Kate Angell

Narrator: Tiffany Morgan
Title: Sweet on You

Series: Moonbright, Maine

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Novella
Published: June 29, 2021

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary:

Every autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o'-lanterns...and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment.

Getting dumped was not how Lara wanted to start her day. Toss in an increase in her rent and an unsustainable job and things might not be able to get much worse. However, after a trip to Bellaluna's, she scores a new job working for Mayor Jack Hanson - planning the Halloween parade. But as the two work to create the most memorable Halloween celebration Moonbright has ever seen, old feelings are stirred up.

Review:

Here we are again in Moonbright!! This town sure loves Halloween and that bakery.

This time we follow Lara and Jack. Lara is having a DAY. Her job is in jeopardy because of slow business, she got dumped, and now her rent is going up. Joyful. However, things start looking up after a trip to Bellaluna's. She scores a free cookie and then a new job working for Jack who is the mayor and needs someone to plan and execute the Halloween parade. As they work together, feelings rise.

This was absolutely adorable. Lara is cute and Jack is hawt. The two are perfect for each other. They knew each other in High School, but they were on different social levels so they never really got to know each other. I really love how this was friendship and then more. It felt natural. I honestly don't think they needed that magical cookie to realize they are soulmates.

There wasn't much drama here and I appreciated it. Sometimes it is nice to see a couple just be together and fall for each other. However, I wish there had been something. Not drama, but something they had to overcome together. Everything was a little too easy. Even the "drama" at the parade seemed like nothing.

The narrator was good. Her male voices still sound all the same, but it's not a huge cast so you can't really notice. Maybe that is why she didn't need to change it up too much? I am curious to listen to more by this narrator. I've listened to a few in the past.

Overall, this was very sweet. A beautiful couple who are saints. They deserve the best in life. I do wish we had something. Everything went a little TOO easy for everyone. I'll give this 4 stars.

Challenge(s):

- #46 for Audiobook challenge

Wednesday 25 October 2023

The Coward by Stephen Aryan

Series: Quest for Heroes (#1)

Format: 412 pages, Paperback

Published: June 8, 2021 by Angry Robot

Fantasy /own

I will try and make it short, but it is hard you know. Ok, I will succeed!

Krell was a hero...or was he. As I read I understood that the heroes has their flaws, and Krell was just a lucky S.o.b. But now the big bad is back and he is sent to fix it. But he is a coward...still he goes. I liked Krell, he was human. Many flaws, and still he went

Then there are some religious fanatics, ugh, hate those.

New group of heroes. Good company.

And this is a dualogy? I need book 2!

'Kell Kressia is a legend, a celebrity, a hero. Aged just seventeen he set out on an epic quest with a band of grizzled fighters to slay the Ice Lich and save the world, but only he returned victorious. The Lich was dead, the ice receded and the Five Kingdoms were safe.

Ten years have passed Kell lives a quiet farmer's life, while stories about his heroism are told in every tavern across the length and breadth of the land. But now a new terror has arisen in the north. Beyond the frozen circle, north of the Frostrunner clans, something has taken up residence in the Lich's abandoned castle. And the ice is beginning to creep south once more.

For the second time, Kell is called upon to take up his famous sword, Slayer, and battle the forces of darkness. But he has a terrible secret that nobody knows. He's not a hero - he was just lucky. Everyone puts their faith in Kell the Legend, but he's a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone...

Tuesday 24 October 2023

TMST

10/24/2023 What is your favorite supernatural creature?

I do not really know. I do not think I have one

Sure unicorns are cute

Yup, dragons are cool

But no, I can¨t just choose one

10/31/2023 What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Monday 23 October 2023

Carole´s Monday: Sweet magic

Author: Donna Kauffman

Narrator: Tiffany Morgan
Title: Sweet Magic

Series: Moonbright, Maine

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Paranormal, Novella
Published: June 15, 2021

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary:

Every autumn, Moonbright, Maine, is the picture of charm with its piles of crisp leaves, flickering jack-o'-lanterns . . . and a touch of the sweetest kind of enchantment.

Bree works in her family's bakery, Bellaluna's, where the secret ingredient is magic. Among all the mouth-watering treats that they regularly dish out rests a special cookie that can nudge would-be couples together. Though Bree has tried to perfect the recipe, her attempts have always come up short . . . but then Caleb, a visiting restaurateur, steps in and gets a taste of her latest creation.

