Anstey Harris - Where We Belong

One summer.
One house.
One family learning to love again.
Cate Morris and her son, Leo, are homeless, adrift. They’ve packed up the boxes from their London home, said goodbye to friends and colleagues, and now they are on their way to ‘Hatters Museum of the Wide Wide World – to stay just for the summer. Cate doesn’t want to be there, in Richard’s family home without Richard to guide her any more. And she knows for sure that Araminta, the retainer of the collection of dusty objects and stuffed animals, has taken against them. But they have nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it.
But Richard hasn’t told Cate the truth about his family’s history. And something about the house starts to work its way under her skin.
Can she really walk away, once she knows the truth?

Comment: I got interested in this book because it would feature an interesting setting and reading very superficial comments made it seem as if there would be a hint of romance as well.

Cate and her son Leo need to move out, especially since Cate's job has become redundant. Since her late husband Richard had a family estate in the countryside, including a very particular museum, they drive there on purpose, to spend the summer while Cate looks for a new job, otherwise they would be homeless. However, things aren't that simple and the person in charge of the museum, Araminta, doesn't seem to be very welcoming, at least not to Cate, and the museum isn't doing very well. Still, Cate and Leo need to try to do their best and as they get to know more people and learn more about the place, they start seeing it through different eyes. Will they be able to see past the problems and feel they actually belong to this new and surprising world?

At first, all was going well and the early pages seemed to imply at one of those stories where the characters need to learn something/overcome something and falling in love with a new place is just the thing to give them a new look at life. There are countless books out there with this premise and I tend to enjoy reading about the potential of these life lessons, especially if there is romance included.

However, it soon became obvious to me that this story wasn't that simple or that it would follow the pattern I imagined. The plot begins when Cate and Leo arrive at the estate and get to see the museum, which was devised by her late husband's grandfather, but I confess I struggled to picture certain things in my mind and it took me quite a while - I can't truly tell if this had been made clear earlier or not - to realize that Leo isn't a child as I first thought, for instance. Likely, there are other details that I've missed as well. 

The story is narrated by Cate, and for the most part she is a character I sympathize with, more so because she shares, in timely fashion, tidbits about her life and how it had been with all the things she has had to deal with, namely raising her son without her husband, who died. There's more to this situation that what we are aware of at first, and as we get to understand her trials and how this has affected her, I cannot help but to empathize with her and what she had to face. I did like her as a character, but I cannot say I was always eager to read about what she was thinking.

Since we only get her POV, there are some details that feel fuzzy. Still, I was quite eager to see where this would go but I'll have to say that around half way, more or less, my focus started to decrease. It became more and more difficult to remain interested in what was happening. At that point more characters were introduced, including someone who seemed to be the love interest but I was no longer eager to keep reading. I still wanted to know how the story would end and that means I've finished the book but all the details of that final part of the novel didn't seem to make much sense.

The museum with the stuffed animals and quirky things seemed great at first too and I imagined this would be a great setting for good scenes but I'll have to agree with those who felt the vibe was more along the "creepy" line. I also think the connection between the museum, Cate's late husband and her role in self discovery weren't as smoothly conjugated as I think the author could have done. There were times that ti felt some details were just an afterthought and not truly important for the plot.

The romantic element was a let down as well, and led to a very confusing end. Well, several situations made the end seem confusing, but then there's also the issue of the very final page feel as if the story was not complete. Did Cate really find a way to "save" the museum and if so, are her feelings about that as genuine as it seems? I think the end was way too open ended for this feel final to me. I'd have preferred to have more closure on the situations that had been hinted at throughout the novel.

Sadly, this book ended up not working out for me. There are good elements, and interesting ideas (mostly in how Cate processed her feelings about her husband's death) but the big picture isn't one I can say was great.

Grade: 4/10

Elizabeth Rolls - His Convenient Marchioness

A grieving Marquess in need of a wife sets his sights on a beautiful widow in this is delightful Regency romance.
After the loss of his wife and children, the Marquess of Huntercombe closed his heart to love. But now that he must marry to secure an heir, he's determined that the beautiful, impoverished widow Lady Emma Lacy should be his . . .
Emma has vowed never to marry for money so must refuse him. But when her children's grandfather sets to steal them away from her, she has no other she must become the marquess's convenient bride!

Comment: This book got on my radar because of a positive reference to it I saw somewhere. I remember the note alluded to a marriage of convenience trope, which I tend to like, featuring a couple in different social stations, and I was intrigued.

The marquess of Huntercombe is fifty and after the death of his children, he needs a new heir. However, he isn't too keen on marrying a young woman just out of her debut season, and when he stumbles upon lady Emma Lacy with her two young children at a bookstore, he is smitten. Learning of her circumstances and of her past should be enough to stop his ideas of marrying her, even though she is certainly able to give him what he seeks with a marriage, but the more he gets to know her, the more certain he is of her character. He plans for a proper courting but suddenly the threat to her children compels him to marry her more quickly than he imagined... will they be able to put aside the reasons for marrying so that they can give love a chance?

