Carole´s Monday: A Lighthouse Cafe Christmas

Author: Jennifer Faye

Title: A Lighthouse Cafe Christmas

Series: Bluestar Island #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 184

Published: November 16, 2021

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

As Bluestar Island prepares for a very special Christmas wedding, Santa’s sleigh crashes into The Lighthouse Café, reuniting Bluestar’s beloved waitress with her former fiancé.

In this holiday novella, Darla Evans has carved out a quiet life for herself as a waitress at The Lighthouse Café. Up until this point, she’s conveniently avoided the one man who shattered her heart and her dreams. But when a wedding draws him back to the island, she knows their meetup is unavoidable.

Tech entrepreneur William “Will” Campbell has returned to his childhood home to be the best man in his father’s wedding. But first his father has a very special task for him—to restore a sleigh in time for the wedding. However, there’s not much time until Christmas. He just might need some help.

As snowflakes cover the small town of Bluestar, Will and Darla work together to make it a very special holiday wedding. With the past looming between them, will the magic of the season open their hearts and allow them to find love again?

Review:

Continuing on with the series! I've been excited about this one...mainly because of the cover lol. 

Here we have Darla and Will. Darla has been living a nice and simple and quiet life as a waitress. She has successfully avoided Will since he broke her heart years ago. However, there is a wedding coming and she knows Will will be there. Will is back to be the best man at his father's wedding. His father has tasked him to restore a sleigh for the wedding. There isn't much time, so he will need some help. Will and Darla must work together but their past is looming around them. Will the magic of the season help erase the old hurts and let them try again?

Oh no. I am in the minority here...............

I didn't really like this one. I struggled to like Darla or Will. I struggled to care. I think it would've been better if they just stayed friends. 

I managed to push through because I was curious to see how they would fix everything (sleigh and their broken hearts). I also have liked the series up until now so I was hopeful it would eventually suck me in. 

Sadly......not for me. But I love the cover!

2 stars from me.

 

Audio: Wild country by Anne Bishop

By: Anne Bishop

Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Series: The World of the Others, Book 2

Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins

Release date: 03-05-19 by Penguin Audio

Fantasy/own

Re.listen Nov 2025

I do love The Others, but I always have some tiny issues with this Bennet book. Because we already know some of the story from previous books. it feels so filler.

Still that scene with Kane gets me every time, and the end in the jail cell. Breaks my heart. I am all for eating all the bad guys. Bad humans!

There are ghost towns in the world—places where the humans were annihilated in retaliation for the slaughter of the shape-shifting Others.

One of those places is Bennett, a town at the northern end of the Elder Hills—a town surrounded by the wild country. Now efforts are being made to resettle Bennett as a community where humans and Others live and work together. A young female police officer has been hired as the deputy to a Wolfgard sheriff. A deadly type of Other wants to run a human-style saloon. And a couple with four foster children—one of whom is a blood prophet—hope to find acceptance.

But as they reopen the stores and the professional offices and start to make lives for themselves, the town of Bennett attracts the attention of other humans looking for profit. And the arrival of the Blackstone Clan, outlaws and gamblers all, will uncover secrets…or bury them.

Audio: Roots of my fears

Narrated by Manish Dongardive, Mieko Gavia, Mela Lee, Alejandro Ruiz

Publication date Dec 2, 2025 by Tantor Media

Running time 9 hrs

Horror/to review

Lamb had a Little Mary by Elena Sichrovsky

It started with a weird one, about a Lamb who had a little Mary. Mary who was clearly human, but what was lamb?

The House that Gabriel Built by Nuzo Onoh

This is the only one of these that I truly remember because the beginning is really really disturbing. Like ewwwww.

And then we get to the freaky house...

The Faces at Pine Dunes by Ramsey Campbell

A young man thinks his parents are strange...they do seem to be

In Silence, In Dying, In Dark by Caleb Weinhardt

One of Those Girls by Premee Mohamed

A girl finds out she is pregnant and does not want to be

Juracan by Gabino Iglesias

A hurrican is coming, and something is coming with it...

The Saint in the Mountain by Nadia El-Fassi

A girl gets her period and is taking to the mountains. Where something creepy lives...

Crepuscular by Hailey Piper

Laal Andhi by Usman T. Malik

The Woods by Erica T. Wurth

A stop at a strange hotel

Unsewn by Ai Jiang

A woman is trying for a son as she has been told to get, but she births only daughters. Sad how the world can be

To Forget and Be Forgotten by Adam Nevill

A security guards learns some secrets about creepy old people

The Veteran by V. Castro

End of the world, alcoholic veteran finds a purpose. Interesting world.

