Tag: Kensington Books

What I Read: March 13-19

Aimeeeliz

Two for the Dough (Stephanie Plum #2) by Janet Evanovich: The early Stephanie Plum novels might have some issues (they were written almost 30 years ago, after all…) but I still laughed out loud and fully plan on reading MOST of this series over time. These books are reliable, quick reads and they’re easy to find at the library or the used bookstore!

The House on Mulberry Street (Blue Cedar Falls #3) by Jeannie Chin: I’m always sad to wrap up a beloved series, but I really enjoyed my time in Blue Cedar Falls. Elizabeth and Graham are besties-turned-roommates-turned-lovers and their story is sweet and funny. Thank you Forever for the finished copy!

What Happens in the Ballroom (Designing Debutantes #2) by Sabrina Jeffries: I have a few Sabrina Jeffries books on my tbr shelf, but this is the first one I picked up. Eliza reconnects with her late husband’s best friend Nathaniel, who is looking for help introducing another young widow to society. There are a LOT of secrets, twists and turns in this story, but it’s not without humor. Thank you Kensington/Zebra for the ARC!

What I Read: Feb. 6-12

Aimeeeliz

For Her Consideration by Amy Spalding: This was a fun romcom featuring two lovable leads and a cast of delightful side characters (Nina’s friend group is ADORABLE). Thank you Kensington for the ARC!

The Duke Gets Even (The Fifth Avenue Rebels #4) by Joanna Shupe: When Joanna Shupe gets it right, she NAILS it. The Duke Gets Even was such an enjoyable read – you can’t help but feel bad for Lockwood (he shows up in a few other books in the series before things finally fall into place for him!) Thank you Avon for the finished copy!

Built to Last by Erin Hahn: This was…fine. The setup was interesting and the characters were likable, but there was something about this that just didn’t fully click for me.

Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort: A gender-swapped, modern-day, rockstar-themed retelling of Phantom of the Opera (with a few liberties, of course). There were some laugh-out-loud moments in this book (the members of Nachmusik are QUITE the fun crew!) and I love how the author took the rockstar stereotype and added her own flair (Christof is more into spreadsheets and not so interested in trashing hotel rooms, thank you very much). Thank you Wunderkind PR for the finished copy!

What I Read: Jan. 23-Feb. 5

Aimeeeliz

Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels #1) by Lisa Kleypas: This was basically just a prequel to Marrying Winterborne. I can’t even say that I liked or disliked the main couple in this book because they felt like an afterthought.

Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen: This was hilarious and sweet and an absolute joy to read. The characters felt real and we love a man in a good sweater (Bennett, what a dreamboat!)

Tease (Cloverleigh Farms #8) by Melanie Harlow: I mostly enjoyed this, but it did start to lose my attention towards the end. A really straightforward friends-to-lovers story with a sweet male lead and a somewhat annoying but also endearing female lead.

Pandora by Susan Stokes-Chapman: Good but not great. A smidge too long, and doesn’t delve as deep into the mythology of Pandora as I had expected/hoped. Still a worthwhile read, and has one of the prettiest covers I’ve seen so far this year. Thank you Bibliolifestyle and Harper Perennial for the finished copy!

Mr. Impossible (Carsington Brothers #2) by Loretta Chase: This is The Mummy in book form and it was SO fun to read! Easily one of the funniest historical romances I’ve read so far – plus the vivid setting and adventurous plot make for an entertaining experience.

Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren: I am almost angry about how much I loved this. The main conflict is a touch melodramatic, but if you don’t think about it TOO much you’ll probably enjoy this emotional, heartwarming read. This is basically if puppy dog eyes were a book.

Four Leaf Cleaver (Country Story Mystery #11) by Maddie Day: My cozy mystery struggles continue – this had me interested at first and then slowly lost me. I found myself skimming towards the end. This is a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!

What I Read: Nov. 14-20

Aimeeeliz

In the Event of Love (Fern Falls #1) by Courtney Kae: Please sign me up for all of the small-town romance books. Fern Falls is SO dreamy. If you’re ready for snowy, cozy holiday reads (this isn’t aggressively holiday themed, but it does take place between Thanksgiving and Christmas) you’ll want to add this to your tbr. Plus, there’s really good setup for book two. Thank you Kensington for the ARC!

The Wrong Mr. Right (The Queen’s Cove Series #2) by Stephanie Archer: This started off strong for me, but fizzled out a bit by the end. However, it’s a really sweet (and moderately spicy) book set in an adorable beach-side town, and it’s available on Kindle Unlimited which is always a plus.