Review:

Gimme all the cozy, small-towns!!!

Here we follow Bree and Caleb. Bree works in her family's bakery where the secret ingredient is magic. The women in Bree's family have a little bit of magic through their baking that helps them find their soulmate. Everyone except Bree. Until Caleb walks in and gets a taste of her latest creation.

This was simply adorable and cute. Can I move to this town? I would go to the bakery every day. Yummmmmmmmm! *drools*

Now - things did move quick between Bree and Caleb. They def had insta-love, but they tried to deny it for a couple of days but they simply couldn't stay away from each other. They were engaged a month later. Not sure when they tied the knot, but very quick.

This is a novella so it is pretty short. TBH, this could have been a full-length novel. There were many plot points that could've been inspected and looked into more. Esp with Caleb's family. Maybe we'll see them walking around in the other stories of this town's series. We shall see.

But yes, this was cute and I adored this couple. I do wish this had been longer and explored more of our characters and their situations. I'll give this 3 stars.

Challenge(s):

- #44 for Audiobook challenge

Friday 20 October 2023

Audio: Say yes to the Marquess

By: Tessa Dare

Narrated by: Carmen Rose

Series: Castles Ever After, Book 2

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Release date: 12-30-14

Publisher: HarperAudio

Historical romance/Bookbeat.fi

Am I now done with all Dare books? Nope, seems I one of her oldest left (I haven¨t not seen it in audio on any subscription sites here. ). And dunno about all the short stories. But mostly done, yay.

I am gonna do this fast. Clio inherits a castle. She has waited for her fiancé for 8 years and is bloody tired of it. His brother tries to make her come to sense.

Rafe tries to put together a wedding, instead he falls in love with her. And she tries to tell him to stop that she does not want his stupid brother, and she falls for Rafe too.

Long story short, they live happily ever after.

Good narration.

Your presence is requested at romantic Twill Castle for the wedding of Miss Clio Whitmore and... and...? After eight years of waiting for Piers Brandon, the wandering Marquess of Granville, to set a wedding date, Clio Whitmore has had enough. She's inherited a castle, scraped together some pride, and made plans to break her engagement. Not if Rafe Brandon can help it. A ruthless prizefighter and notorious rake, Rafe is determined that Clio will marry his brother—even if he has to plan the dratted wedding himself. So how does a hardened fighter cure a reluctant bride's cold feet?

*He starts with flowers. Ladies can't have too many flowers. Or harps. Or cakes.

*He lets her know she'll make a beautiful, desirable bride—and tries not to picture her as his.

*He doesn't kiss her.

*If he kisses her, he definitely doesn't kiss her again.

*When all else fails, he puts her in a stunning gown and vows not to be nearby when the gown comes off.

*And no matter what, he doesn't fall in disastrous, hopeless love with the one woman he can never call his own.

Wednesday 18 October 2023

Audio: Through the veneer of time by Vera Bell

Always and Forever, Book 1

By: Vera Bell

Narrated by: Frankie Porter, Andrew Dickson

Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins

Release date: 09-28-23

Publisher: Timebound Publishing L.L.C.

Romantic suspense/historical

Trigger Warning.

Rape, violence, abuse.

Sienna has always had this fear of even the word rape, and when she starts seeing her past life all the pieces comes together. But in the present her husband is under pressure to find a serial rapist who brutally kills his victims.

The present was tense, you knew something big was coming, and then things turn dark.

Her past life is brutal too. She was a noblewoman in Ulster in the 1500s. She married a king. The English was there. It was not a good time. I did wonder though about the portray of her husband. Everyone warned her of him and he was so kind to her and loved her through everything. The trigger warning come into effect here and it gets so dark, really too dark. It was hard listening to.

In the present, well, some things are unforgivable. I was not a fan of her husband here. All he did was work, was over smexed, and then something happened. Not cool.

It took me a while to listen to this. It was good, but also very dark. Many from the past has been born again, and the baddie is as bad as ever.

The narration was good. Different voices for different times. I have no idea if the Irish ones were correct, but to me they sounded really good to me. She made it intense. There is also a male narrator that was just as good. It worked well with them together

Ulster, Ireland, 1559. When a young noblewoman Neave McConway weds the newly elected king of Tyrone, Aedan O'Neal, the couple’s rare union of love and passion becomes the talk of the region. But Aedan’s bold rule and fierce defiance of the English crown threatens his powerful enemies, and they’ll stop at nothing to crush his growing influence. After Aedan rides off to fight against the English occupiers, Neave suffers a shocking attack that will forever alter both their lives—as well as the lives they have not yet lived.

