TBR Challenge: Rosanne Bittner- Sioux Splendor

Learning that an innocent Native American boy is to hang at the hands of vengeful miners, preacher's daughter Cynthia Wells sets out on the rescue and is amazed when the imprisoned Red Wolf turns out to be a handsome, full-grown man.

Comment: One more month has gone and here we are for another TBR Challenge post! The theme for March is "tropetastic!" and I suppose pretty much any choice would fit somehow, but I've decided to pick a book that would have a trope  - opposites attract - and a certain expectation to it, since it would feature protagonists from different cultures, a Native American and a white woman.

In this book, Cynthia Wells is a young 16 year old who is traveling with her parents and younger brother to the west, where things aren't as "civilized" as back East for her father is a preacher. Everything is a novelty here including the fact there are Indians around and they seem to be dangerous but this doesn't stop her from freeing one, Red Wolf, after seeing how he is treated and tortured. This action has consequences, which change her life and some time later she is kidnapped by other Indians and is taken to Red Wolf, someone very different from what others have said he was. They fall in love and learn to be a couple but the whites would not care that she is now happy and their lives among the Indian community are still in danger. Is there any hope for them to be together?

There will be some spoilers!

Well. This is my first book by the author, and I've gotten the paperback edition from an used books site, some years ago, when I was feeling in the mood for some stories featuring Native American characters. Years have passed, of course, but I thought this might be a good time to try this one, even though it is a book which was published in 1990 and surely this would mean situations/plot choices I'd feel annoyed at, but nothing like trying.

It wasn't great, no, for those reasons exactly. I wasn't as bothered by the racist and xenophobic allusions throughout the novel because I expected those, considering the fact this is an historical and that there's a note on the author's bio at the back claiming she is known for her historical accuracy. What I feel angry at is that, in spite of this, the text (and the characters at times) come across as insensitive, which might be correct for the time the story takes place (late 1800s) and the way of things when this was written (certainly late 80s for this to be published in 1990). Still, I kind of wanted the author to place herself above this, and to showcase compassion, and a little more empathy in how she would write.

Anyway, the plot is pretty much simple, Cynthia and Red Wolf meet when she helps him, there's attraction there but both think they will never see each other again, until she is kidnapped. It turns out that the man kidnapping her isn't the villain she assumes and she reunites with Red Wolf. Her way of seeing things and lifestyle does contrast immensely with what she now needs to do around the other Natives and their families but Cynthia is one of those heroines who adapts easily and their life gets on track.

They fall in love and the many things that should keep them apart don't really matter. Cynthia is ready to be Red Wolf's wife and at this point I felt the romance was more than done but then, we were half way through the book, certainly problems would appear yet... and they do. I think the author's writing style wasn't bad and there were passages/situations in which things were presented in a way that gave me food for thought. The dated aspects of the writing style and the inherent issues related to how one would write about these themes back them were glaring but until a certain point not truly abhorrent. I was not enjoying this exactly, but it wasn't distasteful either.

Then, there's a plot change and Cynthia is taken from Red Wolf after a terrible attack of the whites on the settlement where Cynthia and the others were living. This led to her going back to her family and to need to re adapt to living among "her kind" once more, for her family forces her to go back East, but this time she had another issue to deal with, for she is pregnant and her child will clearly not be like her. I did like that, in this part of the novel, Cynthia seemed to have gained self assurance in who she was and in her feelings, she never renegaded Red Wolf, she loved her child and she proudly assumed him among others.

Years go by and then the story was going towards its end, so now Cynthia is older, more mature and all that and she assumes Red Wolf forgot her so she decides to marry so that she can try to have more children and "move on". At this point, I was certainly rooting for this heroine and when she marries a seemingly good man, running for some political thing, I thought how would the author deal with this, an incredibly dramatic scene in which she sees Red Wolf and her husband martyrs himself so that she can live her eternal love in happiness? Well, the author disappointed me here, very, very badly. Things don't work out between Cynthia and her husband because they don't have a good sex life.

Years in which they are both miserable and why? Well, her husband is actually gay and of course this would not have been easy to accept  and much less to process. But I was still so, so disappointed that Cynthia reacts poorly when she finds out, that the husband is made to seem to "battle a demon" and that when they talk, she is disgusted while keeping his secret at the same time, as if this is the epitome of a good heart! Arghh! How this annoyed me... I mean, I understand the dual setting for this story, the historical content and the 1990 publishing date but.... so, so disappointing.

Anyway, Red Wolf comes back to the picture, they find each other again and get their HEA while the poor husband gives her a divorce which she graciously accepts to be known was caused by her adultery, then he becomes an afterthought and all ends well. There wasn't that much content about Native American culture, only the necessary references here and there, and most things weren't that far out, but... I still finished the book feeling like this was terribly unfair. I was leaning towards a 3 stars grade overall, but the last part really brought it down for me. Oh well.