Chalk Bones by Sarah Deacon

Creepy end, ohhh. Nicely done there. This might be my favorite.

Lots of horror, fold legends and strangeness going on. Some I remember more, some less.  I am always bad with remembering names too, so some stories did not get written about. All the creepiness sort of bled into each other.

More creepy than horror. All those tales of old, what could be out there. Not very xmassy of me reading this one right now. A bit of freaky stuff in December for me.

It had several narrators and they did a good job with their stories. They own had their own accents and gave it a real good experience.

It's a bedtime story, ancient family lore, a secret passed down from generation to generation. Stories that have deep dark roots, ever-growing, ever-creeping.

This anthology explores stories of heritage and horror. The tales we grew up on, hometown rumors and legends.

The things we pass down through our bloodlines

Audio: A theory of dreaming

Release date: 07-29-25

Length: 10 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher: HarperCollins

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld, Gary Furlong

Fantasy/from spotify

To be honest, my mind managed to drift a lot while listening...like a lot.

It just felt like nothing ever happened. Effy and Preston are at Uni. She finally studies Lit but no one wants her there. She suffers from PTSD and sleeps a lot, but that is the thing this is not her book.

This is Preston´s book, and I was not that interested in when he started dreaming he was some underwater King. I honestly had no idea what was happening. I had to look at book 1 and it seems I was confused there too. But there it worked because I really liked the book and the confusion there was was things real or not. While here I mostly wondered if the country they are at war with is fake France or Scotland.

The narration, I do like Saskia, she is amazing! And her voice fits the story so well. The guy was good too. But not even they could save this story as nothing happens

All stories come to an end.

Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university—and soon the entire nation—is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin’s legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king—visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just 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.

12/9/2025 Which superpower do you wish you had?

Oh this is hard. Time travel would be so cool!!! Maybe some healing powers so I could cure people...ok I am staying with that. Sure it would be fun to visit places, to have money to buy tons of books. But healing powers would be amazing and would benefit others too. I must be getting old.

12/16/2025 Have you been disappointed by the end of a series? If so, did you read that author again?

12/23/2025 What's a song that always makes you want to dance?

12/30/2025 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2025? 

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: A Christmas Truce

Author: Emma Bennet

Narrator: Stephanie Racine
Title: A Christmas Truce

Genre: Chick Lit, Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published: October 20, 2023
Where I Got It: Audible

Summary: 

Photographer Libby just got fired. Again . Then she gets home early to find her boyfriend in bed with another woman. And just like that, her dreams of a Christmas Day proposal are shattered.

Libby lands a new job as a personal assistant to enigmatic businessman Seth Coleman. He’s terse and demanding — it’s no wonder Libby keeps messing up.

Then one day an adorable Golden Retriever puppy is delivered to the house. As Libby helps Seth train Barney, she realizes that there’s a surprisingly sweet side to this CEO . . .

But everything goes wrong when Libby finds out that Seth’s company just bought the community centre where they’ve been training Barney. It’s not only puppy classes, it’s a lifeline for the whole village. Libby is devastated when Seth says it’s ‘just business’. So she packs her bags.

Until disaster strikes and Libby is forced to spend her favourite time of the year with a man who doesn’t even own tinsel. It’s up to Libby to bring some much-needed Christmas spirit. Starting with a truce, since they’re going to be stuck together whether they like it or not.

But Libby might just find magic under the mistletoe after all if she can encourage Seth to open his heart to Christmas . . .

Review:

Randomly stumbled upon this little number, and it was short and Christmas-y...so why not?

Here, we follow Libby, who simply can't catch a break. She has just been fired...again...and found out her boyfriend has been cheating on her. Christmas is around the corner! What can she do? She is in luck...she lands a nice assistant job to a famous businessman, Seth. Catch is she has to live onsite and deal with his grumpy and particular ways. One day, he buys a dog without a warning to Libby. She teams up with Seth to train this dog. Could this dog change the overly serious and grumpy Seth? Maybe, just maybe, there will be a Christmas miracle.

This was very sweet. Seth is for sure a grump, but he has a heart of gold. He donates a lot of money and does a lot for his staff. I loved Seth, and I got his mindset about buying the community center. It was up for sale, so why not?

Libby is super judgey and not reliable. She seems like a nice girl, but damn she is ready to quit after EVERYTHING. Like, dude. Nothing is perfect...grow up. She really needed to grow up seriously. I'm obviously not Team Libby.

BUT I did like that Libby and Seth are super flawed, and they seem to balance each other out really well. It was lovely seeing them find a balance professionally and then personally. Their Christmas hangout was sweet.