Washington, DC, 2009. While mural artist Siena Forte battles a creative block, her FBI husband, Ryan Casey, struggles with a serial-killer case. When research leads Siena to the practice of past life regression, she stumbles upon irresistible inspiration. But after her art exposes her to a vicious ancient adversary, she discovers the true reason for her past life visions. They're a harbinger of her centuries-old revenge vow, and the serial killer can't be stopped until she fulfills it. But there is another person from the past with unfinished business—her husband.

Will Siena and Ryan settle their long-overdue score, or will the past repeat itself in a chilling parallel?

Tuesday 17 October 2023

TMST

10/17/2023 What is your favorite season? Why?

I will say summer. It is warm, there is light.

But then spring is fun just cos you can walk in the woods without being eaten by mosquitoes.

Fall is kind of shitty though

Winter is beautiful, but the roads are icy and slippery

10/24/2023 What is your favorite supernatural creature?

10/31/2023 What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Monday 16 October 2023

Carole´s Monday: Cupcake bakery Mystery

Author: Jenn McKinlay

Title: Sprinkle with Murder

Series: Cupcake Bakery Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Chick Lit

Format: Ebook

Pages: 292

Published: March 2, 2010

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary:

Melanie Cooper and Angie DeLaura are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. But their first big client is a nightmare. She's a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes for her wedding.

When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead-by-cupcake, she becomes the prime suspect. To save themselves and their business, the ladies need to find the real murderer, before the cupcake killer ices someone else.

Review:

The cover drew my eye for a lot of reasons. And then the summary had me excited to check this out.

This is a cozy mystery that follows Melanie and Angie. They are finally living out their dream as the proud owners of a bakery. However, their first big client is a literal nightmare. She is a bridezilla who wants 500 custom cupcakes. When Mel stumbles upon the bride-to-be dead and dead because of a cupcake she becomes suspect numero uno. To save themselves and their business, they need to unmask the real killer.

This started off okay. It then lost me. I skimmed and skimmed and finished it. I didn't want to completely DNF this in hopes it would be better, plus I DNFed a book a couple weeks ago so I wasn't ready to throw in the rag yet. Sighs. Maybe I should've....it never caught my attention again.

The characters felt so 2D and just....atypical. I never connected with our mains.

The evil bride was meh and you can't help but not care she was unalived.

The mystery was eh.

The love interest was annoying. Sorry girl you deserve better.

Sadly this wasn't really for me, but it doesn't mean you won't like it. Maybe you'll have better luck.

I'll give this 2 stars. The first three or so chapters were good and I ADORE the title and cover.

Friday 13 October 2023

Accidentally yours by Alexa Rivers

238 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2019

Series: Little Sky Romance (#1)

Contemporary romance/free

My book club theme was newspapers, so I tried, but so hard! What I did was to browse freebies then and found this.

It was very self pubbed. Sorry but yes.

She was a hotshot journalist, now she is in her small home town

He is the big shot developer, who lets his parents shit on him

Omg the scene where she meets his parents and the dad tells her that he was sure she would like meat if she just tried it. And she her mum or she could not cook so that is the reason. I laughed so hard at that. Who would even talk like that?

They also have un protected sex and she gets preggers and he does ask her if she is sure it is his. Damn man. But that is forgotten in a second.

I never felt their connection. It did have promise though, but it would need to flow more. To have less bitchy people, and for them to actually fall in love

A disgraced reporter. A CEO who hates the press. One night of passion with lasting consequences.

When journalist Aria Simons’s career went up in flames, she retreated to her lakeside hometown. Now, she’s determined to redeem herself by getting the scoop on Eli Lockwood’s new property development, but the arrogant millionaire seems hellbent on stopping her.

That is, until he realizes she’s the only one who can connect with his troubled sister. They strike a deal, but they didn’t anticipate the explosive chemistry between them, or that their truce would end with a positive pregnancy test.

Eli never wanted to be a parent, and Aria is scrambling to get her life together. Can this ready-made family pull through…or will they fall apart?