Grade: 4/10

Lish McBride - A Little Too Familiar

Louise Matthews has got it good. Wonderful job? Check. Loving family? The best. Roommates? Pretty fantastic, thank you. All of this helps her stay focused on what she wants: to finish out her apprenticeship and become a fully licensed Switch - an animal mage who bonds familiars to their witches.
Only a problem has just moved in - a hot, occasionally wolf-shaped problem.
Declan Mackenzie doesn't want to be a lone wolf, but he doesn't have a choice. Girlfriend? Gone. Sister? Starting a new life. Parents? In prison where they belong, thankfully. All he wants is a fresh start - a new home, new job, new life. What he gets is a house full of witches, a fledgling phoenixe named Dammit, and rogue ferrets who won't stay out of his business. And he could handle all of that if it wasn't for Louise. It's not great to crush on your roommate, it's even worse when you realize she wields the kind of magic that sends you running for the door.
Still, Declan is no pup, and he's not going to let this set him back.
Until the past comes back to haunt him - the parents he put in jail have busted out. They want revenge.
And the only thing standing between them and Declan is Louise and the very magic he vowed never to go near again.

Comment: I saw some positive comments on this book and thought it would be something I'd want to try myself, and here we are.

Lou is an animal mage and one of her favorite tasks to do at her job at a vet clinic, is to pair up a person with their familiar animal. She also has a great family and friends and her life is going quite well, even though she is still working for to get her professional licence. In the meantime, her roommates and her decide to welcome one more person into the apartment they all share, since Trick's friend Declan is in need of a place to stay but things go very wrong when Declan, a werewolf who has a traumatic past, arrives and is immediately shocked to find out Lou is an animal mage. They still try to be friends and things seem to go well for a while, but then Declan's past comes back to haunt him and the result is something shocking. Will Declan and Lou be able to deal with the mess they're now in while also being attracted to one another?

I was quite taken by the idea of this romance novel. two people who should not get along, both having to deal with issues from their past, close proximity, magic and a werewolf character, possible mating on the horizon... all things that, well combined, would surely present a great result. However, I ended up thinking this story was a little more boring than what I imagined.

I should say this is the first story I try by this author, and I had no idea about what the writing style would be like. This doesn't have to (always) be a deal breaker, but in this case, while the writing was consistent and easy to follow, it also was focused on the quirkiness of the characters. It was too much for me, I'd say, and instead of allowing me to savor the cute elements, it saturated my patience.

All the things I've mentioned above worked out as individual elements but the overall result wasn't one I will remember very fondly. I was quite curious about Lou's ability as an animal mage and this lead her to establish a connection with werewolf Declan but the emphasis was way more on the magical repercussions than on their bond as a couple who would fall in love. Plus, Declan being a werewolf didn't manifest in the most traditional ways we see in PNR books. This wasn't so bad, but paired up with the other things I liked less made the story feel even more boring.

Declan and Lou both have personal issues to deal with, but Declan's past and trauma are way more severe. I was, again, curious to see this developing, but there were too many secondary issues to distract my attention and after a while I stopped caring. I wanted more scenes with him bonding with others - for me, there weren't enough references of pack dynamics - and even with Lou, but his focus was on too many things as well. Which is understandable once we learn what he went through but... the conjunction of all the elements didn't really mesh for me.

The romance wasn't too bad but in this perhaps the writing could have helped. The author could have stressed certain things differently, namely how the attraction is seen by them. I think the way this was told, it was all about the magic and the people they interacted with, but everyone seemed to be over the top. There were too many people all the time and all had quirks and little things unique to them and all these things had to be mentioned and shown and it all got boring and slightly repetitive. The romance simply lost traction for me and not even the sexy times between them made it better.

I did like the world building and the idea there could be a society in which people had powers, had special abilities and being unique didn't have to be negative. I liked the imagination taken to think about how things might work in such a world and I liked learning something new as the plot advanced. I liked the paranormal aspects and I liked some hints at other possible stories. Sadly, I don't feel that interested now in reading more because I'm assuming the style will be similar. I think a repetition of this story's style will simply disappoint, so... this was interesting but that is it.

Grade: 6/10

David Lagercrantz - The Girl Who Lived Twice

Lisbeth Salander--the fierce, unstoppable girl with the dragon tattoo--has disappeared. She's sold her apartment in Stockholm. She's gone silent electronically. She's told no one where she is. And no one is aware that at long last she's got her primal enemy, her twin sister, Camilla, squarely in her sights.
Mikael Blomkvist is trying to reach Lisbeth. He needs her help unraveling the identity of a man who lived and died on the streets in Stockholm--a man who does not exist in any official records and whose garbled last words hinted at possible damaging knowledge of people in the highest echelons of government and industry. In his pocket was a crumpled piece of paper with Blomkvist's phone number on it.
Once again, Salander and Blomkvist will come to each other's aid, moving in tandem toward the truths they each seek. In the end, it will be Blomkvist--in a moment of unimaginable self-sacrifice--who will make it possible for Lisbeth to face the most important battle of her life, and, finally, to put her past to rest.

Comment: This is the 6th installment in the Millenium series, started by the late Stieg Larsson, and continued by David Lagercrantz.

In this novel, Lisbeth is finally ready to set up things and confront Kira, the sister who she once shared everything with, including their despair, but who has been her enemy for years. It will not be easy to end this thing between them, but she will try, if she can... at the same time, Mikael embarks on a new investigation, regarding a few people in important places, as usual, with the extra of the existence of a homeless man who seems to have some knowledge over a terrible secret involving them. This man used to be a guide on the Everest, and everyone knows of the case of the Swedes who died there some years ago... but that was an accident, everyone said... However, somehow, Mikael also sees himself in the middle of Lisbeth's plans for her sister. Is there any hope they come out of this alive? 