I was seduced by the idea of an unlikely pair finding love when the connection between them should be as convenient as they claim. I tend to like these stories because the fun is in seeing the couple finding ways to be an united front and in learning that the other person is perfect for them. This being an traditional historical means we wouldn't have a lot of obvious passionate scenes but I still had hopes for these two.

At first, I was quite taken by the story and the first meet they have at the bookstore was charming and promising. The kids were also cute and it felt as if the story would be more on the cozy and tender side and I was again pleased enough by the author's writing, especially since this is not the first book I try by her. I started to have this idea in my head of how things would be but then, almost instantaneous it seemed, a lot of new situations happened and the little things I was finding sweet turned out to become annoying.

As soon as it becomes established that Hunt and Emma find each other appealing and that a marriage between them would be successful, it seemed as if all kinds of problems started happening. Emma's husband died and he was the younger son of a duke, and she married him after leaving another groom at the altar,m thus ruining her reputation anyway. She, from what we learn, had not had any proper relationship with her husband's family nor her own. She is now impoverished and having trouble to take care of her two children. Marrying Hunt should be as good a deal for her as it was for him, but both sides of her children's family now show up to cause problems.

I mean, these situations are certainly realistic for the type of story being developed but everything that kept happening, one thing after the other, was incredibly distracting and took away focus from the main romance. The things I thought would be interesting, such as them having to get to know one another, learn about who they would be as part of a married couple, adjusting to such status, dealing with others in a social context, all this was secondary to the dramas caused by the role Emma's children now seemed to have for their father's side of the family.

I don't have any particular opinion on young children in romance novels, often people like to say they seem like props or that they are included just for plot reasons, not really having a pertinent presence, but here, I will confess, I got annoyed with them. Well, mostly the girl who acted like a.. well, child! I know I'm sounding unfair but how much importance they had in the story got on my nerves to the point I wanted to put them aside and then this also affected the main characters' actions. I got annoyed the the main couple and the fact some secondary people were not likable annoyed me as well.

Things got to a point I was reading just to go through the motions of finishing because I had lot interest in the main characters' romance and developing relationship. Hunt and Emma were, by now, boring characters and while I felt glad to assume they would get their HEA, I was no longer that invested in them. Yes, all the dramas around them started being "solved" but then a new issue comes up, related to secondary characters - whom I assumed would have their own book, but I have not investigated if the author wrote about them - and their story ends with a lot of stuff going on, but the main characters' romance remained dull. I mean, why would these two matter now?

As often happens, there are elements I'd change in this story to suit my preferences but in the big scheme of things I cannot say this is a bad story. It meets the basic needs, I'd say, but it wasn't compelling nor as vibrant as i imagined it would be, considering the promising beginning.

Grade: 5/10

Patricia Briggs - Winter Lost

In the supernatural realms, there are creatures who belong to winter. I am not one of them. But like the coyote I can become at will, I am adaptable.
My name is Mercy Thompson Hauptman, and my mate, Adam, is the werewolf who leads the Columbia Basin Pack, the pack charged with keeping the people who live and work in the Tri-Cities of Washington State safe. It's a hard job, and it doesn't leave much room for side quests. Which is why when I needed to travel to Montana to help my brother, I intended to go by myself.
But I'm not alone anymore.
Together, Adam and I find ourselves trapped with strangers in a lodge in the heart of the wilderness, in the teeth of a storm of legendary power, only to discover my brother's issues are a tiny part of a problem much bigger than we could have imagined. Arcane and ancient magics are at work that could, unless we are very careful, bring about the end of the world . . .

Comment: This is installment #14 in the Mercy Thompson series by author Patricia Briggs, a series I have been following for years.

In this story Mercy and Adam are going to see about a frost giant so that they can try to help her brother Gary, who has showed up without being able to talk or see those around him, as if a spell has been put on him. They learn it might have been something to do with a wedding which will take place somewhere and an artifact that was likely stolen from the frost giant. At the same time, Mercy is still dealing with the aftermath of what the soul taker did to her and there is still the worry of the vampire Bonarata, with the constant threats aimed their way... is there any solution for Mercy's problems or by traveling north she and Adam are only going to collect some more?

Although this is a well structured story, it cannot be recommended that a new reader starts with this one to enjoy the world building the author so cleverly imagined. Yes, it can work as a standalone from the plot's POV, but there are so many little things and references throughout that doing so would make this a very frustrating read. Still, this is book #14 and it can be quite the investment to start with the first one but it is so, so worth it.

If I think about authors whose stories still work out for me 100%, in terms of writing I mean - of course some books will always be better than others in big series - Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews come to mind. Both have a specific type of "voice" and their work always sounds solid to me. This series and the Alpha and Omega one by mrs Briggs are wonderfully complex and nuanced and I have enjoyed all the books because the world building is solid and the characters are layered and always fascinating.

That said, in regards to this installment, perhaps it is true that some repetition seems to happen and having Adam and Mercy mostly secluded at an isolated place with a completely new set of characters for the sole purpose of this plot, feels like an easy way out of dealing with many ongoing issues, but thankfully there is one major problem which is dealt with here and I'm quite glad for that. It was also a good way to see Adam and Mercy together without the physical presence of the pack and how that would affect them or not.

