Great big beautiful life by Emily Henry

Format: 416 pages, Paperback

Published: April 23, 2025 by Penguin Australia

Fiction

Library

Seriously, what do people categorize this one as? Because it certainly is not a romance. Yes there is romance, but is more romantic fiction  if that even. I enjoyed it, but this is my second Henry book and neither has been romance, and still...oh I do not know.

This is a book about two journalist competing about who can write the tell it all book about a famous socialite. And see that is the story, Margarets story. She tells about her family, and her life. Alice is a side character who gets to listen, and when she is not listening she runs into Hayden and sparks does fly in the end. Byt yes to me this is truly The Ives family story.

Romance, well I would say there is as much romance between these two as there are between others in the book. Margaret does tell about a lot of people.

The book was good, I really enjoyed learning the Ives tragic story. Did I agree with some choices they made, no, but that was life.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.

Audio: Assistant to the villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

By: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Narrated by: Em Eldridge

Series: Assistant to the Villain, Book 1

Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins

Release date: 08-29-23 by Tantor Audio

Fantasy/ received from publisher

Wait,  this was first a viral tiktok thing? I really need to check that out.

This one was funny, and this villain is more like grumpy meets sunshine. I know he is supposed to be evil, but aww, he just awww. And then he kills someone, but aww.

Evie takes care of her sick dad and her little sister. And she needs money so an accident makes her meet the dreaded villain. But he is hot, and she needs a job. She becomes his assistant.

There are other people to at his Evil castle. The dragonkeeper, a healer who loves pink, someone in the office that she butts heads with and she will meet more. She is sunshine and happiness, and clumsiness. She also speaks faster than she thinks.

And the villain just can not say no to her.

But something evil is afoot, and it is not the villain.

Great narration. She kept a good pace and brought everyone to life.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Caroles Monday

Author: Mary Wine

Title: Between a Highlander and a Hard Place

Series: Highland Weddings #5

Genre: Historical Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 320

Published:  November 6, 2018

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Athena Trappes thinks she's in love...until she discovers the scoundrel only wanted her as his bit on the side. Enraged, she does what any spirited Englishwoman would set fire to his belongings, incur his dangerous wrath, and flee—immediately. With nowhere else to turn, she seeks freedom in the wilds of Scotland.

Highland Laird Symon Grant lost his wife years ago, and it's his duty to find another. Athena is not exactly what the clan has in mind for him, but Symon's heart burns with unexpected passion for the woman who would risk everything to be free.

Review:

Weee Symon's story!!!

Here we continue with seeing Symon finally find love after an arranged marriage. It's his duty to marry and provide an heir, but no one seems to fit what he wants...until he meets Athena Trappes. Athena thought she was in love until she discovered that he only wanted her as a mistress since he had his eyes on a richer prize. She runs away and seeks a new life. 

This was all unrealistic and sometimes silly, but for some reason it all seemed to be crazy enough to work. 

I liked Symon and Athena. They were perfect for each other. I loved the fact that Symon fell hard first and fell fast. Athena was worried...but look at happened when she thought she loved someone? So I get her taking time and made Symon do the work to woo her. 

The external and internal struggles worked very well. I loved the whole scene with the King near the end. I was unsure how everything was going to play out. Bless you Brenda! You are the darling of the clan!

The ending left on a HUGE cliffhanger........what are they going to do? EEEE *requests the next book to the series right away from the library* I gotta know. 

My biggest issue with the book.............Athena's name. The probablity of a 16th century English woman having that name is slim to none. It bugged me. Maybe there was one or two but one of nobility? Eeeee not sure about that one captain!

All-in-all, just a couple little bugs that annoyed me, but I enjoyed this quite a bit. The last couple have been just okay, but this was much better and worth wading through the others to get here. 4 stars from me.

 

Favorite Character(s): Brenda

Least Favorite Character(s): Esme......

