Anna Lee Huber - A Deceptive Composition

Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they’ve finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives . . .
October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage’s estranged uncle—a member of the notorious Roscarrock family—has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage’s protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist.
It isn’t long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they’ve been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all.

Comment: This is installment #12 in the Lady Darby series and, once again, it proved to be as enthralling as all the previous books had been.

In this new adventure, things seem to be getting on track for everyone, especially since the events in the past novel made it possible for Sebastian and Kiera to develop a stronger relationship with Sebastian's father, something they are thankful for mostly because of their daughter, who has a grandparent to look up to. When lord Gage receives a letter from his mother's side of the family - known to have been smugglers and not as respected as one might want - telling him about the death of an uncle in a suspicious way, they decide to travel to Cornwall to investigate and, if possible, to try to build bridges with that side of the family. Of course things don't go as easily as they would think, and there are several secrets to uncover...

When characters in long series become familiar, as I've repeated many times already, reading about them is no longer much of a challenge. This 12th installment didn't offer any spectacular content, apart from the novelty of Kiera and Sebastian meeting a side of the family they had not known before, but I still had a good time, even if accepting it wasn't the most thrilling of novels.

The real interest for me is in seeing the characters I've come to appreciate interacting and dealing with new situations in their lives. I liked the fact they could find enough common ground with Sebastian's father so that there is connection there for their daughter to have too. Thinking about this, what difference, indeed, from the early books where lord Gage wasn't likable. The fact he had family he wouldn't discuss was known, but in the last two books, what we learned, told us of some of the reasons why that side of the family isn't one he would want to cultivate. Still, what a great reason to yet another adventure!

In all stories, the fascinating elements to me are the interactions between Kiera and Sebastian and those closer to them. It's comforting to see them well and so on, and of course they now seem to be a united front when dealing with new people. By traveling to the estate of lord Gage's uncle, we have to assume they would find likable and unpleasant people which would help them develop their investigation. I will confess I wasn't particularly captivated by this investigation and perhaps my perspective had also been affected by what had been shared about the characters they would meet. Despite this, it was certainly good to see them get the way of things and learn about each new individual.

As the plot moved along and the investigation about the death of lord Gage's uncle went on, some discoveries are made and I will have to say I was quite surprised by a certain twist. I really didn't see it coming and this did make me more aware and interested in what was happening. I still wasn't fond of the whole smuggler side of things, which the family was reputed for, and when this subject came on here and there, I overlooked it. It turned out that while this wasn't such a big deal as initially might have looked, it had a small role into the conclusion of the story, so everything got wrapped up nicely, in a way.

What was surprising in what this meant to our protagonists is that they didn't seem to regret that this new side of the family wasn't as hard to miss as they might have wanted. The things they learned about them mean that while they aren't all bad people, they still didn't act as Sebastian and Kiera would want and probably they don't wish her daughter to be influenced by them... it almost feels as if this installment was a detour to usual state of things...

While the plot is ongoing, of course there are characters interacting and Bree and Anderley, as servants to Kiera and Sebastian, also play their roles in the usual method of investigation, namely talking to other servants. In this book, however, a situation is played so that Anderley ends up, at some point, in a more vulnerable position, as Bree had been in the previous book. I can't tell if this was to even up the score, or because we only get glimpses through Kiera's narration, but the servants also have an important role in the stories and are seen as people to care about by their employers. I do like this side of things and, as expected, makes me like Sebastian and Kiera more.

Having finished this story means my buddy read friend and I have reached the end of the available published books. The next one is coming out in June and we will only read at a later month in the year. It's definitely more difficult to wait for a new installment than to know we are only spacing them out...

Grade: 8/10

Lily Chu - The Stand-In

Gracie Reed is doing just fine. Sure, she was fired by her overly "friendly" boss, and yes she still hasn't gotten her mother into the nursing home of their dreams, but she's healthy, she's (somewhat) happy, and she's (mostly) holding it all together.
But when a mysterious SUV pulls up beside her, revealing Chinese cinema's golden couple Wei Fangli and Sam Yao, Gracie's world is turned on its head. The famous actress has a proposition: due to their uncanny resemblance, Fangli wants Gracie to be her stand-in. The catch? Gracie will have to be escorted by Sam, the most attractive—and infuriating—man Gracie's ever met.
If it means getting the money she needs for her mother, Gracie's in. Soon Gracie moves into a world of luxury she never knew existed. But resisting Sam, and playing the role of an elegant movie star, proves more difficult than she ever imagined—especially when she learns the real reason Fangli so desperately needs her help. In the end all the lists in the world won't be able to help Gracie keep up this elaborate ruse without losing herself...and her heart.

Comment: I got interested in this novel because it would feature a heroine down on her luck and the switch with a famous person. I was quite curious how the author would pull off this trope, although I felt a little let down when this wasn't in fact a switch of roles trope, but one where only the heroine takes the place of the other person.