As for the frost giant's situation and the plot around it... I'll be very honest, some things were very confusing. Even when we had the explanation for this and that detail, some things just felt exaggerated, in the sense that why couldn't an easier solution be found? Plus, it felt as if the need for magical/mystical threads was higher than the need for an obvious plot. The link between some of the characters was kept secretive in ways I'd say were not always logical, but it all goes to the magical foundation of this world. I get it that magic is everywhere for these characters but sometimes it does feel a bit too much.

When we do learn about the characters and their roles in this big scheme, I'll have to say some were quite incredible, no doubt about it. I'd never imagine such a thing but the author has a lot of imagination, that's for sure. Other things were a little confusing, and seemed contrived, but the characters' personalities and their role in this world and in how they interact with others was made to seem special,as always. It's as if there is always some kind of detail, information about everyone that just keeps on making them all seem unique. I'm here to see their interactions and to learn more about them all. I just hope some of the main characters will remain untouchable until the end.

Adam and Mercy remain a devoted mated couple and this has to be my favorite part of the novels. Under so much stress and complications, they are still a loving couple and I hope this never changes. It has been so great to see this happen and, once more, they are an united pair. I suppose that I'd have enjoyed the book for this alone, but while some things weren't as thrilling as they were in other installments, I'm just glad nothing terrible happened to them here, so... that's it.

Grade: 7/10

Emma Grey - The Last Love Note

You may never stop loving the one you lost. But you can still find love again.

Kate is a bit of a mess. Two years after losing her young husband Cameron, she’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad at her university fundraising job, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor.
Lurching from one comedic crisis to the next, she also navigates an overbearing mom and a Tinder-obsessed best friend who's determined to matchmake Kate with her hot new neighbor.
When an in-flight problem leaves Kate and her boss, Hugh, stranded for a weekend on the east coast of Australia, she finally has a chance, away from her son, to really process her grief and see what’s right in front of her. Can she let go of the love of her life and risk her heart a second time?
When it becomes clear that Hugh is hiding a secret, Kate turns to the trail of scribbled notes she once used to hold her life together. The first note captured her heart. Will the last note set it free?

Comment: I had this book in the pile for the past two years and I can't remember why, but it probably had something to do with it being about a widow possibly falling in love again.

Kate's husband died young of a disease that usually affects older people and she and her young son Charlie are still processing. She has counted on her best friend Darcy and boss Hugh, who have supported her in all her worst moments but she knows she needs to move on a little, at least to set up the example for her son. When a work travel goes slightly wrong, Kate and Hugh need to spend some time at a resort and this is the perfect opportunity for them to talk about some of the things they dealt with together while Kate has been mourning and, perhaps, for them to admit what they really feel about one another. Still, Hugh has a secret he doesn't want to share with Kate regarding her husband last days, but this close proximity surely will make it difficult to ignore her need to know, or will he remain silent? What about their relationship in the future?

Books on mourning are not my most desired read, that is true, and I wanted to read this one mostly for the idea of moving on and Kate falling in love with someone else, but I really should have paid attention to the "grief" label because the book is really about it and how to think of it. Yes, Kate moves on close to the end, but I just could not see it as being something accomplished, considering the ratio of pages dedicated to mourning and to moving on.

Kate's husband died and the whole thing happened in very specific circumstances, which made everything feel even worse. Kate now has a young child who misses his dad, who will not know him as he should, but she tries to give him good memories, even though the process has been devastating for her as well. This seems even worse to deal with, emotionally, since they were happy and didn't see it coming. The author also included a note at the end, sharing her personal story, and this did help me to appreciate the book a little more than I would without it.

The thing is, while the subject is heartbreaking, there is a lot of focus on the process and not as much on the healing. I would not have minded this, if the book had been a woman's fiction novel, but it is hinted at that the main character will have a new romance, and this led me to think of some expectations... which didn't really happen as I imagined, because the majority of the story is about the mourning and flashbacks to how things were in the past. I just didn't see the balance of including anew romance because if felt like an afterthought and not a really organic romantic development.

For the most part, I was sad for Kate and her son, but also sad for Hugh, the love interest, because he seemed to be a good guy, someone who went beyond what he should, professionally, in order to help Kate, and the way this story played out, I just couldn't avoid the thought he felt like second best. I cannot speak of it, of course I have not lived through such an experience, but for a novel including a romance, this was a failure to me, and I didn't feel convinced Kate and Hugh were "destined".

I also felt a little disappointed with Kate's character or, perhaps to be more specific, with the author's writing style in characterizing her. Kate was just OTT in how she was portrayed to be sweet and amazing but clumsy and all over the place. It felt as if I could not breathe properly while reading about her and her thoughts and actions, she was always doing something that required all focus on her and while I understand she is the main character, this tired me a bit. There were times I actually did dread reading about what she would do next.

Perhaps I'm being unfair, but this method of having Kate in center stage, and her POV in first person narration certainly did not help me with this feeling. Then, this also made it look as if the secondary characters were truly only that or worse, that their presence was almost superfluous and their actions redundant. I often felt that Hugh was too good to be true and his constant actions doing everything for her all the time were more imagination than real character drive.