 Challenge(s):

- Library Love #14

2025 Audiobook Challenge Mid-Year Check-In

 

I am doing a mid year check in :) Here is what I have listened to so far:

1. A sorceress comes to call by T.Kingfisher

2. Written in red by Anne Bishop

3. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

4. Wilde abandon by Jennifer Ryan

5. Vision in silver by Anne Bishop

6. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

7. The secret daughter by Anne Gracie

8. The Bennet Inheritance by Jann Rowland

9. One thing leads to a lover by Susanna Craig

10. The mystery of the Spanish chest by Agatha Christie

11. Laird of Misrule by mary Wine

12. The two of us by Lori Foster

13. The river knows your name by Kelly Mustian

14. The never list by Jade Presley

15. Master of Mayhem by mary Wine

16. Still hung up on you by Liz Maverick

17. One of those flings by Lauren Blakely

18. Bryony and roses by T.Kingfisher

19. In love with the Viscount by Julianne McLean

20. A wizards guide to defensive baking by T.Kingfisher

21. Guarded by the warrior by Eliza Knight

22. Sweet talk by Cara Bastone

23. Booked for the holidays by Liz Maverick

24. Cowboy under the mistletoe by Elena Grace

25. Swordheart by T.Kingfisher

26. Assistant to the villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

27. Apprentice to the villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

By a silver Thread by Rachel Aaron

Series: DFZ Changeling (#1)

Format: 380 pages, Paperback

'

Published: May 2, 2023 by Aaron Bach LLC

Own/urban fantasy

What can I say, in the end nothing compare to Heartstrikers. I know, I lost my heart and soul to that series.

This is DFC many years after what happened there. Now more beings have come to light, or are still hiding. Among them fairies, and Lola is a changeling. A magical thing brought in to existence. One that should have faded but she is still alive thanks to a bloodmage named Victor that uses her for his own good.

And so Victor goes missing. She needs him to stay alive. She meets new friends and foes and something sinister is growing in the DFC.

There was danger and intrigues. It was good, but alas nothing compares....

In the world’s most magical metropolis where spirits run noodle shops and cash-strapped dragons stage photo-ops for tourists, people still think fairies are nothing but stories, and that’s exactly how the fairies like it. It’s a lot easier to feast on humanity’s dreams when no one believes you exist. But while this arrangement works splendidly for most fair folk, Lola isn’t one of the lucky ones.

She’s a changeling, a fairy monster made just human enough to dupe unsuspecting parents while fairies steal their real child. The magic that sustains her was never meant to last past the initial theft, leaving Lola without a future. But thanks to Victor Conrath, a very powerful--and very illegal--blood mage, she was given the means to cheat death.

For a price.

Now the only changeling ever to make it to adulthood, Lola has served the blood mage faithfully, if reluctantly, for twenty years. Her unique ability to slip through wards and change her shape to look like anyone has helped make Victor a legend in the DFZ’s illegal-magic underground. It’s not a great life, but at least the work is stable… until her master vanishes without a trace.

With only a handful left of the pills that keep her human, Lola must find Victor before she turns back into the fairy monster she was always meant to be. But with a whole SWAT team of federal paladins hunting her as a blood-mage accomplice, an Urban Legend on a silent black motorcycle who won’t leave her alone, and a mysterious fairy king with the power to make the entire city dream, Lola’s chances of getting out of this alive are as slender as a silver thread.

Best of June

 

Here are the best of the bests for June. 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

"I like her books and this was a new series with a twist to it!"

Carole - The Ruins in Which We Bleed by Steve N Lee

"So good. All the feels. 100% recommend"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Clue (1985)

"Entertaining and funny!"

Blodeuedd - A Minecraft Movie (2025)

"Best movie. It was funny."

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Love, Death, & Robots

"I watched a new season of Love sex and robots. I liked the cat one."

Carole - The Daily Show

"Been nonstop watching. Funny but informative."

Best Cover of the Month:

C's pick: Adorable!!!

B's pick: Cute, all those holiday feels!!

Carole´s review: Clue the movie

Title: Clue

Length: 1h 34m

Released: 1985

Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Rating: PG
Where I Got It: Pluto TV

SUMMARY:

Six guests are anonymously invited to a strange mansion for dinner, but after their host is killed, they must cooperate with the staff to identify the murderer as the bodies pile up.

Trailer

REVIEW:

The blogging world may or may not know, but I'm (at the time of this post) in a play rendition of this movie. Weee. I play Yvette the maid. Last time I watched this film I was a teenager (maybe young adult like 18 or 19) since the final weekend of shows are happening I decided to make my hubby watch this film with me. 