Gracie Reed works at a company that pays well, good enough to allow her to support the cost of her ill mother's elderly home with the hopes of even placing her at a better home at some point. The problem is that her boss is harassing her but not even with the help of a lawyer is she able to find evidence that could be perceived by others. One day, she is finally fired and this doesn't help with her depression, which she is in control of but still battling. Things seem promising when Fangli, a famous Chinese actress ,seeks her and proposes her to take her place in a few events while she is in Toronto. She will play well and Gracie could save for her mother's home, while also having time to look for another job. The "but" comes in the form of Sam Yao, a very famous actor and a friend of Fangli, who accepts the physical similarities between them but apparently can't stand Gracie. The fact they will need to interact in the events can be simplified by practicing, but what about Gracie's feelings...?

Switching roles is a fun plot device and I've read a few stories featuring twins or siblings, which seems to give such plots a very acceptable credibility. Having doppelgangers in this situation might not seem as likely, but it is also very true people see what they want. I imagined that while Gracie took Fangli's place, she would take Gracie's, which would make for a very entertaining plot, but it turns out Fangli needs rest, for she is also dealing with what seems at first to be mental fatigue and what better to have someone who looks just like her do the part of the job that tires her the most? 

I think the set up was different enough from any likely reality that I've felt captivated from the start. As the pages went by I also liked the writing more and more, although this is written in first person. Still, in this case, the premise is so out there that Gracie's voice while she was dealing with everything was unique enough to grab me and not to put me off, as so often happens in first person narration in romance. It also helped that Gracie was battling depression and that she saw several things in her life as serious as they demanded, and I liked her for her personality.

Having a likable but down to earth heroine made me root for her, even when she was placed in a situation that required me to suspend disbelief that she could put it off. At first, of course things weren't easy and I think the author did a good job in portraying the difficulties and how this affected Gracie's perception of herself without going into crazy or ridiculous levels. I actually found it more difficult to believe that Gracie's boss would be in the same circles as those of the people Fangli and Sam would interact with while they were in Toronto, but who am I to say...

As the story goes , it's not difficult to guess that Gracie and Sam learn to cooperate and that this would lead them to see one another as a better person than they imagined at first sight. I was quite taken by Gracie's thought processes, namely that she struggled to see how Sam could look at her in a romantic way. I think the author once again did a good job in developing the little things at a slow place, so that something as simple as the fact Sam also had problems as a young man and how controlled his life was from the beginning could be a way to counter Gracie's self esteem issues... after all, everyone has an inner side others might not know about.

I won't go into the whole Chinese mentality on what means to be a person portraying a role and how that has a direct link to the perception of the country (I only know the very basics about the culture of the famous in Asian countries) but there are subtle references to this, and the subject is also part of conversation between the characters. The fact Gracie is half-Chinese makes for most of the plot, but it's not the theme I'd say has the biggest focus or influence in what happens throughout the story.

As a matter of fact, the biggest issue comes later on, obviously, and it explains a few things I was thinking about but that also seemed to be such a simplistic and unrealistic possibility that I overlooked as too much imagination. Well, reading romance for years means readers do recognize things and I was proven right when what I suspected was the actual way things happened. It was.... possible, yes, but at the same time the explanation for the big secret was a bit of a let down, Or, perhaps I should say that the way things came to be wasn't executed in the way where the secret would really be a surprise.

As the story ends, Gracie fixes up some things, her relationship with the other characters solidifies and she is able to "solve" some pendent issues in her life. She even finds a way to create an app that becomes successful, which is evidence to the reader that everything ends up well. In this sense, I was glad with the way the story was ended. Nevertheless, there's still something I can't quite pinpoint but that makes me feel a little unsure... I can't explain it but this story didn't leave me with a specific and final sense of closure and I suppose I would have preferred a more definitive scenario for everyone.

Grade: 8/10

Louisa Masters - In Your Hands

When Grant Davis stepped into the job of assistant director at Joy Universe, he knew he was taking on a challenge. The AD before him left a mess nobody thought could be cleaned up—but Grant loves nothing more than beating the odds. Over a year later, he’s convinced there’s something hinky going on. The solution: an independent audit. What he doesn’t expect is that the head of the audit team will be his old college crush.
Luke Durrant’s come a long way since he last saw Grant, the man he had a steamy night with back in college. He’s been married, divorced, has a successful career, and is now a parent. But one look at Grant brings all the old feelings crashing back.
With Grant’s job in Luke’s hands, two insecure kids, and a host of nosy coworkers, it seems like professionalism is the only option… but who wants that? Grant and Luke are willing to take the shot for a second chance at happily ever after.
And then Luke’s ex turns up….

Comment: This is the third installment in the Joy Universe series by author Louisa Masters. I've liked the writing in the previous stories and I felt like finishing the series.

In this third story we focus our attention in Grant Davies, one of the assistant directors who has found some problems in his area of work. He went directly to the owners of Joy Universe requesting an audit, even if that were to mean he would be out of a job. He is surprised when the team leader who will take over the audit is Luke Durrant, someone from his past with whom he felt he had a connection, right before he introduced him to another friend and they ended up marrying. Now, a long divorced Luke packs up his things and the two kids he adopted and they move for his job, which means Luke is as surprised to find Grant again. When things between them seem to be on the right track, however, Luke's ex shows up... what will this mean for him and Grant?

Perhaps I should start by saying that the stories in this series have a certain continuity. I don't think it needs to be mandatory for them to be read in order, after all the plots are pretty straightforward, but it does simplify certain details and/or explanations if the books are read in order. The audit that is the central focus of both Grant's and Luke's jobs for most of the novel is a necessary device if one bears in mind the situations depicted in the previous stories.