The title alludes to love notes Kate's husband left her. Sadly, this element only had some importance at the end, when the secrets are being revealed. I think the author could have written this element better into the plot or, perhaps, written the story differently. To me, having this story in third person would change everything considerably, and this notes element might have been perceived better that way.

All things considered, there were interesting situations depicted, I did like the fact the character's emotions weren't "edited" let's say, but the combination of all the situations included made for a story which felt unbalanced to me...

Grade: 5/10

Mary Balogh - Someone to Care

Two years after the death of the Earl of Riverdale, his family has overcome the shame of being stripped of their titles and fortune—except for his onetime countess, Viola. With her children grown and herself no longer part of the social whirl of the ton, she is uncertain where to look for happiness—until quite by accident her path crosses once again with that of the Marquess of Dorchester, Marcel Lamarr.
Marcel Lamarr has been a notorious womanizer since the death of his wife nearly twenty years earlier. Viola caught his eye when she herself was a young mother, but she evaded his seduction at the time. A prize that eluded him before, she is all the more irresistible to him now although he is surprised to discover that she is as eager now for the excitement he offers as he is himself.
When the two defy convention and run away together, they discover that the ties of respectability are not so easily severed, and pleasure can ensnare you when you least expect it.

Comment: This is the 4th installment in the Westcott series by Mary Balogh, following a family and those related to them, after it was discovered the earl of Riverdale had been married to two women at the same time, making one of his marriages illegal. This is the story of Viola, the wife who really wasn't.

Viola Kingsley is mostly angry at her illegal marriage because of her children who became illegitimate, but she is willing to forget as best as she can, especially as she is attending the christening of her grandson. However, sometimes she feels she needs to run away and suddenly she does so, which places her at an inn and in the presence of Marcel Lamar,a man from her past. There was a time they could have been lovers but Viola refused, for she was married. Now they are both widowed and the spark is still there, which is why Viola impulsively agrees with him in spending sometime together, but the messages she sends to her family never arrive. When their families finally reach them, what else is to be done but marrying? Are they willing to bet on each other after all these years? 

I consider myself a fan of this author. I have not read all her books and to be honest I might not, since some don't seem to appeal much to me, but her more recent series have been mostly positive and in general I have loved all the books. Of course, in any lengthy series, some installments are better than others or some appeal more than others to each reader. I have been enjoying this series despite this or that element I'd change and I did like this fourth Westcott book too, but it is true that it didn't charm me as much as others have.

I liked the idea of the series and I like Viola as a character. She existed with the knowledge of her marriage, her social status, her place in society and the fact this was all legally wrong was quite the shock and affected her way of dealing with others. Still, it wasn't her fault even though social stigma isn't something people can fully control, she was still trying to be polite and do what was right. Thankfully, the Westcott family is a loving one and they never stopped caring for her.

I was quite interested, then, in reading about her and what she would do next, which is why the chance of a quick romance with a man from her past seemed interesting, even if it meant acting a little bit out of character. Running away for a while with a man doesn't seem proper behavior but Viola didn't have to answer to anyone, really, and at 40 she is certainly her own person. Marcel, the love interest, seemed a bit hard to read, being described as a seducer but acting aloof... but I trust the author so I was looking for to see how their romance would go from momentarily to an HEA, for surely this would happen.

Well, the overall plot had plenty of misadventures and romcom situations but I confess I struggled to like Marcel and Viola together. I felt their romance was almost staged-looking, and I didn't really see the things that brought them together working out as well as they were meant to. For this contributed the fact they both have a past that affected them emotionally, and while Viola's issues are more public (and the reader has knowledge of it since book #1), Marcel's is more devastating in a way, but also very frustrating to read about, something that ended up being a bit annoying to me.

With this I mean it was annoying to read about the things he went trough and how seemingly unaffected those around him seemed to have been. Considering the terrible things he saw and how much he still suffers because of what he perceived to have happened, his distance from his family feels exaggerated. Surely someone would have helped.. but no, and this means his behavior is directly a result of what he went though. I liked him at the same time I wish he had done things differently.

Thus, we have two people marked by mistakes and wrong ideas about themselves trying to act as if it's not a big deal they are taking a few days for an affair. The romance didn't seem very strong to me, because it seemed most of what they were dealing with was still stuck in the past and the scenes with people in the present felt like a task and not something they truly wanted to live with. I can't explain it but from deciding on a quick affair to everlasting love there wasn't enough obvious progression.

I also struggled with the vibe of this novel. Since the main characters had complicated issues in their past, which still affect them now, to deal with and to process, the mood around them was rather sad. For me this means reading about them wasn't very captivating, even though I understand what led them to the point in their lives. But, unlike most of this author's books I have read - and all have some kind of angsty situation - reading about their path to happiness wasn't heartwarming nor hopeful. Things end in an HEA for them, but I wasn't truly fascinated by them as a couple.

Bearing everything in mind, this was still likable and very much in par with what the author has done in her series, but this one didn't fully win me over. I hope the next one is better.. although it has an age gap in which the heroine is older... let's see...