The last book in the series I had read was in 2019. I only remember the basics, and the overall impression because Lisbeth and Mikael are characters who stay with us, so impressive is their presence. While reading, many things came to mind again, that is true, but I did feel a little lost here and there.

This book was planned, I assume (even due to the publicity around this book's release) to be the last one in the series and, indeed, it was the last one written by David Lagercrantz. Therefore, there are situations that seem to lead to a sort of finite path for the characters, but at the same time the story ended in such a way that it would not be impossible to return to these characters and it seems this was the publisher's decision, and a new author picked up the series after this book. 

Thus, the plot of this story, pertaining the main characters, seems pretty basic. Lisbeth needs to confront her sister, the source of so many problems for her in the past books, and Mikael returns to his investigation while still worrying for Lisbeth. Their friendship and care for one another don't follow the usual patterns but so many adventures together have brought them together as friends and "partners in crime so to speak, and I must say that one of my favorite parts of these books has always been how they connect. Part of me wishes they could have become a couple but, frankly, that isn't something I miss that much.

I wasn't too fond of Lisbeth's sub plot here, to be honest. I know there's a lot of investment in what she feels she needs to do, but I would sometimes get a little annoyed at these sections because they obviously had to include Kira's presence and actions and the whole sub world stuff and mafia like behaviors and deals just pulls me out of a story for they are themes I don't care about. The sisters do have a final showdown, and it is certainly hollywoodesque but I struggled to follow the emotional impact of what was happening and why it mattered to Lisbeth.

I was much more interested in Mikael's investigation of what had happened during the Everest expedition and how he connected the dots between the homeless man and the reason for why there was such a big secret over everything. It turns out that the explanation isn't as shocking as one might assume... I mean, yes, something terrible happened there but the motivation wasn't a big novelty. I also think there were too many characters in this whole plot, and then some would mix up with what was going on with Lisbeth, and sometimes I felt rather confused.

In fact, the writing made several situations seem confusing. I think the back and forth between what was happening with one character, and then the other made for a convoluted book. I also felt a little disappointed that both Lisbeth and Mikael had a lack of personality (to my own perception) when comparing to how they had been portrayed in other books, namely the first three. I think I have said before that David Lagercrantz smoothly continued what Stieg Larsson had started but yes, it is also true that there is a difference in their "voice".

Since a new author has written two more books in the series - I've read somewhere that Stieg Larsson had planned for the Millenium series to have ten books - making them up to eight, could it be that the series will see its end then? Let's see...

Grade: 7/10

Ilona Andrews - Clean Sweep

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

Comment: I had this in the pile since 2013. I really have no explanation other than forgetting about it because I have liked pretty much everything I have read so far by these authors...

In this world, there are aliens and other galaxies out there, being Earth just one more planet, although it is the rule that humans should be aware of this. Dina is an innkeeper, which means she has magical abilities linked to the inn she manages, and her life is pretty mundane, even though she hopes things improve so that her chances of discovering what happened to her parents increase. However, a new werewolf resident has moved to the neighborhood and she is not impressed for three dogs have already been killed and this werewolf, obviously territorial, has done nothing to stop this. When Dina takes action, she realizes the problem is much more complicated than what she imagined and now, besides having to deal with the werewolf, there also vampires showing up and causing her worry...

Will Dina be able to re establish her routines?

This story wasn't very big, since it was originally planned to be a serial, but I just flew through the pages, as often happens with the books by these authors. There is just something about how this couple writes and thinks about the plots that makes them so captivating and engaging... I had a good time reading, even though it is clearly a work in progress, and there are more stories after this one to continue the series.

The world building is, as always, fascinating, and while the ideas and the "beings" that populate this universe aren't that different from countless other stories out there (meaning, the identification of what we consider to be a vampire, a werewolf, etc), the authors gave every character and species a twist, a special mark, and it was both fun and interesting to learn about them and the little things that make them who they are. It was again incredible to feel the authors are giving the readers enough to tantalize but not so much that what comes after might loose impact.

The writing is, to me, the best thing about these authors' work. yes, of course it doesn't suit every reader but to me the consistency and the "voice" of the stories feels very balanced. Everything is a mix of adorable and spontaneity that sets on characters we cherish and root for. It's always intriguing to imagine what will be shared next and where the story might lead to. Perhaps this first story wasn't as solid as I have thought other books by the authors to be (in other series, I mean) but it did provide all the usual feelings i came to associate with the skill of Ilona Andrews.

I liked the characters because we were given enough to be curious about them and to want them to succeed, namely Dina and her small group of friends, then possible love interests werewolf Sean and vampire Arland, but the way the plot develops an intrigue that has to be solved while we get to know these characters provided the balance I like in these stories. I want Dina to help the guys but I also want her inn to be successful and for her to know what happened to her parents, something i'm assuming will only be revealed at the end of the series...

I also liked that the inn is described as a character too, in a way, and that Dina's powers are directly related to the inn, as if one and the other are a team. Again, some of these details aren't exactly a novelty, but the way the were used in this context made discovering new things a great surprise.

This was a great introduction to the series. Obviously there are things which feel incomplete or not finished but the following books probably will solve some of these sensations as things advance. I'm certainly going to read them and I see where things are going for these characters.