I actually like it when the details seem to match what is going on. I'm not the type of reader that hates a book just because the details aren't right or if the author takes some liberties, but it's certainly a big plus when the plots seem to be based on situations that make sense. I'm not knowledgeable in audit work or whatever that might imply to say if what is described here is correct, but it did benefit my overall appreciation to assume what was being done proves the people involved were goal oriented and professional.

This said, the plot aspects seemed to be smoothly presented, convincing even, and I was quite pleased to see Luke and Grant acted as if their were being professionals. I also liked the secondary jokes around them, such as when co workers would try to guess when they would hook up. This was done in a very relaxed way, no malicious intent, and I've felt that, as in the other books, it was only a way to have some lighter/funnier content. Basically, the story's vibe was a positive but serious one.

The romance, however, wasn't as amazing as I hoped for. It did set a little on the "second chance" notion, since they had had a one night stand once and apparently were into one another, but drifted apart. I know that by not having had an established relationship, this might not be seen as a second chance romance per se, but it's what things made me think of. I just wish their romance had been more... spontaneous, more uncertain. I wanted to see them wonder about each other more before they kissed and were intimately together. It's not that the romance wasn't done in a believable way for what were were told, but.... it wasn't as romantic as I wanted.

Luke also had the worries regarding his kids. He isn't their biological father but he and his ex took their guard when their parents died. After a while his ex - the kids' biological uncle - couldn't handle it and left. Luke is a great guy to have wanted to keep them, to adopt and love them. This plays a huge part in the story and, of course, allows us to see who Grant and Luke are together and how their future would be like. In a way, perhaps I'll dare to say this took a bit too much of the attention, especially since the book isn't as big as it might have been necessary to pack up so much emotional energy...

When the ex comes back, that's where the conflict peaks and I will say i wasn't too d«fond of the tactics the author used to conduct the situations. I think other plot options would have led to the same conclusions... I can't decide if what did happen was too cheesy/silly or too obviously forced... either way, I wasn't fond of the scenes regarding this, which added to the lack of romantic elements (in my perspective) made for a weaker story than what it probably merited.

Regardless, I had a good enough time reading and, as intended, will read the last book as well. I'm still debating if I want to read one of the two novellas in this series that caught my attention...

Grade: 7/10

Enjoy the weekend!

Enjoy the weekend!

Reading, if you can! 

😁

(here)

Dr Bessel van der Kolk - The Body Keeps the Score

A pioneering researcher transforms our understanding of trauma and offers a bold new paradigm for healing.
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

Comment: Another book I brought from the library by impulse. I was simply quickly turning the pages and some words popped up to catch my attention. The blurb also suggested this would be an interesting theme to learn more about and that was it.

In this book, dr Bessel van der Kolk (whose name I had not heard before) presents an interesting summary on his years of studies and projects developed to learn more about trauma and how to help patients dealing with its effects. Although this cannot be a complete manual on "how to", it offers case studies and the projects developed and even suggestions to possible treatments that could go beyond chemicals. There also inclusions of work done by other doctors and scientists and how the healing of the brain is a much more complex work than what many might imagine.

I had no expectations, for once, going into this book. What I know about trauma and how to treat this doesn't go further than what is common sense and what we see in some literature or movies - with all the limitations that such vehicles imply. Still, I decided to read the book because I was curious and the main reason why I felt like trying such a big book which would certainly contain medical terms and professional jargon I would not always understand was quite simple. While turning the pages very randomly, I've noticed names being mentioned, which means this book would have case studies and examples from real people, even if not their real names.

Now, since finishing the book I've checked out some reviews by other readers and the most negative ones point out some issues which, as always, might be a matter of interpretation as well as many other things, but there was also a lot of references to the author, dr van der Kolk, not having behaved properly with female co-workers or such. I have not investigated anyway, but I've read the book without being aware of this information and tried to focus on the theme discussed and think about the goal of this book.

Another frequent critique was the fact the author seemed to include too many details on trauma and too much focus on "defending" the patients and not having the same apparent compassion for those affected by their actions. I actually felt interested in reading this because there were references to real people and their cases, that was what made this book more captivating and why someone like me, who lacks knowledge in medicine, psychology and proper treatments, would feel a connection to what was being described/shared. If this was just about facts and specific literature in the field, I would likely not choose to read it. 

In regards to the fairness, the respect or any other term one might want to refer to the way the patient's cases were used, I cannot say. Was it correct to present things this way? But I'm also assuming we were not given the whole information to judge beyond what feels right or wrong in how the reader might see the information...

The book is divided into several chapters, where trauma in different situations is identified and presented (veterans, children, sexual abuse) and in the final chapter the author introduces possible techniques and/or treatments to help patients, so pills or other chemical use don't have to be the only option. I will admit this was where I struggled the most to absorb information. I suppose for many reasons, the methods presented aren't as easy to prove or to demonstrate effective and it did feel a bit too vague. Still, it goes along other type of literature I've read before (for instance, healing trauma through hypnosis, exploring past lives regression and meditation...) which isn't as accepted or generalized.