Heartbreaker (Hell’s Belles #2) by Sarah MacLean: This might be one of my new favorite series. I enjoyed the first book, but I was most excited for Adelaide and Imogen’s stories (Adelaide is the lead in Heartbreaker and Imogen’s book is next!) This was so much fun, and had the right amount of seriousness without feeling weighed down. Henry is an adorable duke who has a few surprises up his sleeve, and you can’t help but root for and love Adelaide. Thank you Avon for the ARC!

Walk on the Wilder Side (Wilder Adventures #2) by Serena Bell: This was a quick read, but the pacing and tone felt a bit inconsistent. There’s a LOT of humor early on involving Rachel’s mom’s business, but that entire plot feels a bit shoved to the side by the middle of the book. Brody’s “bad boy” persona felt a bit more tell than show (however, I didn’t read the first book, so I may have missed some substantial setup for his character). There’s also a pretty major plot featuring a baby (this isn’t a spoiler, it’s revealed pretty early on) that I didn’t really care for (it was sweet, but just not my thing).

What I Read: June 13-19

Aimeeeliz

Aurora by David Koepp: This was a read-in-one-day sort of book – fast-paced and interesting, without being TOO heavy (although focused on an apocalyptic-adjacent event). Koepp wrote the screenplay for Jurassic Park, so this reads very much like a movie. Thank you Harper Books for the finished copy! | My Aurora review on Instagram

The Body in the Library (Miss Marple #2) by Agatha Christie: I enjoyed this more than the first book, but I don’t know if Miss Marple and I can be friends. I’ll probably read the remaining four books I have in this series, but I’m not sure I’ll go beyond that. Looks like I’ll be scurrying back to Poirot in a few months…

Dating Dr. Dil by Nisha Sharma: This started off incredibly promising and fizzled out, FAST. Between interesting (read: embarrassing and immature) names for body parts and a male lead who actually turns out to be a pretty big jerk, you’re not missing much if you decide to skip this one.

Witch and Famous (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries #3) by Angela M. Sanders: Witchy books can be really hit or miss for me, and this series continues to be a favorite! Sanders perfectly balances the magical and witchy elements with real life. The mystery in this one had me guessing until the very end, and I was thrown off by some very clever red herrings. Thank you Kensington for the ARC! | My Witch and Famous review on Instagram

Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar #1) by Harlan Coben: I’m no stranger to Harlan Coben, having read a handful of his books over the past few years. After catching up with Karin Slaughter’s backlist, I decided to shift my focus to starting the Myron Bolitar series from the beginning. Myron and Win are some of my favorite characters to revisit, and this series does a decent job of filling the Karin Slaughter void in my reading life. And for a book published in 1995, this didn’t feel TOO dated which is an achievement on its own.

CURRENTLY READING: Getting back into historical romance and finally reading All the Duke I Need by Caroline Linden. Thank you Avon for the finished copy!

What I Read: April 11-17

Aimeeeliz

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin: This is an absolutely lovely book about friendship and life and death. Have some tissues ready, but also be prepared for a heartwarming, sweet read.

Come With Me by Ronald Malfi: This book is interesting and well written, but completely misrepresented. Come With Me is classified as horror, but (in my opinion) it read more like a mystery/thriller with a handful of spooky elements. There’s a little bit of a twist at the end that’s clever, but ultimately this didn’t really serve up what I was looking for.

A Thorn in the Saddle (Cowboys of California #3) by Rebekah Weatherspoon: This came highly recommend and for good reason – it’s an absolute delight! This is my second Rebekah Weatherspoon book (I read Rafe a few months ago) and I appreciate the minimal angst and drama between the main characters (minor spoiler: no third-act breakup here, and it’s refreshing!) Thank you Kensington for the ARC!

CURRENTLY READING: I picked up The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker (available 5/17/2022) last night. I’m only a handful of pages in but i’m always down for a good gothic novel. Thank you Harper Collins for the ARC!

What I Read: March 14-20

Aimeeeliz

On the Way to the Wedding (Bridgerton #8) by Julia Quinn: The Bridgerton series ended on a little bit of an odd note. Gregory is kind of the forgotten Bridgerton sibling – only popping up a handful of times (and really, for a sentence or two) in some of the previous books. This story is cute enough on its own, but it was a bit too drawn out and a little too lackluster for me to really have enjoyed it. However, I completed my goal of finishing the series before season two starts on Netflix, so i’m calling this a win.

