Good neighbors by Stephanie Burgis

Series: Good Neighbors (#omnibus)

Format: 182 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication: February 2, 2022 by Five Fathoms Press

Cozy fantasy romance

To review

This is four novellas made into a book, and it does work well. It is just like 4 different longer chapters.

It's an 18th century world with magic and monsters , well beings, but some do want to wipe out everything different.

And Mia and her father moves into a little village. She is different and had to leave. Her nearest neighbor is an annoying necromancer (who is also hot.) In the first story they are bickering. Then they have a mission. And then there is also drama at the end with those idiots who do not like different.

Sure things happen fast because they are novellas in the end, but it work because there is not specific time of events.

Mia was cool, she could make anything mechanic, and there is a hidden thing to her too. As for Leander, sure he is a necromancer, but he seems like a decent guy. And this is a romance too so they will grow closer.

As for the end, well everyone is happy for now in their crazy little village. But I would like more from this world because it is really interesting, and those evil guys are still out there.

Cool world, interesting story and romance promised too.

When a grumpy inventor meets her outrageous new neighbor in the big black castle down the road, more than one type of spark will fly! Mia Brandt knows better than to ever again allow her true powers to be discovered. Ever since her last neighbors burned down her workshop in a night of terror and flame, she's been determined to stay solitary, safe, and - to all outside appearances - perfectly respectable...

But Leander Fabian, whose sinister castle looms over her cozy new cottage, has far more dangerous ideas in mind. When he persuades Mia into a reluctant alliance, she finds herself swept into an exhilarating world of midnight balls, interfering countesses, illicit opera house expeditions, necromantic duels, and a whole unnatural community of fellow magic-workers and outcasts, all of whom are facing a terrifying threat.

Luckily, Mia has unnatural powers of her own - but even her unique skills may not be enough to protect her new found family and help her resist the wickedly provoking neighbor who's seen through all of her shields from the beginning.

This novel-length collection includes all four stories and novellas originally published on Stephanie Burgis's Patreon in 2020-2021: Good Neighbors, Deadly Courtesies, Fine Deceptions, and Fierce Company.

Audio review: One true loves

 

Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt

Series: Happily Ever Afters, Book 2

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Release date: 01-04-22

Publisher: HarperAudio

YA romance

to review

Lenore is an artist, but she is not really sure where her place in the world is. Yes she is going to NYU, but to study what? What does she want to be? And her family is constantly pressuring her. She has to do better, be better, because being black she will never get the same chance as others.

And we als get to see what that pressure does to her, and her brother. Though her kid sister seems to be a genius who will probably thrive under any pressure.

But besides generational pressure there is also romance. And a Mediterranean cruise!

Lenore meets Alex. The perfect boy (according to her parents), and she is so annoyed with him (I did not get why, like give the kid a chance.) So she is annoyed with him, they become friends, and they become more. But can she give him a real chance cos of heartbreaks in the past?  It was a sweet romance, yes every this is true love stuff.

I enjoyed it, it handled a lot, but it handled it well. I also got really curious about the first book where her friend finds her perfect one.

Good narration. She did well with male and female voices and it worked so well.

Lenore Bennett has always been a force. A star artist and style icon at her high school, she’s a master in the subtle art of not giving a...well, you know what. But now that graduation is here, she’s a little less sure. She’s heading to NYU in the fall with a scarlet U (for “undeclared”) written across her chest. Her parents always remind her that Black kids don’t have the luxury of figuring it out as they go - they have to be 110 percent prepared. But it’s a lot of pressure to be her ancestors’ wildest dreams when Lenore’s not even sure what her dreams are yet. When her family embarks on a post-graduation Mediterranean cruise, her friend Tessa is sure Lenore’s in for a whirlwind romance. But Lenore knows that doesn’t happen to girls like her.

Then she meets Alex Lee. After their parents bond over the Cupid Shuffle, she ends up stuck with him for the remainder of the cruise. He’s a hopeless romantic and a golden boy with a 10-year plan. In short, he’s irritating as hell.

But as they get to know each other during the picturesque stops across Europe, Alex may be able to help Lenore find something else she’s been looking for, even if she doesn’t want to admit it to herself: love.

TMST

 

 

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1/25/2022

What do you do when that pesky review makes you work for it?

I do not really have that problem, it is more that oh I should write that review! And then the clock is too much, and I leave it for another day.

I do not overthink my reviews. I write them in my own style. They are my thoughts as they are at that time. But sure if there is a really pesky one I just write, do not stop, do not think. Just write

Carole's Monday: Tea for three

Author: Melissa Crosby

Title: Tea for Three

(Mulberry Lane #1)

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Fiction

Format: ebook

Pages: 264 

Published: September 12th 2020 

Where I Got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Three women. Three cups of tea. Three new beginnings.

Sarah Gardner's husband went to sleep one night in November and never woke up. At forty-years-old, the new widow is left to care for their three children, all of whom are under the age of five.

Twenty-five-year-old Filipina, Kate Morgan, thought she had met the man of her dreams during what was a perfect summer vacation. Now married to the handsome American who had swept her off her feet, and over 8000 miles away from home, Kate soon realizes that her mother was right: vacations end and people change.

Louise Delaney couldn’t ask for anything more. At fifty-nine, she had enjoyed almost four decades of blissful marriage to Warren—may his soul rest in peace. But Louise’s seemingly perfect world is upended when she gets a visit from a sixteen-year-old who says she is Warren’s daughter.

Three exceptional women—each of whose hearts are broken into a million pieces—come together in this extraordinary tale of life, love, and true friendship.

Review:

This was a freebie on Amazon that I got last year. Finally decided to give it a read. 

We follow three women who have gone through a lot but they have found each other. They meet up and have some tea and talked about their issues. There is Sarah who's husband went to bed one night and never woke up. At forty she is left alone to care for her three children. We also have twenty-five-year-old Filipina, Kate, who thought she had met the man of her dreams. He married her and brought her home to America, but she soon realizes that he is completely different. Lastly, we have Louise who has been a widow for a few years. They had been married for nearly four decades. However, everything is about to upended when she gets a visits from a sixteen-year-old who says she is Louise's late-husband's daughter.

Am I the only one who struggled with this? *scrolls through Goodreads* It looks like the average is over 4 stars. SOOOO many 5 stars. Eeee. I seem to be in the minority here. 

Okay. I didn't hate this. I did like this, but I did have my struggles. 

My main issue was that I had a hard time really connecting with ANY of the characters. Not that they are bad. I did feel so bad for them and I wanted them happy....but I just couldn't connect.  The POV would change at the end of every chapters...maybe if we got more time with each of the characters? I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong I loved the whole 3 women...3 cups of tea....etc, but I would've loved more time with each character or something. 

Another issue I had was that the story-telling did feel a little repetitive at points. Things would be repeated multiple times. Made me want to skim especially near the end. 

Besides for those two big things...I did enjoy it overall. It was beautiful watching these women become unlikely friends and get each other through these tough times over a nice cup of tea. Of course it gave me a hunkering for drinking tea so I did find myself brewing some tea while reading this in the morning. ;) But yes, it was for sure a good chick lit and would make a great Hallmark or Netflix movie. 

In the end, I had some big issues with this and I found myself wanting to skim here and there. However....I did think this was a beautiful story of friendship and love. Sad things happen but having good friends can make all the difference. I'll give this 3 stars.