All in all, apart from the impossibility to confirm whether the information used is as correct as it implies - certainly a lot has been updated since 2014, when this book was originally published - I still found it to be interesting and gave me food for thought. The fact the theme is being studied and that many might benefit from books like this one, about it, can certainly be more positive than negative in the bigger scheme of things.

Grade: 7/10

Sapphire Wolf - Feline Protector

Cougar shifter, Detective Kat Kale solves homicides in a city at the mercy of the delicate balance between natural enemies, humans and shifters. However, her life takes a drastic turn when her human arch-nemesis, thanks to a spilled cup of chai latte, Detective Rafe Anhelm, is arrested for the murder of the powerful wolf alpha, Joel Hardcastle.
With her instincts telling her Anhelm is being framed, Kat sets out to clear his name and find the true culprit behind the vicious crime. As the investigation deepens, Kat delves into a complex web of betrayal and revenge in the most powerful pack in the city. Time is running out for the city as the delicate peace between species teeters on the edge of chaos.
Kat doesn’t believe Anhelm killed the alpha, but the evidence keeps pointing back to him and she’s under pressure to wrap up the case. Anhelm’s life is on the line as the powerful shifters in the city demand justice for their fallen alpha. Will Kat succeed in unraveling the intricate case in time to save Anhelm or will he be thrown to the wolves?

Comment: I became aware of this book's existence while browsing a certain list of recent releases (well, from last year, I mean) and since I like shifter stories, this one caught my eye.

In this book we meet shifter cop Kat Kale, and the story begins with her being called as soon as the news of the murder of the wolf pack alpha become known. Kat knows this will create havoc among the shifter communities and things only get worse when the prime suspect is Rafe Anhelm, also a cop. The issue is that Rafe is human and should not have had the ability to kill the wolf alpha, so something else is going on. As Kat investigates to save the life and the reputation of another cop, even though they had never gotten along before this happened, she discovers something else might be in play to frame Rafe. The problem is to discover what before it's too late...

As it happened with the book I read right before this one, I got interested in this one because the blurb made me think the story would be a certain way and that thought alone was enough to convince me to try. However, sometimes impulsive decisions might not go as well, and if I had investigated better, I might not have gotten the book. The issue is that, between creating expectations and not investigating as much, so that spoiler details don't come across unintentionally, the final experience might not be as great as I imagined. Therefore, this shifter story was fine, but not what I imagined it would be.

This is the first book I try by this author and I had no idea about her writing style. In this regard, I cannot say the execution was bad, for the plot follows a pretty linear investigation, not complex, but with enough elements to make it seem solid. In fact, I would more easily compare this story with a cozy mystery and not to any other more traditional shifter story one would label in the PNR or in the UF genres. With this I mean, the point doesn't seem to develop the world building nor the characters; this book felt as if it was all about the plot and how things got there.

Sadly to me, the shifter aspects of this world - which often captivate me in shifter stories - seem to be a given. From what I understood, humans and shifters co-exist but don't get along. Kat is a cop and works for the shifter branch, while there is a simultaneous human branch. They interact but depending on the crimes, they don't fall into the same hierarchy. It sounds confusing but in the story this isn't explored that much. The fact the whole plot is about a human possibly killing a shifter is the real issue and if proven, it would seriously affect the professional relationships between all parties.

As one can imagine, this isn't as simple, and as the investigation moves along, we learn things about the suspect and other secondary characters that allow for some plot twists. Reading this story wasn't anything special, I'll confess, but it was pleasant enough because of the shifter details and because I was curious to find out who the real killer was. It's obvious it isn't Rafe the cop. Unfortunately, none of the characters are developed beyond the basics and they are all simply playing a role. I feel the goal of the author wasn't exactly to write a story about complex relationships and personalities and this means that, to me, while the book was readable, it wasn't memorable nor as appealing as I wanted.

I was also led to believe, by the blurb, that while Kat and Rafe were enemies at work, the fact she investigates the case to help him would suggest that something more between them might happen. Oh, my romantic colored glasses! Reading romance for so long means I see romance even when that is not the actual point and from the chapter I was disappointed that Kat even had a girlfriend. Their relationship isn't on the page and it doesn't have much focus, so I hoped perhaps things would not be as simple but, since there is no character development whatsoever, Kat and Rafe don't become a couple or anything like that.

Having expectations is, indeed, a problem if something doesn't go as one might prefer. I see this is the first book of a series and I still debating if I want to keep going. If so, most likely it won't be for soon.

Grade: 6/10

Shehan Karunatilaka - The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Colombo, 1990. Maali Almeida—war photographer, gambler, and closet queen—has woken up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the serene Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. In a country where scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers, and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts with grudges who cluster round can attest. But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. He has seven moons to contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to the photos that will rock Sri Lanka.

Comment: I brought this book from the library simply because the blurb gave me a certain expectation on what this book would be about. I had not heard of the author before and I wouldn't have known it had won the 2022 Booker Prize if it had not been written in the cover.

In this story we have the story of Maali Almeida, a Sri Lankan photographer who has been recently murdered and the plot is centered on his attempts, as a ghost, to discover what happened to him and who killed him. As he does this, he is told he has seven moons (days) to do what he must and after that he will have to make a choice, which means he needs to hurry to find a way to contact those he loved so they can help him and also so they can reveal the secrets in some of his hidden photographs. However, even in the afterlife there are dangers and prohibitions... will Maali be able to learn what he needs before he is out of moons?