Grade: 8/10

Karen Dukess - Welcome to Murder Week

When thirty-four-year-old Cath loses her mostly absentee mother, she is ambivalent. With days of quiet, unassuming routine in Buffalo, New York, Cath consciously avoids the impulsive, thrill-seeking lifestyle that her mother once led. But when she’s forced to go through her mother’s things one afternoon, Cath is perplexed to find tickets for an upcoming “murder week” in England’s Peak a whole town has come together to stage a fake murder mystery to attract tourism to their quaint hamlet. Baffled but helplessly intrigued by her mother’s secret purchase, Cath decides to go on the trip herself—and begins a journey she never could have anticipated.
Teaming up with her two cottage-mates, both ardent mystery lovers—Wyatt Green, forty, who works unhappily in his husband’s birding store, and Amity Clark, fifty, a divorced romance writer struggling with her novels—Cath sets about solving the “crime” and begins to unravel shocking truths about her mother along the way. Amidst a fling—or something more—with the handsome local maker of artisanal gin, Cath and her irresistibly charming fellow sleuths will find this week of fake murder may help them face up to a very real crossroads in their own lives.
Witty, wise, and deliciously escapist, Welcome to Murder Week is a fresh, inventive twist on the murder mystery and a touching portrayal of one daughter’s reckoning with her grief, her past—and her own budding sense of adventure.

Comment: The idea of this book seemed interesting, and that is the main reason why I've added it to the TBR list.

In this story we meet Cath, as she discovers that her mother had booked them a week in the UK, so that they could participate in a "murder week experience" and solve a crime, just like detectives do in cozy mystery novels. the problem is that they never had a good relationship, neither had been fan of mysteries and her mother has recently died. Still, the money is nonrefundable and Cath decides to go, especially since it also seemed her mother had to have another reason to travel there, but what could it be, since the experience is to happen at a small village and not in any cosmopolitan location that her mother would have preferred? Along the way, Cath is going to discover several things, but is she ready for that?

I thought this would be a cute story to follow, for it seemed it would have a murder investigation, a sort of of whodunit (which I tend to enjoy) and some romance hints, and I imagined it would be a wonderful reading experience to mix up things I normally like in books. In a way, it was so, but I'm sad to say there were too many elements to consider, and that distracted me.

The story is told only from Cath's POV and I assume that it was this way so that we could "connect" more with her but also for it to be easier to follow the clues without the effort of too many voices and inputs. I assume, perhaps this was meant to give a smoother presentation of what was happening. However, this was lot on me, considering that besides the plot about the murder week, and the romance, and the friendships with the others, Cath is also investigation her mother's reasons to have booked the whole thing. To me, there were too many things and perhaps the story lost some steam due to too many things.

The murder week element was my favorite. Cath and other participants need to investigate a mystery, and the organization included many inhabitants of the village, as if it was a live in theater, and they could interview the "actors" as if in a real detective investigation. It reminded me of those real life enactments of historical/fictional moments we hear about, but at a minimized level. This was fun and I did appreciate how detailed the scenes were, and the effort the author put into make this seem realistic. 

I also liked the many references to books, authors, and literary knowledge which were included, in fact there were so many that I found myself interested in this or that, and was happy to recognize many. What wasn't as well done, but I suppose it couldn't be avoided completely, was the spoilers for two Agatha Christie books, one of which I haven't read yet, for it features miss Marple and I haven't read that series. This aside, all these things somehow liked to the murder week experience and with Cath's development as a character, thus I can still think of everything as something positive.

The romance was, as expected, a little too superficial, considering the need to pay attention to several other details. I liked Dev, the romantic interest, and how he is connected with Cath in a deeper way than what it seems at first. If this were to be a romance novel, or a woman's fiction novel, I bet this element would have been better accomplished. But there it is, I feel it's hard to "label" this book since too many things are happening at the same time.

Cath's relationship with her late mother was never great and now Cath has a chance to learn why and to understand why her mother was the type to not have roots. I think Cath isn't too different from her mother, but learning about her mother and why she wanted to travel to the UK for this experience in this location does help her to get closure on some feelings. Again, this element wasn't a bad one, and it did provide me with interesting food for thought questions, but... along with so many other things, in the end this felt it was explored a little too superficially.

Therefore, all things together, this was a good novel, had good elements which I enjoyed as separate details, but the mix of them all wasn't as wonderful as it could, I think. Still, it was satisfying.

Grade: 6/10

Mary Balogh - Someone to Trust

During a rare white Christmas at Brambledean Court, the widow Elizabeth, Lady Overfield, defies convention by falling in love with a younger man in the latest novel in the Westcott series.
After her husband's passing, Elizabeth Overfield decides that she must enter into another suitable marriage. That, however, is the last thing on her mind when she meets Colin Handrich, Lord Hodges, at the Westcott Christmas house party. She simply enjoys his company as they listen to carolers on Christmas Eve, walk home from church together on Christmas morning, and engage in a spirited snowball fight in the afternoon. Both are surprised when their sled topples them into a snow bank and they end up sharing an unexpected kiss. They know there is no question of any relationship between them for she is nine years older than he.
They return to London the following season, both committed to finding other, more suitable matches. Still they agree to share one waltz at each ball they attend. This innocuous agreement proves to be one that will topple their worlds, as each dance steadily ensnares them in a romance that forces the two to question what they are willing to sacrifice for love...