Grade: 6/10

Annabeth Albert - Wheels Up

Lieutenant Dustin Strauss is a reformed man. No longer a twentysomething hell-raiser, he's his SEAL team's new XO-and a man with a secret. Or seven. He's kept his bisexual identity under wraps for years, along with his kinky side and a fondness for the military-themed semianonymous hookup website Joe4Joe. His latest chat buddy is more than a sexy online distraction-they're taking their very not-safe-for-work relationship into real time.
Petty Officer Wes Lowe has a smart mouth, a take-charge attitude and an uncanny ability for making things go boom. The life of an enlisted man isn't always enough to satisfy him, but one wild, no-questions-asked weekend with his online love comes close. When a transfer order comes in, Wes feels ready and centered. He'll make a good impression on his new SEAL team and keep his growing feelings for Dustin on the down low.
But as they log more time online and some very real emotions surface, Dustin and Wes struggle to pretend they're just a harmless fling. And when his commander introduces Dustin to his team's newest member, they're in for the shock of a lifetime…and a crushing disappointment: their difference in ranks means even a friendship without sexual contact could end their navy careers for good.
With their hearts on the line, Dustin and Wes may not survive their next mission, let alone find a way toward a future together.

Comment: This is the fourth installment in the Out of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert. There are several novellas in between all the full length books, but I will probably skip them.

In this book, Dustin is a lieutenant who has seen most of his close friends pair up and become happy with someone, while he remains single. He has registered at an app made for military men and he has struck an online friendship with some benefits with someone and now that person wants to meet in person. He meets Wes at a museum and they have as much chemistry in real life as they do online and a night together seems to be perfection. However, they soon realize they have a huge problem because what they thought would be a simple hook up that might lead into something stronger becomes a night mare when they find each other face to face at work, as Wes is arriving to become part of Dustin's team, meaning they can't ever be a couple as they were dreaming of... is there any hope for them?

I liked this story way better than the last one because it has more interesting dynamics. I do like this "forbidden" romance vibe and I feel the author did it quite well, portraying the difficulties, both legal and emotional, of wanting to be with someone who isn't suitable. I'd still change a few details for my personal taste, but this story felt way more convincing than what I imagined.

The fact the two men are part of the same team is a huge factor and sexual orientation apart, it's understandable why people who work together in such an environment aren't suitable for it, considering all the aspects, the legal and the emotional but also everything related to HR and hierarchies. I don't know much about military rules (apart from what I've seen in movies and books) but I can understand the legalities of such things. There are jobs/settings where this would not matter, but here I see why it does.

Thus, Dustin and Wes are placed at a terrible position, of wanting to develop a connection which one doesn't find easily with anyone else but which would cause them problems at several levels. Still, the emotional connection is there and although they try to avoid it, ignore it, it isn't that simple to just turn off feelings and emotions, especially after months of getting to know one another online and after a real life encounter. I think the author did a good job giving evidence of how much of a struggle this was for them, at the same time things weren't easy to avoid and they did give in to their feelings at times, even for something as simple as accepting a phone call.

Of course this gets more poignant because we know how they feel about each other before they acknowledge it verbally. I think the dynamics of the romance were captivating to see because it wasn't superficial and they had to work for things to work out. While they work together and try to do the right thing, there's always this notion of how perfect the other person is and I did like how we got to get this impression as the story developed.

I think an element that contributed for this was the fact Dustin had not shared he is bisexual and he felt he let time drag to do so and now it would feel odd to say something, but his feelings for Wes aren't something he can/wants to ignore. I think his emotional journey into personal acceptance and identity was well done and I "suffered" along him while he had his inner debates. What I wasn't as fond of was the light D/s vibe he and Wes have. I could totally do without this and yes, it's unfair but that's on my personal preference;I dislike stories with this content.

Wes was as complex, in a way, as Dustin, more so because he is enlisted and his sister has heart issues and everything at the same time messes up with his head. However, he knows Dustin is the perfect person for him and to also have to pretend it isn't so only adds up to his emotional state. Again, I think their interactions and conversations on why they should or not be together were quite on point, and when a decision is made, which can affect their possible future, I was eager to see what would happen.

Obviously, this story has an HEA and I think it was credible enough in regards to their military status and how their relationship could be seen by others or better, perceived by others. I would say the end was logical and allowed them to reach for the things they wanted. I also liked the scenes where Dustin finally shares this part of himself with his family. All in all, a much stronger emotional story to consider and now I hope the next one is similar, emotionally I mean.

Grade: 8/10

Bradley P. Beaulieu - Twelve Kings in Sharakhai

Sharakhai, the great city of the desert, center of commerce and culture, has been ruled from time immemorial by twelve kings -- cruel, ruthless, powerful, and immortal. With their army of Silver Spears, their elite company of Blade Maidens and their holy defenders, the terrifying asirim, the Kings uphold their positions as undisputed, invincible lords of the desert. There is no hope of freedom for any under their rule.
Or so it seems, until Çeda, a brave young woman from the west end slums, defies the Kings' laws by going outside on the holy night of Beht Zha'ir. What she learns that night sets her on a path that winds through both the terrible truths of the Kings' mysterious history and the hidden riddles of her own heritage. Together, these secrets could finally break the iron grip of the Kings' power...if the nigh-omnipotent Kings don't find her first.