As I've said, I wasn't even aware of this book's existence before seeing in at the library. I was seduced by the blurb, which I read quickly and that immediately led me to assume the plot would focus on protagonist Maali, a man who is many things in a country where many of those things are not legal, and how he had lived until his death. I saw the reference to the country's politics being a key element but I really imagined a scenario in my head this would be a more emotional and heartbreaking novel, not one as intensely oriented towards social commentary.

I also noticed, when holding the book in my hands, the obvious inclusion of Portuguese words. Almeida is still one of the most common Portuguese surnames in my country and I could see that there would be references to Portuguese, and perhaps to the occupation of certain areas in India in past centuries and, it seems, also the influence it had in what is now Sri Lanka. I was captivated by the idea of having some kind of Portuguese content and since I didn't know much about Sri Lanka, I thought this book would mix up interesting themes.

Right away, it became obvious the author was experimenting with genres and narratives, and this story is told in second person singular. Dead Maali was thinking things to himself and commenting stuff to his alive self with the reader listening in. After finishing the book, as I often do with books I like less or that I fail to see the appeal, I've read reviews of other readers who disliked it and a common critique is precisely about the narrator's voice, that it is too weird. Well, I can understand why but I wasn't really bothered by it. In terms of fluidity, I don't think the story was affected by this. One gets used to it, I'd say.

My disappointment with this novel is very simple: I thought this would be a story about misunderstood Maali, a gay man in a society where this is not well received, and how his actions and apparent love interests would have impacted his life. I thought this would be a sad, perhaps even depressing novel, about his heartbreaks and impossible interactions with others, including his family. I was rather prepared to be sad, angry on his behalf and the fact this had won a prize certainly would mean the literary aspects of the narrative would not be focusing on sweet, romantic issues.

Instead, this was a novel about Maali being the embodiment of a faction of people who is misunderstood but still a critic of society and how corrupted everything is around. I can accept this, and a lot of the information related to the deaths and the suffering and the injustice the author included in this novel must be devastating to assimilate as a reality. It's even worse when we think these things happen everywhere and it's not only a cultural thing and often it's not possible to change the state of things.

However, the plot was too closely influenced by these things. This means the author used a lot of situations that felt had no end, where we could see the cause and effect of the different political fractions in play, the way things were done, the way repression killed so many people, the utter suffering of the whole country. Yes, heartbreak was achieved but to me, the story failed in the sense that while these elements were certainly necessary to be mentioned, I felt they took over the story, they took over Maali as a protagonist. To summarize, the setting and the politics were too dire and Maali's character too darkly presented in what happened to him that I lost interest in looking for the "light".

I also disliked how the afterlife situation Maali sees himself in was so confusing. One moment here, another there, this ghost was this alive character, but the other one is just a ghost, then it was not, and the hows and the whys stopped making sense. Of course it didn't help that some names are just too different and that doesn't help me maintaining the focus to distinguish who is who. The author included a list of characters in the beginning which helped, but not always. It came to a point that not even wanting to know the identity of Maali's killer was enough to grab my attention.... I've finished the book with the sense of "finally, the task is completed" and not the "on no, the story is already over".

Going into books with expectations can be good and bad but in my case I really should pay better attention to blurbs or secondary information, because I might not even choose certain books if i were to be more concentrated, something that happened too with the book I'll mention in my next post...

Grade: 4/10

Lucy Robinson - The Greatest Love Story of All Time...

It's Fran's thirtieth birthday and things are good . . .
She's bluffed her way into a Very Posh Job and her outlandishly handsome and talented boyfriend Michael is escorting her to the Ritz with a bulge the shape of a ring box in his pocket.
But something has gone wrong. Very wrong. By the end of the evening Fran is howling in bed with a bottle of cheap brandy and one of Michael's old socks.
In her quest to figure out why her life has suddenly gone down the pan, Fran comes up with a failsafe plan: live like a badger, stalk a stranger called Nellie and cancel her beloved Gin Thursdays in favour of drinking gin every night. But then Fran's friends force a very different plan on her and it's nowhere near as fun. How could eight dates possibly make her feel better?
But eventually she agrees. And so begins the greatest love story of all time . . .

Comment: In 2019 I've read another book by this author, which I ended up liking a lot, even though it did have some details that weren't as appealing to me. I had promised myself I'd read other books by the author (from what I saw, only three more, perhaps mrs Robinson stopped writing?) and now I've finally jumped into this one, which apparently was the author's debut. 

Well, thankfully I tried her work with that other book because if I had read this one first I wouldn't even know I'd missing out on that other one - at least - which would have been a pity...

In this story we meet Fran, a 30 year old woman who believes the love of her life is about to propose. She's also having a good challenge at work and her life seems to be in a good spot. However, her boyfriend doesn't propose and on top of that, even asks for a three month break. Fran is devastated, and even though she has the support of her friends, it feels as if this situation is only the beginning of an escalation of trouble in all areas of her life. While dealing with the problems, Fran decides she needs to understand why her boyfriend asked for some time, and she accidentally hears a conversation leading her to believe he is already seeing someone else. How can this be? Is there any hope for Fran to get control of her life?