Comment: This is the 5th installment in the Westcott series by Mary Balogh, which I've been reading lately. This is the story of Colin and Elizabeth, siblings to the protagonists of book #3.

Christmas has been a wonderful time at the house of the new lord of Riverdale and Elizabeth feels it couldn't be better than this, although part of her wouldn't mind to have someone just like others have their spouses. She decides she might as well accept the proposal of someone she is comfortable with, even though she can't deny that her friendship and connection with Colin, lord Hodges, is special indeed. 

Colin is happy to have found his sister again and even more so because she is now part of a family who cherishes her, in a way their own never did. He also feels grateful for the friendship of Elizabeth, and that he has someone he can trust with his worries, but is this trust or a wider emotion he feels? It is true that there is an age difference, but does that really matter? Perhaps, for others like his mother, it does...

As always, I have had a good time reading about characters developed by mrs Balogh, an author whose style is now beyond comforting; I look for these books with the acceptance that they will go a certain way, but there is something about her novels that still drags me in, even though the formula is sometimes rather predictable.

Elizabeth and Colin have become friends since their siblings married and Colin reconnected with Wren. I liked this idea that they could have something in common to start of their relationship, and even more so when they established that they could talk to one another about things they didn't tell others, this was a good way to let us know that the issues between them would not develop into misunderstandings and that who they were to society meant nothing to who they were as individuals.

However, society does play a role in this novel, more so than what it felt like in the previous novels. The issue is that Colin and Elizabeth have different life experiences and are in different moments of their lives, for there is a nine year gap between them, and Elizabeth is the oldest. The author really stresses out how others see the older woman, younger man with a judgmental view and even though nothing is obvious at first, only the implication that it does is enough to change the way they are seen.

In a way, although this is a subject that shouldn't really matter, it was the main topic of why this book had some appeal to me, to be honest. I just found the friendship between them to be so adorable that the idea of them becoming more than friends sounded weird, more so than their age gap. I think this story wasn't much stronger to me because of this, because I liked them as friends more than I do as a couple. I mean, they do complement each other and they have a connection which the author tried to highlight, but in my head she was, yes, more a mentor than an obvious romantic interest for him.

There is also another element here, to change things a little, which is the fact Colin's mother isn't very keen on him marrying an older woman. Lady Hodges was certainly painted as villain in book #3 over her treatment of Wren, and she has the peculiar detail of trying to seem younger than she is, even in her clothes and in her looks. I mean, this attitude is an interesting element to study and I can't be sure that this was "solved" in a very likable manner, even though Colin and Elizabeth went on with their HEA. I think lady Hodges would be a character that could have a deeper study.

Anyway, apart from the external issues they had to deal with, and there are a few more that I have not mentioned, Colin and Elizabeth have to establish themselves as a couple who doesn't care about what others say, as long as they care for one another and that their close family is happy for them. This author isn't very glaring in how the characters demonstrate passion between them but it has been obvious in several. Not so here, and this reinforced my impression that they are better friends. Nevertheless, I'm happy for them and for how they did something they felt mattered.

Grade: 7/10

Annabeth Albert - Squared Away

In the wake of tragedy, SEAL Mark Whitley rushed stateside to act as guardian to his sister’s three young children. But a conflicting will could give custody to someone else—someone Mark remembers as a too young, too hot, wild party boy. Even after six years, Mark can’t shake the memory of his close encounter with Isaiah James, or face up to what it says about his own sexuality.
Isaiah’s totally over the crush that made him proposition Mark all those years ago. In fact, he’s done with crushing on the wrong men altogether. For now, he’s throwing himself into proving he’s the best person to care for his cousin’s kids. But there’s no denying there’s something sexy about a big, tough military man with a baby in his arms.
As the legal details get sorted out, their long-buried attraction resurfaces, leading to intimate evenings after the kids are tucked in. A forever future is within reach for all of them, if only Mark can find the courage he needs to trust Isaiah with his secrets—and his heart.

Comment: This is the 5th full length installment in the Out of Uniform series by Annabeth Albert, following a group of Navy Seals while they deal with life and romance.

In this story, tragedy changes the lives of Isaiah and Mark, when their cousin and sister, a married couple, die in a car crash. Now, conflicting wills make them the guardians of the couple's three children and since Mark had been deployed, Isaiah has been there to take care of the kids. They met at the wedding and it seemed they were on the same page regarding their mutual attraction but Mark refused to admit anything and this left them kind of estranged. There are some family members who would not mind take care of one or two of the kids but not the three, and Isaiah is adamant they will not be separated. Financial issues come to play too, but if Mark and Isaiah could come up with a plan, everything would be easier, but will close proximity be what they needed to finally have a frank conversation?

This story had a very predictable premise but I kind of liked where things went, in terms of the family relationships. Coping with mourning and taking care of three children under five cannot be easy and Isaiah made it seem like love and dedication are half the ingredients one needs to make it work. I think the author addressed some key elements here but, in a way, not as deeply or as complexly as it probably required. Still, this is mostly a romance novel, so...

Mark and Isaiah met at the wedding of Cal and Danielle, the children's parents, and Isaiah felt like there could be something between them but Mark, although only four years older, and being very serious type of person, wasn't ready. Now six years have gone and Mark has been on his Navy Seal missions and so on, and Isaiah has been drifting between several things, even though landscaping gardens and horticulture seem to be the field where he is truly himself. Despite their differences, they now need to be a team, since they were named guardians of the kids, but there are still things left unsolved between them.