When six guests are anonymously invited to dinner at a strange mansion...bad things start happening. The host is killed and with the butler leading the way they need to unmask the killer before they too join the body pile. 

Man it has been a LONG time since I watched this. It was strange seeing this cast so young. Such a fan cast they were!

The humor is there and still funny. Some jokes might be a little dated, but still fun. 

I love, love, LOVE the fact that they have multiple endings! How fun! From what I have been told, back in the day they would give different theaters different endings just to cause chaos and confusion. How hilarious. Why can't movies be a joke upon themselves like this anymore?!?!?!

The whodunnit is hilarious because these are all very bad people (even the staff) so it's hard to determine who is the murder(s). Hilarious. 

Not sure if I'm just being biased because our version is a little more fast paced, but some bits (especially the beginning) just feels soooo slow. Maybe I'll rewatch this in like a year when the memories of my play fades and see if I feel the same way. 

All-in-all, this was a nice blast from the past and it was great having my hubby experience this before he watched our version of the movie on stage. 4 stars from me. 

For funsies...here is a picture of me and the cast: 

Audio: Swordheart by T.Kingfisher

Release date: 03-23-21

Length: 14 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher:Tantor Audio

Categories: Fantasy

From audible

I seem to have been bad at writing reviews lately, ooops.

Halla is a widow who worked for her husband´s uncle as a housekeeper. Then he died and left it to her. But his family are total assholes and wants to force her to remarry this idiot so they can keep it in the family. She is not ok with this so they keep her locked up.

In comes a magic sword that she takes down to kill herself with. But oh my out comes a big warrior named Sarkis instead.

And the journey begins, and this is really a journey book. They flee to find help from priest lawyers and the journey there and back are filled with danger and adventures.

I liked Halla, she was just so real. She talked to much in the face of danger, but that was just endearing to me. As for Sarkis he speaks a lot about soft southerners, and his story is a sad one. Being stuck and used for 500 years.

It was a good one and the ending left room for more, but now when I look this came out in 2018 and a maybe is scheduled for next year...but it still ended happily so I can be content with that.

Good narration too

Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle's estate... and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws... and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all.

Finding Mr.Write - Kelley Armstrong

Format: 368 pages, Paperback

Published: June 25, 2024 by Forever

Contemporary romance/own

I had some issues with this one because I had just finished Yellowface, and sure this is nothing like that. But Daphne decides to publish under a male penname and then she keeps up the lie and even finds a guy to play the part. There is just so much lying. It would have worked so much better if I had not recently read a book about the anger that any lying causes. Big or small.

But yes they get to know each other as Chris needs to know how to play the part of Zane. And the more they lie the closer they come to a big shown down. Because her book becomes a big hit and he is sent to bookfairs and talks in panels. And I kept thinking, people will be maaad.

There is also the romance bit as they get closer. Though to be fair, the romance lacked a bit. It would have made it even more about the romance. Now there was a lot of other things going on.

It was a good book, though do not read it after reading books where people lie about stuff and a trainwreck begins. LOL. Here there is not a trainwreck in that sense because this is in the end a romance.

A  fun romantic comedy about a woman writing under a male pseudonym and the man she hires to play the role in public.

Daphne McFadden is tired of rejection. After submitting her manuscript to dozens of agents, she's gotten rejection after rejection, and now it's time for something drastic. And so, Daphne submits her manuscript again… under a man's name.

Imagine her surprise when it sells for big money at an auction and soon becomes a publicity darling. Only she needs a man to play her super macho alter ego Zane Remington. Enter Chris Stanton, who absolutely looks the part of a survivalist and has a talent for pressing her piss‑me‑off‑I‑dare‑you buttons while somehow being endearing at the same time. But Chris has a few secrets of his own, including the fact that he’s really an accountant who has no idea how to chop wood or paddle a canoe. When Daphne's book becomes a bestselling sensation and they're forced to go on tour together, Daphne finds herself wondering if this city‑boy geek is exactly what she needs to push her to claim her dreams.

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.

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Not really, but what we do is that we usually do a roadtrip of some sort. Last year we went to a Zoo and I saw pandas! :D But yes that was more of a goal, usually our roadtrips are spontaneous, and more like we go south and then we experience things. No idea to where this year, but somewhere.....