I will have to confess I felt very disappointed with this story, especially because now that some time has passed and I can think about the plot with more concentration, the bones for this story were actually quite compelling and I probably would have appreciated it more. The issue, to me, was that not only the execution was very muddled and all over the place, but Fran just wasn't a likable heroine to me.

With the example of the other book I had read by this author, which I liked, I had some expectations for this one. I now know this was the author's debut and I can imagine this is, perhaps, the explanation, for my lack of engagement; the plot just wasn't edited/presented in the best way it could. I struggled to like Fran and to root for her when she seemed to be such an airhead, only worried about her boyfriend and getting him back. This was even more annoying when he was clearly not the hero, something we can "guess" practically from the start.

Fran is a little silly and her friends decide she should go on dates, to have different experiences and see if what she feels for Michael, her boyfriend, is truly the greatest love of her life. Of course this is meant to offer us a comedy factor, for most "dates" are simply too bad. The issue is that this isn't done so that we can become convinced that Michael is her best option, but to let Fran know she should be more aware of people around her and what their intentions must be like. To make Fran's life worse, and to complicate matters, her alcoholic mother has been having an affair with a married man, who is a public figure, and she thinks Michael has moved on.

Thus, with such complications in life, what does Fran decides to do? Well, instead of working and trying to process things, she starts neglecting her work and starts finding ridiculous ways to stalk the woman she thinks her boyfriend is seeing. I've found these schemes and situations to be incredible childish and the whole thing made me struggle to focus on the story. Then, her boss finally realizes what she's been doing and warns her in such a way, mostly conveying his disappointment in her lack of professionalism, that this does work as a waking up call.

From here on the story did get on track to something more palatable and a few details, which had been almost hidden from our attention with all the silly/complicated shenanigans, started to become more interesting an a lot more solid in how important they were to justify a few things. I'm especially thinking about the clues about Michael not being the best boyfriend, the ones about Dave (Fran's best friend at work) being more than perhaps just a friend to her, and how those around her who could impact her professional career were actually better or worse people than we assumed.

When most of the misunderstandings are vanquished, Fran is finally at a position to understand what had been wrong in her life, in her relationship with Michael and at work. This is, of course, the whole point of this novel, but to me it came a bit too late. I just cannot fully match silly woman Fran with competent Fran,  as she kept being described as being, and this affected my overall impression of the story. I should say that, as the plot was being wrapped up, I could "see" some of the details in the author's skill which I had liked in the other book. I suppose this is really a matter of getting better as time and experience goes by.

In the end, though, this was still not a good story to me. I also wasn't too fond of how one or two last situations were presented as the story was being finished. This means that I cannot think of this story as a good one and I'd very likely not read it again.

Grade: 4/10

Julia Spencer-Fleming - Hid From Our Eyes

1952. Millers Kill Police Chief Harry McNeil is called to a crime scene where a woman in a party dress has been murdered with no obvious cause of death.
1972. Millers Kill Police Chief Jack Liddle is called to a murder scene of a woman that's very similar to one he worked as a trooper in the 50s. The only difference is this time, they have a suspect. Young Vietnam War veteran Russ van Alstyne found the body while riding his motorcycle and is quickly pegged as the prime focus of the investigation.
Present-day. Millers Kill Police Chief Russ van Alstyne gets a 911 call that a young woman has been found dead in a party dress, the same MO as the crime he was accused of in the 70s. The pressure is on for Russ to solve the murder before he's removed from the case.
Russ will enlist the help of his police squad and Reverand Clare Fergusson, who is already juggling the tasks of being a new mother to her and Russ's baby and running St. Alban's Church, to finally solve these crimes.

Comment: This is the 9th installment in the series featuring Russ van Alstyne and Clare Fergusson. It seems there was a gap of six years between the release of the 8th book and this 9th one. I can only imagine the frustration and thus why it's so much better to read a good series when all books are out, but.... it has been announced the 10th will come out in November... so not as long but still. It is frustrating to wait!

In this new adventure, Russ and Clare are recent parents and their decision to try to juggle things while keeping baby Ethan with them as often as possible of course adds to their tiredness. Still, life doesn't stop and the worry over what will happen to the police station continues, especially since a woman has been found dead in pretty similar circumstances as two others, one in 1952 and another in 1972. The investigation seems too hard for there isn't an obvious clue on how the woman died, but as the clues pile in, and the connection between what is slowly discovered points to a surprising conclusion. Will the police and Clare find a way to solve the crime before it's too late for Russ and his police station?

Repeating myself, reading the books in this series is quite an entertainment and a good example of a long series justifying the commitment of carrying on with it, the proof that sometimes that commitment is worth it. Of course, some elements aren't as great as others in the big scheme of things, but it's still a good experience for certain.

In terms of plot, the one here wasn't as thrilling as others were, mystery wise, but when things finally start to make some sense, it turns out that it is a lot more complex than what it seemed at first. The fact that there is a pattern which repeats at least three times suggests that there is a connection between all these crimes and the way the dead women are found, but it can be hard to imagine the scenario that ends up being the real explanation. Not that it isn't possible, but it's really something a bit far fetched.