The Ravenous Dead (Gravekeeper #2) by Darcy Coates: This was a decent continuation of the series, but I felt like it was a little repetitive in places (I enjoyed book #1 just a smidge more). The secondary characters still shine in this one, with one, in particular, stealing a scene or two towards the end. This is categorized as horror, but it’s really more of a cozy mystery with some spooky elements. Thank you Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

Busted (Will Trent #6.5) and Unseen (Will Trent #7) by Karin Slaughter: I have one more book left in the Will Trent series (book #10, since I read book #8 and book #9 completely out of order a few years ago) and I am DISTRAUGHT. Unseen was particularly upsetting because a huge part of the plot revolves around a much-loathed character from the Grant County series (but the book is incredible, as always. It’s a character you love to hate). PRO TIP: If you have not read any Karin Slaughter books, either pick up a standalone (I’d recommend Pretty Girls) or start the Grant County series from the beginning.

Space Junk (Space #1) by Sara L. Hudson: This was my most pleasant surprise of the week. I downloaded this book on my Kindle after it came highly recommended from a beloved friend (and it was only $.99, I think). This is a romcom, heavy on the comedy part – some moments had me laughing out loud! I’m also adding Flynn to my unofficial list of book boyfriends. The best part? There’s an entire series, featuring the supporting cast we met in Space Junk, and it’s available on Kindle Unlimited. My only dilemma is between purchasing the series on its own or finally signing up for KU again.

Danger on the Atlantic (Jane Wunderly #3) by Erica Ruth Neubauer: I’ll be honest – this is a cute historical cozy mystery series, but Redvers is really who keeps me coming back for more (he’s so dreamy. Think part James Bond, part Sherlock Holmes). Danger on the Atlantic takes place on a cruise ship, so there’s somewhat of a locked room mystery element at play. Thank you Kensington for the ARC!

The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward: This was an odd book. I could tell it was written with the intent to perplex and confuse the reader, but I was pretty aware of the main “twist” right from the start. There are some really sad and awful reveals in the last bit of the book, but they feel a bit rushed and left without much explanation. Overall, it’s just incredibly sad – but worth a read.

CURRENTLY READING: I started The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab last night – I pretty much ignored this when it was getting a lot of hype, but I ended up with a copy of the book so I figured it’s worth a try. I like it so far, but i’m not even 50 pages in yet.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Lemon Drop Dead by Amanda Flower

Aimeeeliz

I am absolutely loving this series! I need to go back and start from the beginning. Lemon Drop Dead takes us back to Harvest, Ohio, to visit Bailey at Swissmen Sweets, a candy shop she owns with her grandmother.

When a mysterious baby shower guest turns up dead later that night, Bailey gets tangled up in yet another murder mystery, complete with some intense family drama and a secret child. Amanda Flower does a great job of balancing the Amish and the English characters, and often explains the differences in culture and the issues that can cause.

And, of course, Jethro the pig makes an appearance!

Thank you Kensington Books for sending me an ARC of Lemon Drop Dead!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer

Aimeeeliz

Even though I love historical fiction and I love cozy mysteries, for some reason i’ve struggled in the past to read historical cozies…well, that streak finally ended with Murder at the Mena House! I absolutely loved the first book in this new series – Jane is a fun main character, Aunt Millie is mysterious and precocious and intriguing, and the dashing Mr. Redvers might be my absolute favorite.

Set in Egypt, young widow Jane is spending time abroad with her Aunt Millie at the Mena House Hotel. They meet some interesting characters right from the jump, and when sassy socialite Anna Stainton is found murdered, it’s a race to find the culprit before another body turns up. I had such vivid imagery of this in my mind while reading! It felt like going on vacation. Murder at the Mena House has Clue (yes, the board game) and Agatha Christie vibes, and i’m so excited to pick up the next book in the series!

Thank you Kensington Books for sending me a copy of this book!

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – Fresh Brewed Murder by Emmeline Duncan

Aimeeeliz

A promising start to a brand new cozy mystery series, Fresh Brewed Murder tackles some tougher topics but never loses that overall cozy vibe that readers love.

Sage has recently opened Ground Rules, a coffee cart located in a food truck park in Portland. She barely has time to make more than a few lattes before she finds a repeat (and grumpy) customer dead right in front of her cart. Sage is immediately high on the suspect list, because a box cutter from her very own cart is the murder weapon.

We get a glimpse into Sage’s complicated life story (which I assume we will get more of in future books!) and the author doesn’t shy away from tough issues like homelessness and gentrification.

Thank you Kensington Books for the ARC!