BARNEY was the true star of the show. Loved that lil puppers.

The narrator was alright. All the girl voices sounded the same, and all the guy voices sounded the same, so you have to really pay attention.

In the end, I did enjoy this. Some moments made me roll my eyes, but it was a nice holiday read. I'll give this 4 stars.

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #60

Audio: Lake Silence

Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Series: The Others (Bishop), Book 6, The World of the Others, Book 1

Length: 13 hrs and 38 mins

Release date: 03-06-18 by Penguin Audio

Fantasy/own

Relisten November 2025

I LOVE this spin off too. Vicky is the best. I still just want to hug her. i love the good men in her life, and I loathe her ex.

If you haven´t yet, then do start these books

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others--vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence--in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns like Vicki's have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what's out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe--one of the shapeshifting Others--discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man's death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous--and it'll take everything they have to stay alive.

Emily Wilde´s Map of the Otherworld

Series: Emily Wilde (#2)

Format: 352 pages, Paperback

Published: January 9, 2024 by Orbit

Fantasy/own

I liked book 1 more, that one was cozy and just had the right feel. This one, it felt a little book 2 syndrome for me. I just could not get lost in it like I did with book 1. It was still good, but lacked some magic.

Emily goes to Austria to find a door to Wendell´s fairy kingdom. Her new romantic interest. Who happens to be Fae, and whose kingdom was stolen from him.

In a small Alpine village they encounter dangerous fairies, meet friendly locals and search for two missing professors.

It was good, fun, but some sort of magic from book 1 was lost for me. i hope I find it again in book 3.

When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

 

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.

 

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.

 

And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

 

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

Best of November

 

Here are the best of the bests for November!!!! 

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Lake Silence by Anne Bishop

"You know, yes I will choose my re-listen! Best book!"

Carole -  A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong

"This was so unexpectedly good. I loved it! Def the best book!"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Nuremberg (2025)

"Blew my mind. So good."

Blodeuedd - Various Xmas movies

"No time for any other movies than Hallmark Xmas movies. It is the season. So these are not the ones I have watched. I just watch them all"

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Haunted Hotel (s1)

"I watched this one...I am sure there is another one I am forgetting too."

Carole - The Rookie (s7)

"I honestly forgot about this gem. We got back into s7. Nearly done...just a couple episodes left but it was the best of the month."

Best Cover of the Month:

Blodeuedd's pick

 

Carole's pick

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.

12/2/2025 What underrated books or authors would you recommend?

I have no idea. Sometimes when people ask this others recommend books that I think are famous. But underrated.....

Is Elly Griffiths underrated? Because her mystery books are amazing!

Also when I look at ratings, well Heartstrikers does not have as many as others, so maybe those since they are aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawesome.

12/9/2025 Which superpower do you wish you had?

12/16/2025 Have you been disappointed by the end of a series? If so, did you read that author again?

12/23/2025 What's a song that always makes you want to dance?

12/30/2025 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2025? 

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: Dime store Magic

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Title: Dime Store Magic

Series: Otherworld #3

Genre: Paranormal Romance, UF, Fantasy

Format: ebook

Pages: 448

Published: February 10, 2004

Where I got It: Library

Summary: 

Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations- the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge- an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil... and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder- and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic that Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive.

Review:

I put this series on hold yeeeaaaaaarrrrsss ago. I can't remember the precise reason, but I do remember being cautious because the series switched from our clan of werewolves to this witch lady. I get nervous when series do that. 

But yes, we are back in the Otherworld. We follow Paige who no one thinks is good enough to replace her mother one day as the leader of the American Coven of Witches. That one day has arrived and the Elders can no longer deny her. However, things will take a nose-dive when her new charge is presented. This orphan is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil and she is being pursued by a dark faction. Will Paige be able to save her charge and bring her back to the light? Or will darkness consume her. 

Overall, I did enjoy this for what it was. It was nice coming back to this world but I didn't recognize any from the first two books. I mean...it has been years and maybe there was an old face I didn't recall. But I missed our wolves. Witches are fun, but I do prefer wolves and vamps. 

Paige was kinda meh to me. Boring and predictable. I've seen her kind a million times. By the end I was amused with her, but still....meh. 

Savannah was annoying. I get it. She had a tough life and the darkness seems like an easy way. I wanted to smack her. 

Cortez was meh. Boring as well. I couldn't even remember his name. I had to look at another review to remind myself. 

The drama and fights were fun....I will say that. 