The technique used to connect the three times (1952, 1972 and the present) was to have a few chapters set in the past years, one of them including a very young Russ. It was a little weird and I'm not, usually, a big fan of stories with flashbacks unless it's known from the start it will be a dual timed plot. Thankfully, the chapters set in the past aren't lengthy and do offer atmosphere and setting - I'm so very curious about Russ' mother Midge and his former mentor Jack, the previous chief of police we see as protagonist in the 1972 chapters. My romance reader persona is already envisioning a romance!

The crimes and how things are finally discovered in the present were a bit more fascinating from a certain point on, yes, but not all the time. Of course, the mystery aspects don't have to be a deal breaker in this series because a very big part of the story is dedicated to the protagonists' relationship and the interactions with others around them. Clare and Russ are fine as a couple, are in love and in awe of their child, scenes that always brought a smile to my face. However, I must say I felt a little disappointed that Clare isn't yet in the right mind frame as she was before she was deployed. We have some scenes regarding this which disappointed me and I fervently hope this situation will be addressed in the next book and, hopefully, "solved".

There is a lot of pages centered on Hadley, the only female police officer, especially after what happened to her at the end of the previous book. I admit I imagined Hadley to not be as at ease as she shows others, and I thought her complicated relationship with Kevin and the consequences of their last case before Kevin left for another city would have more importance than what it seemed. This is a subject that I imagine the author to give us closure about in a certain way, hopefully with more romance!, but this drop by drop situation is frustrating.

I think these books might seem easy, but there is a lot of food for thought in regards to most subjects addressed. I think the author has done a great job giving layers to the characters, even the secondary ones, and this makes me invested in them and in what will happen next. Now, onto wait for months and months until the next...

Grade: 8/10

Sloane Kennedy - Sanctuary Found

When his stellar military career comes to an abrupt and terrible end, thirty-two-year-old Maddox Kent returns to the town he never planned to step foot into again, hoping to mend the rift he himself caused with the brother he left behind. But coming home means facing some hard truths about himself and his actions. When he has the chance to start making amends by helping his brother with the wildlife sanctuary he runs, Maddox is thrown another curveball when a stranger appears...
For twenty-one-year-old Isaac, Pelican Bay is only supposed to be a stopping point on the trek from San Francisco to New York. With his little brother, Newt, in tow, Isaac is just looking to make things right by returning something of value to a person he wronged. But "getting lost" in the next big city proves to be a problem when the brutal Minnesota winter claims Isaac's car and strands him and Newt at the animal sanctuary. When the owners of the place offer him a job, a desperate Isaac agrees, despite the presence of a man Isaac instinctively knows could be his downfall...
Nothing about Isaac makes sense to Maddox. Not his piercings or makeup or flashy clothes. And most certainly not the snarky mouth that doesn't match the vulnerability Maddox sees in the younger man's eyes. But one thing does make sense to the hardened former soldier. Isaac is running from something, and Maddox's gut is telling him not to let Isaac and little Newt go until he can ferret out the truth.
But having Isaac around means trying to make sense of something else Maddox isn't expecting... his own body's response to the beautiful younger man. Aside from their explosive chemistry, nothing about the straitlaced soldier and the secretive misfit works.
But maybe that's exactly why it does...

Comment: This is the second installment in the Pelican Bay series, whose first book I had read last year. I liked that one enough to want to try the next but I've found some of the issues I liked less to be repeated here, which leads me to conclude it's simply the writer's style.

In this second story, the focus is on Maddox "Mad", the brother of Dallas (hero book #1) and Isaac, the young man who showed up at the animal shelter with his much younger brother at the end of the other book.

Isaac tracked down Nolan to give him back his violin and he plans on moving on with his brother, since the man their mother was with wants custody, for money issues. Isaac knows he technically kidnapped his brother, but he did it for the best of reasons, although he feels he can't stop to rest. He has done what he had to in order to feed them, but he is tired. Finding the shelter was meant to be a short stop but the guys he finds there start becoming family, especially Mad...

After a wary first meet, Mad finds himself more and more captivated by Isaac and while battling PTSD he feels a part of him can only rest if he tries his best to help Isaac and the little kid. Things aren't as easy but as time goes by they find themselves getting closer...but what will happen when the past catches up with them?

Having read the first book and now this one, what comes to mind is the fact there is a slight taste of cheesiness in the author's style. This doesn't mean the stories are only fluff or silliness, no, but I would have liked certain things to happen in a less sugary way. I'm specifically thinking about the romance, which feels too simple, just like the other one was. Perhaps I could even dare to say that the dynamics between Mad and Isaac didn't always seem convincing they were a m/m couple...or perhaps it's just me.

This is to say that the romance does have some development that feels too easy or too cheesy.... in certain moments a different writing style or scene choices might have enhanced the relationship in a better way. I liked that they found each other, of course, as I did that they trusted each other from a certain point on, but this development wasn't as smooth or as "organic" as it could.

Mad wasn't the best of characters in the first book but we learned why and he does change, which means we can root for him now. Although, to be fair, he never felt as approachable as Isaac. Still, I could accept some of his behavior due to his experiences at war and the PTSD consequences and all that. I also think he was made to seem more aloof, less easy to read on purpose, to perhaps better contrast with Isaac, who is a much more sensible and vulnerable character.