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.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s review: One month boyfriend

 

Author: Roxie Noir

Title: The One Month Boyfriend

Series: Wildwood Society #1

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Format: ebook

Pages: 430

Published: May 24, 2022

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Fake dating my sworn enemy to make my ex so jealous he can't see straight?

Worth it.

Silas and I agree on one thing, and one thing only: my ruthless, heartless, narcissistic jerk of an ex-fiance needs to be taken down a notch.

So we do what anyone would do: we pretend to be a couple.

Even though Silas and I are polar opposites. Silas is a loud, cheerful, over the top showboat. He’s his hometown’s golden boy, the Marine who came back to rescue kittens from trees and walk old ladies across the street.

And me? I'm the awkward new girl who freezes up around strangers and can’t make small talk to save my life.

It shouldn’t work. We can barely have a conversation without arguing. There's no way we should be friends, let alone dating, except... Everyone believes it.

Especially my ex.

Now I'm having way too many real fantasies about the man who gets on my last nerve. My fake boyfriend is starting to feel a whole lot like a real one.

The kisses feel real.

The way he protects me feels real.

The night we spend together in a hotel bed feels very real.

This was supposed to be fake, but I think I might have fooled myself most of all.

Review:

I stumbled up this a while back and was curious about it so when it was free on Amazon I grabbed it up. Weeee love a free book. 

Kat and Silas do not like each other, but they hate her ex more SO why not fake date to get even. However, as they spend time with each other they realize they have a lot in common and maybe they can at least be friends.....or more?

Honestly, this was a roller coaster and maybe not in the best of ways for me.

This started off okay for me....got meh....got better....got meh again. Better for a hot second and then ended with me yawning. 

The characters, esp Silas, seemed to be my alley. Silas was swoon-worthy at first, but I ended up feeling neutral. Luckily I didn't hate them, but I just didn't care. I didn't buy the chemistry. I didn't buy the witty convos. Nope. 

I would've DNFed but there were moments I enjoyed so I stuck it out. PLUS I needed this for a reading challenge. ;)

All-in-all, I wish I had liked this better. I didn't "hate" it, but I ultimately didn't care by the end. Not for me. BUUUUUT there were a couple of cute moments, so I'll give it 2 stars overall. 

Favorite Character(s): no one

Least Favorite Character(s): no one....I didn't even care about the ex. I don't even remember why we had to hate him. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR (journey) #6

The deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong

Series: Rockton/Casey Duncan (#7)

Format: 341 pages, Hardcover

Published: February 15, 2022 by Minotaur Books

Thriller /own

The last Rockton book! Nooo. I kind of feel like reading book 1 in the follow up now, but since I have book 2 I will just jump there.

Someone is spilling secrets, there will be death. But that is what happens when you make a shitty town where you can buy your way in even if you are a serial killer or smth.

And now it is nearing the end of this city, hidden in the wilderness. But before that there is murder, destruction and just a big race against the clock.

Ohh this last one packed a punch. I was on the edge of my seat. I need more.

It’s not always easy to live in the hidden town of Rockton, something Detective Casey Duncan knows firsthand. Tucked away in the Yukon wilderness, the community survives—and thrives—because the residents' many secrets stay just that—secret.

But what happens when these secrets start to come out? Overnight, no one is safe. It’s not a question of if your secret will come out—but when.

Casey and her boyfriend, Sheriff Eric Dalton, need to find the culprit while protecting those who have been thrust into the spotlight. For a place built on privacy and new beginnings, Rockton isn’t handling these revelations very well. People are turning on one another, and when one of the loudest complainers turns up barely alive, it's clear that their trickster is actually a murderer.

The threat of exposure is reaching its breaking point, and no one knows what’s going to happen next.

Yellowface by RF Kuang

Format: 319 pages, Paperback

Published: May 25, 2023 by William Morrow

Fiction

Library

I enjoyed it, but, oh you know the story, for me it was too hyped up. So for me I did feel somewhat disappointing when it was not amazing. And that is why I should not listen to hype cos then I would not have felt disappointed, I would just have enjoyed a good book.

This one is so hard to review, it is one of those twitter trainwrecks that we all used to watch back in the day. Oh you know you watched it. One could not look away.