In the end, this was just okay. Not my favorite group of heroes. I miss the old crew. 3 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- Library Love #31

Audio: All the Christmas vibes by Melissa Baldwin

 

Narrated by: Tyler Darby, Virginia Rose

Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins

Release date: 11-25-25 by Tantor Media

Contemporary romance/to review

It is Xmas time, well almost. So it is time for xmas books.

Sophie joins her friend on a trip to Tennesse. There she meets a handsome icehockey coach named Jake. But this is just a short trip! Still those sparks fly between them.

You would think the drama is that they are from different states, but nope, he has an ex girlfriend who suddenly wants back in. She was one annoying piece of x. She kept pushing and Sophie had doubts since maybe those two belong together.

It was a short nice xmassy romance. She loves Hallmark movies and it does have that feeling. True love will always win.

Good narration. She had a good feel for all the voices, and the same with the male narrator

It's Christmas, and I can't help but believe that magic happens around this time of year—or at least, I hope it does. I've always been obsessed with the holidays, and the best part? I can watch all the Hallmark movies I want. Secretly, I might be hoping for my own love story to play out just like in the movies. It's possible, right? I mean, it happened for my friend. A girls' trip to Tennessee seems like the perfect way to unwind. Then, I meet Jake—the coach of the Tennessee Wolves. Our connection is instant, and I find myself wanting to get to know him better. But there's one small issue . . . I don’t know if he's available. That's when I get my reality check—life isn't a Hallmark movie. And love? It's complicated.

This Christmas feels different, like everything is a bit out of place. I guess that's what an unexpected breakup will do to you. At least I have my career to keep me focused—coaching a professional hockey team is no walk in the park, but it definitely keeps my mind occupied. The last thing I need is to get involved with someone. Then Sophie walks into my life. They say opposites attract, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that. To complicate things even more, my ex has started coming around again. I don't know if it's easier to stay with what's familiar or take a chance on something new.

Audio. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

By: Premee Mohamed

Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio

Length: 4 hrs and 4 mins

Release date: 11-25-25 by Tantor Media

Fantasy/to review

A country has been brutally conquered by a tyrant. Veris is just trying to live her life when they come for her.

There is a forest nearby, and if you enter you will not return. Everyone knows to stay clear, but then the tyrants two children go into the woods. And Veris is the only person who has gone in and come out...

So it is go in and die, come out without them and die. It is a forest filled with horror, strange beings and if you stay more than a day you can not return. It is a race against time, monsters and her own memories.

It was short, which I liked. In and out. The the horrors unfold. An interesting story.

Great narration. I felt she did Veris very well and really got the feel for her

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn—the only one to ever enter the forest and survive—is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past.

One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything.

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.

11/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Winter? (Dec-Feb)

Well this one is easy...I have no idea. Usually in Feb(or later) a Briggs book usually comes out...does it though? Who knows. I just do not keep track of anything. And that is why I am always surprised when something new is out

12/2/2025 What underrated books or authors would you recommend?

12/9/2025 Which superpower do you wish you had?

12/16/2025 Have you been disappointed by the end of a series? If so, did you read that author again?

12/23/2025 What's a song that always makes you want to dance?

12/30/2025 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2025? 

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: Snake-eater

 

Author: T. Kingfisher

Title: Snake-Eater

Genre: Paranormal, UF, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery

Format: ebook

Pages: 267

Expected Publication: December 1, 2025

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

ith only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt’s house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there’s a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena’s ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena’s house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn’t ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can’t begin to imagine. And when Selena’s search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It’s the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as “Snake-Eater,” who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he’s hell-bent on collecting everything he’s owed.

Review:

I stumbled upon this while looking for something else. Amazon Unlimited allowed some folks to read this in advance of publication, so that was exciting! Weeeee! I really need more of T Kingfisher's books in my life. 

Here we have Selena, who is abandoning her old life to claim her late aunt's house in the desert town of Quartez Creek. Everything is so new and strange, but so beautiful. The neighbors are lovely and she loves the quiet. However, there is something lingering outside of Selena's house at night.....keeping watch. Her neighbor, Grandma Billy, says it is mainly benevolent, but Selena can't shake the feeling there is more to this story. She soon discovers the sinister truth about an ancient god known as Snake-Eater. 

You never know what to expect from this author. There are always so many twists and turns. You just never know where the story is headed next, and I simply LOVE that. 

I will say this wasn't as haunting or even creepy as some of the other stories I've read by her. It still had some creepiness, but this felt a bit more calm. Not complaining! The last one has scarred me a bit hahahahaha. This had an odd sense of...coziness to it. Yes, there is mystery and fantasy and horror, but I loved the cozy vibes given off. I loved that Selena was finding her voice and finding new friends. They were so sweet. 