Comment: In 2015 I've added this book to my TBR. It has been languishing there all this time and now that I have finally decided to give it a try, I find out I'm not in the mood nor did I feel interested after all...

In this fantasy world, the city of Sharakhai is being governed by twelve kings who are known for their cruelty and personal army of "maiden blades". The heroine Ceda, a young woman whose identity of a talented fighter is still a mystery, wants to get revenge on the kings for it's because of them that her mother is dead. Things don't seem to be likely for her to succeed in defeating the kings but one day, something happens that opens up the possibility, but will Ceda be ready to act? Or will the road be too difficult and the price to pay until then to high for her?

Looking back, I have no recollection of why I've added this to my list, but it probably had something to do with the idea of a heroine defeating powerful men and finding friends and love on the way. I mean, I don't read much fantasy nowadays for the sake of it, I know most my reads in the genre now have to include some kind of romantic sub plot, but if there was another reason, another element that caught my eye in 2015 which I can't remember now, who knows.

I confess I didn't start with much eagerness but sometimes this happens to me when it comes to books in other genres I like more, so I had hopes that as I went along, I might find reasons to keep my interest but that didn't happen. I'm also ashamed to say I have only lasted for 70 pages before telling myself that I didn't want to read more. The setting and the overall environment around Sharakhai seemed incredible and I would have read more for that alone, but the characters didn't convince me.

Ceda seemed to be a very competent heroine but in the short 70 pages I've read - I understand the unfairness of this poor average, if the book has, like, 500 or something - she did a few things i think were ridiculous, and a few which seemed pointless. I can only imagine that the point is for her to learn, to "grow up" or become more mature as life and her goals drive her, but I kept thinking I didn't want to wait to find out. This short amount of pages didn't grab me, so... dnf it is.

After making my decision, as I always do after finishing a book (or not, as happened here), I've glimpsed at other readers' comments and some reviews to have a better understanding of the book's content and plot. I think that reading these other ideas is enough to give me a sense of closure of this book and I feel happy enough to simply have that knowledge. Therefore, sadly, this is for me. As always, other readers had a completely different experience and loved it. It is what it is.

Grade: DNF

Irina Shapiro - Murder at Traitor's Gate

The chill of winter has descended on London. But for Sebastian Bell and Gemma Tate, there will be little cheer this season…
Gemma Tate has a new job and a new address. She is putting her past – her memories of nursing in the Crimean war – behind her. Until Jacob Harrow, a journalist with ties to Crimea, is found brutally killed, and Gemma is pulled into the investigation.
Police inspector Sebastian Bell works alone. But when all signs point towards a dark secret Harrow brought back from the war, he realizes he needs Gemma’s help to untangle the mystery. But raking up the past has devastating consequences when Gemma’s friend, another nurse from Crimea, is found murdered in her boarding house…
As dark betrayals come tumbling out, Gemma and Sebastian are on a dangerous race to uncover the truth. In her determination to solve the case, could one rash act by Gemma place her next in the killer’s sights…?

Comment: This is the second installment in the Tate and Bell mystery series by author Irina Shapiro. My buddy read friend and I have read and enjoyed the first story last year and we decided to keep up with the series, thus why we got to this one now.

Police detective Sebastian Bell is called for another case, this time related to a man found hanged, and it was definitely not a suicide. As he investigates the victim he realizes it's a reporter not liked by many, and more so he was blackmailing several people. He also learns he has a connection to a nurse who is familiar to Gemma and he asks her questions to learn more about possible motivations. Then, the nurse is also killed and it does seem everything is more complex than what they imagined. Will Gemma and Sebastian find the culprit before someone else dies too?

The vibe of this story feels quite moody and slightly more bleak than what I remember the first book being. To add contrast, I think the author has established an interesting connection between the main characters and the work they do, which provides character development and a look into their personalities, making them people we like and root for and I certainly hope things between them become more intense, romantically speaking.

The plot of this book is very similar to what happened in the previous one, and I assume this is how all the books will carry on. There is a crime, the police investigates and somehow nurse Gemma will assist in discovering something or helping with something specific. In regards to this case, there were parts I felt a little sad over the situation, since the blackmailing guy was taking advantage of others and these others were not bad people nor were they, for the most part, causing problems or harm, but they were still being exploited. This means the murdered individuals weren't "good" people and it was not difficult to think their fate was deserved.

Of course, this also means someone killed these people and that is where things become more complex. The actual killer shouldn't have done it, obviously, but I can't say the motif was wrong. In fact, the reason why the murders happened was sad and related to an unfair situation, an impossible one actually, if we bear in mind this is an historical setting. I still wish the reasons would have been different because I feel sorry for the killer while still morally condemning his actions.

I still think the author could have added more personality to all the characters... there were times I think some emotions and reactions could have been depicted better. Thinking about the main couple, perhaps not really since I assume we will see them interacting with one another and with other characters in the books that will follow, but some of the secondary characters in this book felt they could have shown more emotional range, namely the killer and two other people connected to the victims. 

Sebastian and Gemma are a good team and I think the story would gain a lot of they were to have a more solid partnership. I want to believe this will be so, especially if I think about how the book ends and the conversation they had, but I also hope the author won't "invent" unnecessary drama and chooses, instead, to give them common ground to achieve happiness and strength in one another. Let's see, my friend and I will keep up with this series for the next months.