Wednesday 11 October 2023

Audio: A Christmas Tragedy by Agatha Christie

A Miss Marple Short Story

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Joan Hickson

Series: Miss Marple

Length: 38 mins

Release date: 12-09-21

Short story/bookbeat.fi

A short story in audio about Miss Marple telling a story about a man she was sure would kill his wife, but he had an alibi.

It was short yes, but it was a good story she told and I wondered how he had done it

Good narration

Whilst dining at the Bantrys, Miss Marple is asked to tell a murder mystery. She recounts the time she could tell from a man’s behaviour that he was planning to kill his wife. But at the time of the murder he had a perfect alibi…

Tuesday 10 October 2023

TMST

10/10/2023 Zombie Apocalypse: What would you do?

SCREAM DENIAL ANGER

Second. Can zombies swim? How fast can be blow this mothereffing bridge and just hide on a big island?

How about that big tower? Looks like a nice place to bunk down

And maybe just scream again and wish for death

10/17/2023 What is your favorite season? Why?

10/24/2023 What is your favorite supernatural creature?

10/31/2023 What is your favorite thing about Halloween?

Monday 9 October 2023

Carole´s Monday: On what grounds

Author: Cleo Coyle

Title: On What Grounds

Series: Coffeehouse Mystery #1

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Chick Lit

Format: Ebook

Pages: 292

Published: September 1, 2003

Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary:

Clare Cosi used to manage New York City’s historic Village Blend coffeehouse, until she opted for quieter pastures and a more suburban life. But after ten years away she’s back in action and back to the grind, serving up steaming hot caffeine one cup at a time.

With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, her cat Java by her side, and plenty of redecorating ideas, Clare is thrilled to return to work—until she discovers the assistant manager dead in the back of the store, coffee grounds strewn everywhere.

NYPD Detective Mike Quinn finds no sign of forced entry or foul play and deems the whole thing an accident. But despite the attractive investigator’s certainty, Clare isn’t convinced. Now, if she wants to get to the bottom of things she’ll have to do some sleuthing of her own—before anyone else ends up in hot water...

Review:

Gotta love random library finds! I was looking and looking for some nice October reads. This popped up and I had to check it out.

We follow Clare Cosi who is back to manage New York City's historic Village Blend coffeehouse. With a sprawling rent-free apartment directly above the coffeehouse, she and her cat have lots of plans for the future! However, things go sideways when she discovers her assistant manager dead in the back of the store. When the NYPD found no sign of forced entry or foul play, Claire wasn't convinced. Things do not add up. If she wants to find the truth, she will have to do some sleuthing of her own.

I won't lie but reading this made me want coffee really, really bad. Lots of talk about different types of coffee and how to prepare. I could taste and smell the coffee brewing! All the coffee feels!

The mystery was done well. I thought I had an idea, but there was a final twist at the end which made sense. Thinking back...yes....I can see it.

Claire was okay. She seemed sweet enough, but I can for sure see her being a snob in her past. She seemed like a recovering snob. There were things she would think or say that made me cringe a little bit. Maybe that is why her ex and she got along so well back in the day. He's def a snob. King of the Snobs. I hated his face. Hopefully, she doesn't go back to him. There seems to be a sniff of a love triangle in the future. Eeee I hope not. Matteo is an ass.

My only real issue was the long-winded explanations of things. It felt like everything was overexplained. Honestly? It felt like filler sometimes. Get back to the mystery! Or show us the hot detective again ;) hehe.

All-in-all, this was a nice mystery with some coffee thrown in. I am curious about book 2. Maybe. We shall see. I have a bunch of stuff I borrowed from the library so we'll see if this is the next cozy series of my future ;). I'll give this 3 stars.

Friday 6 October 2023

Be the serpent by Seanan McGuire

Series: October Daye (#16)

Format: 400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published; August 1, 2023 by DAW

UF/own

I...I love Toby, but omg this is book 16, please let it end and let Toby have her peace. I took a look at the next two books and everything turns to hell for her.

And what can I say after 16 books?! An enemy shows up, one too big. Toby just got married! It has taken ages! And now blood will flow and, sigh, poor Toby.

I liked it, but at the same time I am getting tired of them

October Daye is finally something she never expected to married. All the trials and turmoils and terrors of a hero’s life have done very little to prepare her for the expectation that she will actually share her life with someone else, the good parts and the bad ones alike, not just allow them to dabble around the edges in the things she wants to share. But with an official break from hero duties from the Queen in the Mists, and her family wholly on board with this new version of “normal,” she’s doing her best to adjust.