Juniper´s friend dies. And she then steals the manuscript for a book that friend was working on...and finishes it. Damn, ok, wtf girl. She becomes a huge success. But there is the voices about how she is white, she writes about Chinese workers. The name she uses that can be mistaken for Chinese, and last how her friend was a well known American-Chinese author.

The trainwreck begins.

Then she makes it worse.

And she is loosing her mind too, seeing her dead friend. About that, I would have loved that aspect to be honest, a horror story. Alas no.

The ending was a bit too open for me. I would just have crawled under a rock, but Juniper is not going down. And we do not know what will happen.

Honestly so much to say about this one, so many aspects of the publishing world. The good, and the bad.

Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena is a literary darling while June is a nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls?, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse, stealing Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

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.

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

I used to have a system when I had lots of review books, now I go by whatever. A review book that should be read, a library book that is due, or just a book that seems the most interesting, or a genre I could enjoy.

'

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

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.

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions,  please fill out this GOOGLE FORM.  Participation is optional and never required.

Carole´s Monday: The Last Party

 

Author: AR Torre

Narrator: Amy Bentley, Will Damron, Neil Hellegers, & Ellen Quay

Title: The Last Party

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 20, 2024

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

Review:

I've read a couple of books by this author so I was excited this was selected for book club. 

Everything may seem perfect in the Wultz home. A perfect wife, smart husband, and a beautiful daughter. They are affluent, sociable, and accomplished. However, there is a darkness there. There is a decades-old crime that haunts this family in more ways than one. Years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murder but never gave any motive. Now a doctoral student is interviewing him and trying to get the truth about the motive and what really happened that night.

This was intense. I didn't want to stop listening!!!

What can I even say without giving away huge spoilers? Maybe I'll divide and conquer this review:

The Good

- The characters. OMG they were complex. 

- The writing is amazing. The author really knows how to tell a story. 

- This was a wild ride especially near the end. I had no idea what was going to happen at the end there. A web of lies can ruin a lot of lives. 

- Twists and turns galore. But my original idea and belief was proved right! Yayy!

- The narrators were really good. They really brought everything to life. 

The Bad and the Ugly

- One thing and one thing only.....................it ended. I want to follow these characters further. I worry for one of them. 

Conclusion

This was a great read. Be warned there are some triggers in here since the focus of the past crime was the murder of two young girls. Nothing horribly graphic is discussed, but it can be triggering for some. 

I enjoyed this book a lot. Like I mentioned...I didn't want to stop listening. This author is great. I need to read more by them. I can't wait to discuss this at Book Club. Weeee. 

5 stars. 

- Favorite Character(s): ....Grant? Maybe....I don't know honestly

- Least Favorite Character(s): Perla

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #26

- Cloak & Dagger #13

The Frozen People by Elly Griffits

Series: Ali Dawson (#1)

Format: 343 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2025 by Quercus

Mystery Fiction /library

Somehow I managed to miss that this one actually contains timetravel. Maybe I though oh that is a very cold case, but nope, time travel.

Ali works with cold cases, but her department is also really secret because someone invented a way to travel in time. But it is not like hey lets all travel in time. No it is not that advanced. It is dangerous, and not that safe. And when Ali goes back into 1850 she misses her window and she is stuck.

Ali is a 3 time divorcee with a kid. She was down to earth and just got the job done. The case she is on is a politician wanting to clear an ancestors name. Which leads to her getting stuck in the past, and things heating up in bad ways back home.

We get the now and the then when she is trying to make it back then and trying to figure out if that ancestor did those bad things or not...

And back home, well just say it gets intense and I wanted to know what was going to happen. There is murder, secrets and I mean is Ali gonna get home or not?!

It was a good one.

Cold cases are a lot easier to solve when you can travel back in time to find new evidence—unless, that is, you get stuck in the nineteenth century.

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old they’re frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Ali’s work seems like a safe desk job, but what her friends—and even her beloved son—don’t know is that her team has a secret: They can travel back in time to look for evidence.

So far Ali has made trips only to the recent past, so she’s surprised when she’s asked to investigate a murder that took place in 1850. The killing has been pinned on an aristocratic patron of the arts and antiquities, a member of a sinister group called "The Collectors." She arrives in the Victorian era during a mini ice age to find another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions. But when her son is arrested, Ali attempts to return home only to find herself trapped in 1850.