Reading this story was engaging because the focus wasn't on them having an insta-relationship. There were several details about themselves and their personal lives that had to be dealt with before anything really serious happened. I liked it that the plot addressed some issues regarding what it means to be guardian of children, how it works (I assume it is the correct process) and what is necessary for approval. I also liked that the way things happened, Mark and Isaiah were the most obvious choices, and not the other, slightly more elderly, family members.

A big part of the story is the adaptation to parenting and how the two guys need to work for the sake of the children's welfare even if that meant to put aside some personal issues. Still, they did talk like grown ups and even dealt with other situations, namely Isaiah's apparent lack of focus and Mark's often unavailability to be present due to work. These things were mentioned and sort of "solved" but considering the certain emotional complexity, for this plot, I feel these things were rushed.

The romantic relationship was cute and the HEA at the end was beyond sweet but their path towards this wasn't as easy as one might imagine. In fact, both of them had way more emotional baggage to deal with than what it seemed and, again, these things were a bit too big and I feel something else could have been done to give us the notion they had dealt with them properly.I feel some of their decisions weren't as strong as it seemed. Besides, the romantic part of them being a couple was also a little superficially presented, in my opinion.

As one can imagine, there are also financial and legal issues being mentioned in all this which give the story a more "serious" vibe, which I don't mind, but it did clash with the romance sometimes and made that part feel like it had less focus. I feel glad the guys worked things out and that they are a family for themselves and for the kids, so that has to count more than other things, but yes, there were situations throughout the novel that weren't as smoothly presented as, perhaps, they should.

Grade: 7/10

Bec McMaster - Kiss of Steel

Honoria Todd has more secrets than most people and she's hiding them in Whitechapel. Blade is the master of the rookeries and agrees to protect her, but at what price?
Most people avoid the dreaded Whitechapel district. For Honoria Todd, it's the last safe haven as she hides from the Blue Blood aristocracy that rules London through power and fear.
Blade rules the rookeries-no one dares cross him. It's been said he faced down the Echelon's army single–handedly, that ever since being infected by the blood–craving he's been quicker, stronger, and almost immortal.
When Honoria shows up at his door, his tenuous control comes close to snapping. She's so...innocent. He doesn't see her backbone of steel-or that she could be the very salvation he's been seeking.

Comment: I had this book in the TBR list since 2015 and due to a recommendation. PNR and UF were genres I gravitated to for a while between 2005 and 2015 (like many other readers I imagine) but not so much nowadays. Still, I do want to try some of the books on the TBR, even though some might not appeals much anymore. This one was, therefore, a positive surprise.

Honoria Todd and her younger siblings are living close the Whitechapel rookeries because they no longer have access to the privileges they did when their father was alive. She tries her best to make ends'meet but things more complicated after each day. Things only get worse when she is finally "summoned" by Blade, the master of the rookeries who has been feared by many, including the blue bloods who rule London, so that she pays him for the protection of her family. Although they agree on a price, the attraction between them is undeniable, but are both of them ready to trust the other? What about all the other issues in their lives which should be the focus of their attention?

This book was recommended by a reader whose taste I shared a decade ago, and that is why I decided to give it a try... well,better late than never. This is a story set in London, where vampires, werewolves and steampunk culture exist, with the same old social distinction and the snobbery between classes. Honoria is the oldest daughter of a scientist who wanted to cure the blood virus, which gives people more power for a while, but degeneration at some point causes vampirism and all the negative aspects that come with it.

It was easy to feel engaged with this world and the characters and I'd say that, for me, the main reason was probably due to the "vibe". Although the world presented has good and bad people, as always, and the characters mostly deal with negative aspects in their lives and have worries, the situations aren't presented in a vicious manner, nor in a hopeless state of things. There is also friendship and caring for others and I think that the feeling of knowing that good things exist in the world helped me wanting to see what would come next for the characters.

The world building is interesting and relatively easy to follow, although the whole dukedom houses and who can be a "good vampire" (my take on those who are infected with the virus but are in control of it) and a "bad one" (one who has been infected for too long, I assume) still feels rather confusing. there are other beings and ways to change people or to enhance them somehow, but I've kind of put those worries aside to simply invest my focus on the characters and on what they were facing.

Honoria is a determined heroine, she wants to protect her siblings although their financial situation is very complicated. She is also worried about her brother, who is infected with the virus and about her work, which depends on her appearing unconcerned about money. Her emotional journey about what she should be controlling or not was interesting for me to see happening, as well as her romance with Blade, even though some details didn't always seem convincing.

Blade is one of those heroes who seems to be a bad guy but who is, in reality, someone who protects those under his care. His character development is, as expected, affected by falling in love and all that comes with it. The romance between them is slow and sets on an emotional bond before anything physical happens, so there is that, follows the positive vibes I got from most of the novel.

The end of the book was a little predictable if one has read many PNR books for instance, but I still liked it that they got their HEA. In regards to plot, several issues were solved while a few things are left up in the air, I imagine to set up the next installments. I did like this book overall, but do I want to read the rest of the series... right now, not really. Who knows...? I had read other books by the author, from a different series and one I liked, the other so-so... thus, food for thought.