Grade: 7/10

Mini - Comments

Here is another summarized post... I suppose I could write more about each of the books but, to be honest, there isn't that much I feel like writing, so a small post it is.

These two books are each part of a different series, which I had started before. They have in common the fact they were written by Spanish authors and are set somewhere in Spain, but the content and style are quite different.

I got both at the library, just as I had gotten the others in the series I had read previously.

The Legacy of the Bones by Dolores Redondo is the second installment in the Baztan trilogy. The plot of this story begins a few months after the end of the first book and follows most of the threads we had followed there. Now, some deaths are happening in very similar ways, which means the killer must be the same and it seems whoever it is, has a specific goal in mind, namely provoking detective Amaia. However, when she finally realizes what is behind the whole thing, those she cares about are already in danger... 
I liked this book, it has interesting scenes and a captivating enough development, and I think the web between the crimes, the victims, the culprit was quite engaging, even though there were times I was a little confused on how they went from point A to point B. I would say that I got this impression because there are way too many details to think of and lots of apparently random situations taking center stage. I'm specifically thinking about the huge amount of details related to all the characters, which are interesting, no doubt. But it's also a little distracting because.. will these details have any relevance in the end, will the information be pertinent for us to have closure on why this was shared? I hope so, otherwise it will be very frustrating. I'm still curious so I will certainly read the last installment to find out.
Grade: 7/10

A Nina is the Portuguese translation of this third installment in the Elena Blanco series by author Carmen Mola. One could translate into English as "the child" I suppose. The plot of this book annoyed me to no end, let me tell you. It is focused on Chesca, a secondary character from the books, who is kind of kidnapped at the beginning of the book and from then on things get weird and annoying and her police friends try their best to find and rescue her. 
I won't go into spoilers but I will say that it felt as if the authors decided to go all the way in into bizarre and shock factor. I kept wondering in my head if they sit down somewhere and just randomly gave ideas on how to shock the reader the most and then agreed on this plot, probably collecting other similarly distressing ideas for the next books. Sadly, I quickly lost interest and actually skipped a few paragraphs here and there. I thought about not finishing but admit I was curious to see how things would end. Well, it wasn't in any way that gave my any hope for what might come next, and this means I won't read the next books.
Grade: 3/10

Nicky James - Symphony of Salvation

Music teacher Niles Edwidge gets the shock of his life when Maestro Augustus Castellanos, a world-renowned musician and composer, shows up at Timber Creek Academy. Not only has the maestro been asked to guest teach alongside Niles, but he’s brought his prodigy daughter and enrolled her as a student.
Niles has been waiting for the day the academy decided to replace him. His educational background falls short of the school’s usual demands, but a revered maestro? It doesn’t make sense. Why would such a prominent figure want to teach high school music?
Fearing for his job and envious of the other man’s career, Niles doesn’t give the maestro a warm welcome, but their feud doesn’t last when Niles learns the respectable musician is struggling with a mountain of problems and would prefer to be anywhere but Timber Creek.
As the truth about August’s troubled life surfaces, so too does a secret he has carried for decades. As a self-proclaimed repressed bisexual, August rarely allows himself the freedom to explore his sexuality, but an undeniable attraction to Timber Creek’s music teacher threatens to test his resolve. He can’t afford to fall for Niles. He has a life and responsibilities outside Timber Creek.
The minute his obligations are fulfilled, he’s out the door.
Unless he finds a reason to stay…

Comment: Last year I had read another book by this author, of which this one is the sequel. Well, it is a sequential story but with different protagonists. I was quite taken by a secondary character in that first book and that was mainly why I felt interest in reading the story where he would be the protagonist, thus why I've picked up this book now.

Niles Edwidge is a music teacher at a private school and he enjoys his work,as well as the quiet life he has but it is true he sometimes feels lonely, especially since his best friend happens to also be his ex and he is now happy with someone else. Although over this and still very much glad he still has a friend who understands him, he can't help but feel the snub of knowing he is the only teacher who doesn't have a PhD. He knows he is a good teacher but past regrets still affect him, which is why he feels even worse when a renowned maestro comes to the school with his prodigious daughter in two, so that she can enroll at a school for the first time after life changing surgeries following a cancer battle. Niles thinks Augusts is there to show everyone how Niles is lacking, and when they first meet that is the impression he gets, but... could it be that they have way more in common besides the love for music?

This book confirmed the overall impression I had of this author's style, meaning that it offers a lot of angst and inner reflections, which I tend to like, but the "outside" world around the characters kind of drags and the tension and the pining don't seem to be enough to sustain the less vibrant sections. Basically, I like many things but there are times where the story feels a little boring.

Perhaps the issue for me is the pace. I do like it that the author takes time to set up things, establish situations, emotions and such, but there does seem to exist a certain distance between what is going on and how the characters deal with things. I know this sounds contradictory, after all a slow burn or a stronger relationship development takes time to be seen as solid, but I kind of wish Niles and August had been more demonstrative of what they were thinking sooner. The sexual tension between them was too slow.