Audio: Cowboy under the mistletoe - Grace Elena

By: Grace Elena

Narrated by: John William Maddux, Stacy Gonzalez

Series: Alpine Ridge 2

Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins

Release date: 05-27-25 by Tantor Audio

Contemporary romance/ from Tantor

The holidays, a novella, sure thing why not read this when summer starts. I am not familiar with this series, I just dove straight in for a short story.

Katherine is divorced, and thinking of doing some changes in her life. Then one night she steps under the mistletoe and meets a cowboy.

It was short, it was intense at times....in that way. And there was a happy ending. This could have been a full book too. But I take what I can.

It was two narrators and they both did well with their parts. Sometimes I find that one narrator has one speed and the other has another speed, but here it worked when they changed from one to the other.

Wishing for a Christmas miracle is harder than it seems. Katherine Pearson has lived her whole life in Alpine Ridge, TN. From marrying her high school sweetheart to being divorced in her mid-thirties, Katherine is feeling stuck. Stuck in life, stuck in her hometown, and stuck in love.

When she finds herself at a dive bar at the edge of town, there’s a sense of solace that she can’t quite place. A sense of belonging that she hasn’t felt in a long time. Stumbling into a cowboy under a mistletoe is the last thing she expects to happen to her. It doesn’t help that he’s a cowboy who just seems to understand everything she’s feeling this holiday season.

Maybe Santa does have Katherine at the top of his list this year.

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.

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

I would say T.Kingfisher, I tried my first a year ago and after that I have tried a few more. I like that her style differs. First up was horror, then more fairytale, and now I am reading a fantasy. I like her books.

As for other new authors, well Kingfisher is the only one I have tried more than once. So as for others, I just do not know if I would like their other books. But ;

Liz Nugent, the book I read was just amazing

Caitlin Rozakis, I do want to try more by this author

Jen Beagin, a good storyteller

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

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: The one that got away

Author: Mike Gayle

Title: The One That Got Away

Genre: Romance, Novella, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 100

Published: May 1, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon) 

Summary: 

Reuben thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Beth, until she broke his heart six months ago. He’s not even remotely over her, so he’s devastated to hear she’s getting married—this weekend.

Now he’s faced with the ultimate what should he do on the day of the wedding? Grieve? Disrupt the ceremony? Or do everything in his power to pretend it’s not happening?

Enlisting the help of his friends, Reuben is all set to mark the occasion with distraction on a grand Ferraris, champagne, and a VIP box at the races.

But on the morning of the Big Day, Reuben gets a phone call that not only derails his elaborate it may well change his life completely…

Review:

This was a freebie and I love a good freebie. 

Here we follow Reuben who was in love with Beth but she broke up with him. He's not over her so his heart breaks again after he hears she is getting married...this weekend. His friends spirit him away to get his mind off it, but things get murky when Reuben receives a phone call that could change everything. 

My favorite part of this story was the ending when everyone grows the heck up. 

LOTS of spoilers heading your way.

Reuben and Beth are so unlikeable. *spoiler starts* Beth doesn't believe in love and Reuben does...but they stay together. Reuben does a bad thing and Beth breaks up with him. 6 months later she is marrying another man AND now is calling Reuben to save her? ......He drops his friends like a bag of rotten potatoes and goes and saves her and helps her escape her wedding. They fight. They kiss. Beth gets a call that her intended, Leo, has now run away and she is suddenly in love with him and wants Leo back? Reuben agrees to track him down. They work it out and Reuben goes to the wedding. Sure he finds love there, but WHAT.ON.EARTH. *spoiler ends* 

Don't get me twisted I did enjoy the drama but holy hannah did I want to smack everyone. Minus Pete...he seemed like a cool guy. Everyone grow up please. I think I could've been more forgiving of Beth if her dawn of realization was done a little differently. It just seemed selfish. She was so selfish the whole time. She had no character growth. Reuben took a minute, but he did grow as a character so I'll tip my hat to him. Boo to Beth!

I'm glad the author made this nice and short. 

All-in-all....this was drama-filled with some characters that you will want to shake. 

I'll give this 2 stars. 

Favorite Character(s): Pete

Least Favorite Character(s): Beth and Reuben