Grade: 7/10

Irina Shapiro - Murder at the Foundling Hospital

Nurse Gemma Tate is heartbroken when she hears that one of her young charges at the Foundling Hospital has been killed. She knows that police inspector Sebastian Bell will work tirelessly to uncover the truth, but, obstructed by the curt matron, he’ll need her help navigating the cloistered world of the orphanage.
The mystery thickens when Sebastian finds a small wooden doll clutched in the murdered girl’s hand and Gemma hears whispers of a shadowy romance. But that isn’t the darkest secret hidden behind the high hospital walls. As time runs down on the investigation, Gemma won’t give up. But could the shocking discovery she makes be her last?

Comment: This is the third installment in the Tate and Bell mysteries by Irina Shapiro, a series I'm buddy reading. So far, we have been enjoying these investigations...

In this story, which follows very closely after the events of the previous one, Sebastian and Gemma have agreed that they might become more than friends in the future and they will take some time to get to know each other better. However, that has to wait because the alert comes that a child was found dead at the foundling hospital where Gemma works and she is scared it might be the little girl she has bonded with. It turns out that it wasn't but who would want to murder an innocent and likable child like that, and for what reason? Sebastian knows that it is necessary to avoid scandals if the hospital wants to retain its benefactors but the life of a child has to be as important as anyone else, right? Still,the pursuit of the truth keeps placing roadblocks on his path...

These books have a formula that has been working for me and for my buddy read friend. The main characters find themselves investigating a crime, they combine their personal abilities and take risks while at the same time, we get to see the very slow development of their inner thoughts and feelings. I think the mood of these books leans more towards the bleak than the optimist but I hope that this will keep changing the more comfortable they are with one other.

The case here involves a child who was murdered and it seems there is no logical reason because the girl was sweet and biddable and since she was an orphan there is no monetary motif. Of course, as the clues pile up, we get to realize nothing is a simple as this and the girl did have a secret, although nothing terrible. What develops from this little fact is what made the story captivating. I suppose it is appropriate to say we uncover layer after layer the more little things get known.

For me, the interesting elements in these novels have been mostly two. First, as always when it comes to crime investigation plots, the way the investigators go on following clues is always quite an exercise because in our daily lives how many of us can have time to process stuff like that? To make it even more challenging, this is an historical and the police can't use the contemporary devices/methods we would right now. Obviously, this means some things would not be legal either, and some transitions have to rely on coincidences...

The second element I like is that the protagonists, despite their flaws, are good people, are people who do the right thing even if it includes things we might not agree with but the times in which they are would have required different set of rules to follow. I do like it when main characters aren't perfect but are people we can root for and even cherish, as I feel towards Sebastian and Gemma. I think their efforts combined worked out very well for them to figure out who the killer was.

I also think the author did a good job pacing things in this novel, more so than in the previous one. Some sequence of events seemed to be presented in a smooth way and I liked it that everything had a certain logic and didn't rely only on possibilities. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and for the reason... I mean, it's not this complex plot,no, but it still felt like a nice twist to the usual choices we find in these series of mystery books.

At the end, Gemma has to face some changes in her life, something we will certainly see more of in the next book. I can't say I'm eager to see where things will go, I assume that at some point more definite options will be made, but I'll go back to the "vibe" of this series. the characters live in a society that isn't fair, unlike many other series out there, they aren't part of the wealthy elites, so their circumstances can't be that easy going but... I kind of wished they would have more happiness in their lives and not only the hint of it. Let's see what comes next...

Grade: 7/10

Rebecca Ryan - The Philosophy of Love

What is love? Is it something spiritual or wholly physical? Can our feelings be explained and quantified? Or are we all actually two halves of a whole?
Ask Alice and Luke and you’d receive vastly different answers.
Despite her world having been recently dismantled by a messy break-up, Alice would tell you that love is the most important – albeit ineffable – human experiences. But when she once again crosses paths with her old school nemesis, Luke, he challenges this. Luke is a scientist and he’s certain love can be measured and explained – just like everything else.
So the two decide to make a they’ll each venture back into dating and if one of them falls in love, Alice wins, if not, then Luke does.
But can anyone win when you’re playing with emotions?

Comment: No idea anymore of why this book was in the pile, but now that I have read it, I can imagine it was due to its opposites attract premise...

Alice and Luke won a prize while in high school and it felt their future would be amazing, for Luke in science and for Alice in philosophy. However, things didn't quite work out for Alice and after just one year at uni she left to start working as the administrative assistant to Charles, and later on they started dating. Now, Charles has left her, which includes her job, and she is back to live with her parents but once again fate changes things when she randomly is face to face with Luke, now a teacher and investigator at Durham university. After a weird conversation they agree on a bet: if any of them falls in love and is reciprocated in six months, Alice wins, if not Luke wins, but both have to try. While dealing with potential boyfriends, Alice realizes that Luke is actually a great guy but can she go past her previous issues to believe in a future with  him?

At first, I wasn't too keen on the author's slightly comedy flavor for this book, namely with all the British commentary, and the fact the story is told by Alice makes some things feel rather one sided. Still, as the story moved along, I started to enjoy things and see the funny side of what was being told, although I cannot say I was that impressed with the big picture.