The plot is simple, the two man have to adjust to a new situation while dealing with personal feelings and notions of what they see as their weaknesses, and August also has the detail of having to help his daughter, with whom he has a complicated relationship. Regarding this, I think the evolution of things went as well as it could, and when the story is almost over, it was nice to see he and his daughter were getting along better and that she felt he would be there for her.

The romance was a little too slow like I said, but it did have interesting moments, especially since August wasn't immediately certain about pursuing something with Niles at first. It was sweet how he was more and more into it the longer they knew each other. The HEA is also cute and preceded of a romantic and public declaration and I've finished the novel believing that their relationship would be a solid one, considering the steps taken by them so that they could be together.

The falling in love process wasn't as impressive for me, though. I think the self doubts and the negative aspects of their personalities were given way more focus than the actual romance, or the sexual tension and it made for an angsty, yes, but also slightly annoying path. There were times where some things felt repetitive and I wanted a bit more passion from them. I mean, they are in their 40s, so obviously they are mature adults, but I wouldn't have minded some more obvious letting go of their emotions.

My favorite part was the music content. I don't play music, have no knowledge of it, but I loved the references to pieces, to the process of studying and improving the skills while playing an instrument and how to play classical music. I could understand Niles' feelings of inadequacy, of inferiority when it came to not play as he once dreamed he could, but I still loved how competent he was, especially when compared to so many people out there (like me) who has no ability in this field whatsoever.

All in all, this was a pleasant story to read, with the usual elements I tend to like but there was still something missing, stopping me from having appreciated it more. There were some dynamics and situations which felt poor choices, namely related to the relationships between August and his daughter, or between them and his daughter's mother... but in the end, I was happy enough with the way this went.

Grade: 7/10

Jaclyn Goldis - The Chateau

A dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and lies in this “twisty, well-paced murder mystery that never fully lets go” (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author).
Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and her three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation?
Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered.
In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more.
As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine—and is now stalking them—the friends begin to suspect each other. Because the chateau houses many secrets…several worth killing for in this “mesmerizing story of betrayal and revenge” (Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot ).

Comment: I was given this book this past Christmas. Before that, it had not been on my radar but the blurb seemed to promise an intriguing plot...

Four friends are invited to spend time at the French chateau which belongs to the grandmother of one of them. While studying in the university, the friends were able to spend time there and now, already in their 40s, they are back to reconnect. The owner, Seraphine, also has a specific task she wants to achieve but wants to offer a good holiday tot he girls...the question is, why now? As for them, each one has a personal reason to have accepted the invitation but Seraphine's secrecy makes everyone a little nervous... is there something that no one should know? What will happen if certain secrets are told...?

I was pretty excited to read this novel, mostly because the blurb implied secrets and a suspense type of plot development. I was curious to know what each main character would be hiding and why the invitation to stay at the chateau had happened at this specific moment. Since I had no previous experience reading the author's work, I didn't have expectations either but to be honest, I wan't overly impressed by the story telling.

In the beginning, things seemed to be interesting, the chateau's setting incredible as well as the descriptions of the geographical details (I would not mind visiting Avignon) but I was quickly disappointed over the first person narrator choice. The story is told alternatively by the four friends, and even Seraphine in two or three chapters, which does help with the interpretation of their personalities and "voices", but while this should work to add suspense and disbelief if we feel we can sympathize with them individually, such method didn't work out for me because I felt all of them were rather bland.

Perhaps third person would have helped the reader to get similar reactions to the plot without the distraction of needing to "connect" with the characters, and the more reveals we had, the less interested in them I became. Darcy, Victoria, Arabelle and Jade all had something special to commend them and their character's evolution but as a group I was not that interested in their lives nor in their secrets.

There are a few other secondary characters which provide necessary interactions but those also felt forgettable to me. To make things worse, as each main character started sharing stuff about their lives, they became boring and I confess I've skipped a few paragraphs here and there. Then, rather quickly, Seraphine is killed and I imagined this would accelerate things and make the plot more vibrant if everyone had to deal with this and the police investigation which would certainly follow. Sadly, this element seemed to happen in very unassuming ways, so I lost interest in the police work.

At this point, a big secret comes to life and I was surprised, that is true, but at the same time I started wondering why would this matter if not for shock factor? It turns out it does cause a bigger consequence than what seemed, but it till didn't "save" the story altogether for me. While this happens, and most characters deal with the discovery, we get to know more details about the women's past and their reasons to have accepted the invitation and some things were, unfortunately to me, quite boring. I don't think the exposure of these things was done in a captivating way. Probably something to do, again, with the writing style.

Closer to the end, all big secrets are shared and we finally understand the real links between all characters and why they were kind of brought together in the chateau but since I didn't find any particular interest in their life stories, I was reading mostly for the need to know motivations. When we learn who Seraphine's killer was and why, it did feel as if the author wanted this big shock again, and some details about the whole thing were more intriguing than I imagined, I'll say that.

I think this story would have worked out better if it had focused more on one thing or the other, or the mystery or the drama of the characters' lives, but the combination of so many narrators with such similar voices made for a mostly boring read. I liked several details yes, but my final appreciation of the book was mainly satisfaction I had finished.

Grade: 5/10