What else??? Eeeek. I don't want to spoil anything!!!!

This was a fun story. Not my favorite by the author, but I still really enjoyed it. It had a great cast of characters and a nice spooky, but comfy vibe. I def recommend this. 

4 stars. 

Audio. Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

 

Narrated by: Alexandra Harris

Series: Book 5, The Others 

Release date: 03-07-17

Length: 16 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Fantasy/own

4th time listening!

Yup, I started a relisten like in February and I finally got to book 5. Damn I hate Cyrus, die die die!!!!

I still love this series. I still recommend it to everyone

After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…

As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.

With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Series: The Housemaid (#3)

Format: 383 pages, Paperback

Published: June 11, 2024 by Sourcebooks

Thriller/own

This one took some time to finish, because frankly it was boring. The Housemaid should have stayed with 2 books.

I did not feel any twists or turns.

It has been several years and Millie and Enzo are married with 2 kids and move to the suburbs. One neighbor is noisy, another woman is flirting too much. And then noooothing happens. Just Millie wondering if Enzo is cheating on her.

Then when something FINALLY happens, well I do not really care, and when the twists come, eh. Not twisty enough, and the second one, well made no sense when I think of it.

It was ok. But stay with the first 2.

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

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.

11/18/2025 Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Mornings suck! I am not a morning person at all. I like to sleep in, not that one can when one has to work, but yeah, I am always tired because I am up late :D

11/25/2025 Which books are you looking forward to reading this Winter? (Dec-Feb)

12/2/2025 What underrated books or authors would you recommend?

12/9/2025 Which superpower do you wish you had?

12/16/2025 Have you been disappointed by the end of a series? If so, did you read that author again?

12/23/2025 What's a song that always makes you want to dance?

12/30/2025 What are your favorite books/audiobooks that you read in 2025? 

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: Frosting and Fairies

 

Author: Danielle Garrett

Title: Frosting and Fairie

Series: Sugar Shack Witch Mysteries #4

Genre: Paranormal, Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery

Format: Ebook

Pages: 256 

Published: January 2, 2025

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Small-town journalism isn’t exactly a thrill ride. Between PTA meetings and bake sale bulletins, I was drowning in monotony. But when I begged my editor for a juicier assignment, I should’ve been careful what I wished for.

Enter the Summer Lovin’ Book Festival. BOGO deals on paperbacks with a side of beefcake, as five hunky models vie to become the next Captain Riker Bones, the shirtless swashbuckler adorning Grandma Rose’s favorite bodice-rippers.

Sure, a little eye candy never hurt anyone, but ten minutes of watching grown women cry over washboard abs has me wishing I’d volunteered to write up the waste management ordinances instead.

But when one of our would-be pirates turns up dead in his hotel room, my puff piece transforms into a full-blown murder mystery. And the plot thickens faster than my family’s famous buttercream when a poison-laced cupcake from Sugar Shack is found at the scene.

Now I’m racing against time to catch a killer, clear my family’s name, and keep Grandma Rose from sailing into the sunset with one of the wannabe pirates. Someone pass the rum.

Review:

We forge forward with our gal.

Ella's new role as the small-town journalist hasn't been a thrill ride. Between PTA meetings and bake sales, she has been dying of the monotony. When she asks her editor for a juicier assignment....she gets what she asks for in spades. The Summer Lovin' Book Festival is in town, along with five of their hunky models. When one of them turns up dead in the hotel after eating a cupcake from her family's business. Now she will have to find the killer and clear her family's name.

Yayy for the next book. Plus, Orion is here too! Yayy! Don't get me wrong, I do adore Ella running around doing her thing, but I think they make a better team together. I hope he gets to stick around for a while or at least for these mysteries.

But yes, we have two mysteries at play here. One, our poor dead hunk. Two, the main mystery of finding out who is causing mayhem using magical creatures. However, the mystery of the dead hunk takes over when her family's business is besmirched. NOT THE CUPCAKES NOOOO.

Now...some realness....I did struggle a bit with this. Not sure why. Maybe I've been spoiled with the narration. The narrator is one of my favorites, and I love her. I read the ebook this time because I saw it as a freebie on my Kindle Unlimited. Maybe I'll go back and do the narrator someday.

But yes, I did struggle in the middle. The beginning was fun, and the last third was intense and caught my attention again. What an ending!!!! Again, I'm not sure why I had some struggles.

Other than my issues with the middle part and missing my narrator......I did enjoy our gang and the backdrop of the Book Festival.

I'll stamp this with 3 stars.