In fact, Isaac sometimes reads as being a bit too vulnerable, too open about his state of mind. With this I mean his personality because he only shares his fears and reasons to run with his brother closer to the end of the story. Nevertheless, he does seem less assured of himself for believable reasons, but the dynamics with Mad felt a little frustrating to me. I will also confess there was a specific element to their relationship I think was pointless. Everything put together made for a couple who didn't always win me over as such.

The plot is interesting, there are some hints about past issues which are interesting to see develop which allow character development and I liked seeing some interactions they all had with one another. Two secondary characters were introduced and they will be protagonists in the future...they seem intriguing enough to make me want to read their story. 

I also liked the animal references, the shelter side of things, although it is true that this part wasn't as prominent as it had been in the previous story.

All things considered, this was fine, more or less along the same lines as the first, with some elements being less interesting but compensated with others which were. Thus, this book gave me the same overall feeling as the previous one. It's readable to me, good enough, but not truly special.

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Sarah MacLean - Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.
Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried—and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.
But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss—to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston—charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.
If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all—the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love.

Comment: It's time for the February's TBR Challenge post and the theme is "Previously, in Romance" which I've looked at in a very particular way. To me, this expression immediately made me think of romances we would find in the past years for the trend they belong to or for the style we insert them in. Some might link it to the "old school" idea but I would not think of the "previously, in romance" as something that would be as old as "old school" somehow implies. 

For me, "previously, in romance" refers to something closer in time to me. Thus, I've picked a book which is not as old in time as, let's say, something from the 90s or before, but that still takes us to years ago, in this case this book was published in 2010 and that is, in romance, already something that happened previously, just like in a tv show whose new season links back to the one before and not to one from 30 years ago.

In this historical romance, my first attempt at something by Sarah Maclean, we meet heroine Calpurnia, a young woman having her debut but she is fully aware she isn't a real beauty. Still, she has hopes and one random encounter with Gabriel, the marquess of Ralston allows them to exchange a few words and she is forever smitten with him. Ten years later, Callie is a wallflower on the shelf, as she tells herself, and she is tired of having the reputation of passive. Therefore, she writes down a list of tings she would like to do, like an adventure, and the very first thing is to be kissed. On a sudden impulse, she leaves her house and visits Ralston on his, something no lady should do, and she gets her kiss. For her, it's a great adventure, for him is a surprise but it just happens he needs her help to present his recently found sister to society.... is there a way for them to find happiness in each other despite their differences?

As a whole, this was quite a story and I liked the writing style enough to feel I might read more things by the author. I've seen that the author has recently published her first contemporary book and I think I remember seeing somewhere that some of her books weren't as traditionally historical as the ones in her early career and were more centered on "feminist heroines". I cannot prove this from experience but I should say that hearing certain things does impact one's opinion and I expected a certain type of story but this one was surprisingly sweet and very alike other historicals I've read by other authors.

The premise is set on Callie's need to do something for herself, a way to prove she isn't as passive and quiet as everyone assumes due to her looks and wallflower status. However, precisely because of this and her reserved personality, I struggled to easily accept she would be as daring as to look for Ralston on his house. If they had met at a social event or in the park or some other way that not her visiting him in his house, I think this adventure aspect would seem more natural. It certainly helps he knows her reputation and he asks for her help in exchange but their dynamics seemed stilted from the start.

Still, as the story moves along we learn that Callie is actually more daring than she seemed (but always with some understanding of her limits) and Ralston isn't the rake he is known to be by others. Their romance develops slowly, and the fun is in seeing how Ralston is more and more fascinated by Callie, even ignoring the supposed lack of looks for her taste for life and her way of seeing things, which gives him a different perspective in life. I wasn't especially touched by his behavior in the beginning and I think Callie wasn't always as shy as described, but I was interested in seeing how things would progress.

In part, I've felt this because at some point Ralston agrees on a wager with another man regarding Callie and I thought that surely when Callie learned of this that would prove to be quite the angst or drama, but I confess I've felt disappointed over the choices related to this subject. I also think the admittance of their own feelings, mostly Ralston's, was delayed so that some things were put into place. I can understand the tactic, of course, makes sense in any similar romance, but sometimes I thought it was also a little frustrating to wait for something more meaningful to happen.

In a way, this story did remind me of other books I had read with similar plots and in the same genre, so the real attraction was to see how the characters would evolve. Callie, as predictable, went from being a shy lady to someone who realizes her worth and that eventually matches how she behaves and deals with others. It helps her that being in love makes her more daring. Ralston, however, was harder to like despite his change of mind closer to the end, because I just can't love a hero who is afraid of commitment simply because of the behavior of a parent... isn't it obvious he is a different person? Still, psychologically speaking, this could be quite the theme but the author didn't go there.

The plot does touch all the points one might think of when we consider the overall themes used in this story and I liked the main things, but there were details I wasn't too fond of and things I'd change to better suit me. In a way, I wish the heroine didn't have to do all those "daring" activities to win the hero's heart, or for him to see her through different eyes. Nevertheless, the reading experience wasn't too bad and I feel glad to have had the experiment of trying the author's work.

Grade: 7/10