It isn’t always easy, but she’s a hero, right? She’s done harder.

Until an old friend and ally turns out to have been an enemy in disguise for this entire time, and October’s brief respite turns into a battle for her life, her community, and everything she has ever believed to be true.

The debts of the Broken Ride are coming due, and whether she incurred them or not, she’s going to be the one who has to pay.

Wednesday 4 October 2023

Carole´s Wednesday: Rogues rush in

Author: Tessa Dare & Christi Caldwell

Narrator: Justine Eyre
Title: Rogues Rush In

Genre: Historical Romance, Anthology, Novella, Short Stories
Published: May 22, 2018

Where I Got It: Audible

Summary:

Two scandalous brides...

Two rogues who won’t be denied...

His Bride for the Taking by Tessa Dare

It’s the first rule of friendship among gentlemen: Don’t even think about touching your best friend’s sister. But Sebastian, Lord Byrne, has never been one for rules. He’s thought about touching Mary Clayton—a lot—and struggled to resist temptation. But when Mary’s bridegroom leaves her waiting the altar, only Sebastian can save her from ruin. By marrying her himself.

In eleven years, he’s never laid a finger on his best friend’s sister. Now he’s going to take her with both hands. To have, to hold...and to love.

His Duchess for a Day by Christi Caldwell

It was never meant to be…

That’s what Elizabeth Terry has told herself while trying to forget the man she married--her once best friend. Passing herself off as a widow, Elizabeth has since built a life for herself as an instructor at a finishing school, far away from that greatest of mistakes. But the past has a way of finding you, and now that her husband has found her, Elizabeth must face the man she’s tried to forget.

It was time to right a wrong…

Crispin Ferguson, the Duke of Huntington, has spent the past years living with regret. The young woman he married left without a by-your-leave, and his hasty elopement had devastating repercussions. Despite everything, Crispin never stopped thinking about Elizabeth. Now that he’s found her, he has one request—be his duchess, publicly, just for a day.

Can spending time together as husband and wife rekindle the bond they once shared? Or will a shocking discovery tear them apart...this time, forever?

Review:

2-in-1! Always fun.

His Bride for the Taking by Tessa Dare

Sebastian, Mary, and Mary's brother have been friends for years. After Mary's brother died tragically in the war and Mary's father gone too, Sebastian stepped in to be Mary's rock. And that involves fixing what has happened after Mary is left at the alter. In order to save Mary's reputation, he decides to marry Mary himself.

This one was good. Friends to lovers. Always a blast.

That twist, though, I didn't like. I won't spoil anything, but I'm glad that last-minute drama didn't ruin everything. I'm glad they could move one decently quick. Still annoyed me though. Kinda unnecessary story-wise....and to be frank....it seemed odd for the character who did it.

Awwwwwww that epilogue made me giggle. So freakin' sweet!!!!!

The narrator is fantastic as per normal.

Still a nice fun one overall. 3 stars though.

His Duchess for a Day by Christi Caldwell

Second chances!!! Another fun trope IF done well.

Elizabeth and Crispin have been friends since they were kids. They got married very very young. Elizabeth ran off after hearing a certain conversation and a misunderstanding took place...for 10 years. Crispin needs his wife back in order to keep away the match-making mamas and desperate young ladies. He happens to find her making a living as a teacher. After striking a deal for her to come back for one ball, they two find themselves finally getting the talk they need. And of course, love will flood back in.

I liked this one. However, I was annoyed at the 10 years of separation (10??????? too many years) and how Crispin was acting like a rogue, but he really wasn't a rogue (what?). And then the end twist? Eh. Not needed. Glad it was a quick fix, but still......

But I liked Elizabeth and Crispin. They are so fit for each other and they def should've waited to marry. They were young and dumb. I think the 10 years apart did them well overall. They were able to find themselves and grow up so they COULD talk.

Fun narrator. She is always awesome. Good pick to read both of these.

In the end, it was still fun and lovely to see these two TALK and find love again. Somethings seemed messy and not needed, but thus is life, eh? 3 stars.

Overall

I enjoyed both. These authors are always a blast. Some minor complaints, but I loved the stories. One was a friends-to-lover trope which has a key to my heart. The second is a second chance and it worked (second chances are always rocky for me). Great narration. Def recommend it if you like this genre or any of these authors. 3 stars overall.