The plot is a little ridiculous but aims for interesting life lessons. I think the author did a good enough job portraying the difficulties and challenges of living up to one's own expectations, often confused with what we want others to think of us. I also liked how philosophy and science facts were used to get the main characters' point across, and I liked the decent effort of making it seem that Luke and Alice were truly falling in love, something that first person narration often fails to accomplish (I'm so-so about it here).

Alice has always liked philosophy and imagined a life about it, but when she got to university, she realized that what made her feel special in high school wasn't that great there. Oh, how I saw myself in this thought, I also thought university would be amazing for me, that I would perfect what had made me stand out in school and... not. There are countless other people "better" than us there and it can be overwhelming to assume one has what is necessary or not. Thus, I could sympathize with Alice from the start but then she sometimes would have such distracting actions, I sometimes feel the author kind of lost track there.

Luke was a goth in school and now he is an almost stoic professional, so his evolution feels a little odd, and since we don't have his POV, there are times I got the feeling he was more an antithesis to Alice and not a really developed character, but since this book has more woman fiction's vibe than romance, I can go with the flow in this. I think their romance was slow and cute enough, especially if I can ignore some stuff from Alice's journey and think about what it must be for Luke.

I did like all the philosophy and science references, the author really put an effort to bring the importance of these subjects for Alive and Luke, and it was sometimes cute how they engaged in funny arguments over their respective passions. I also think this was done in such a way that a reader who has no interest in either, would still find something interesting to think about. I also liked how Alice seemed to "study" the interests of the guys she goes on a date with too.

The plot is basic, we follow Alice on her dates and as she does this, she starts having personal epiphanies on her life choices and about the relationship with Charles, which we always knew but she had to as well, wasn't healthy. I did like how this was presented to Alice, through experiences with guys who have their issues but were respectful of her...although it is fair to say some situations were a bit cliche and not as funny as I assume the author intended.

For a first experience reading a book by this author, this was good enough. I'd try something else by her one day, for Alice and Luke had their HEA and a good part pf their story was cute, yes.

Grade: 7/10

Grace Burrowes - A Gentleman of Dubious Reputation

A matter of matrimony...
Lord Julian Caldicott is summoned to the family seat by his ducal brother, whose bachelorhood is imperiled by the very determined Lady Clarissa Valmond. As the only titled Eligible the hostesses avoid including on their guest lists, Julian has little sympathy for the duke’s situation. He nonetheless agrees to lend a hand, because Clarissa is the last person who should be wearing the Caldicott family tiara.
And mayhem! Matters take a nasty turn when Clarissa’s brother, a talented artist, goes missing shortly before his debut London exhibition. Julian must unravel conflicting motives, dishonest witnesses, confusing evidence, old lies, and the real threats facing the duke if he’s to find the errant viscount before a fate worse than ruin befalls both surviving Caldicott brothers.

Comment: This is the second installment in the lord Julian, whose first book I liked a lot and now I've decided to read the next one.

In this story lord Julian is staying at his brother's ducal estate to help him put some distance from their neighbor Clarissa Valmond, for the seems determined to find ways to snare him. Lord Julian believes this will be easy and he plans on having some rest but everything changes when the lady's brother disappears. This is, indeed, strange, for he is going to have his own art exhibit soon and there is some expectation on how successful it can be, considering his talent. The problem is that the more Julian investigates, the more certain things don't make sense to what has been said...

I was quite happy with the first book and it was no hardship to want to read this one, which turned out to be quite engaging, as I imagined it would be. Lord Julian still has some issues to process and to deal with, but he is now a more self confident person and I liked seeing this side of him in this novel.

I must say that the writing style really works well here, I'd dare to say even better than in the author's romances, which is the genre she seems to write the most. In her romances (well, the ones I have read so far) there is always some detail, some characterization that fails to be fully encompassing to me, even when I like the story, but the focus here on the characters, obviously likable, makes it so much easier to root for them and I truly want Julian to become the man he is and that many don't think he can be.

In fact, my favorite part of this second novel was to see how Julian is working out on his personal relationships, namely with his brother Arthur, the duke. I didn't have a great impression of the duke before but in this book we get to learn more about him and I really liked seeing how the brothers seem to get along and how they are slowly learning tot rust one another. I hope that in future books we get to see their bond develop even further, and not just because until now Julian is named his brother's heir.

These books are not meant to focus on romance but, nevertheless, there are some hints on it. Quite understated, but I hope something will happen and Julian and Hyperia, someone he already feels so comfortable with, might be able to admit their feelings and become a couple. I think it will be a good exercise to watch their romantic journey.

As for the plot, well it does seem as if there isn't much to it, but it turns out there's a lot of subtle clues and situations being discussed each time Julian interviews someone or talks to someone over this and that while looking for Clarissa'a brother. I do like this style of presenting things, this notion that makes it look as if something is not that important or meaningful and then lord Julian connects the dots... it's not like those books where an incredible investigator is more resourceful than others, but almost.

It turns out that the reasons for the disappearance and the behavior of some characters before that happened aren't that complex. It all goes down to human nature and a human need to do things without seeking help or not wanting to "worry" or "burden" others and I think this story ended up presenting an interesting study on human needs. I did like the psychology of certain situations and how people were affected by this or that idea.

I think the story ended quite well, I had a good time being engaged with what the characters were doing and I'm quite eager to keep reading the series.

Grade: 8/10