Secrets of a Playboy by Janice Maynard


Secrets of a Playboy by Janice Maynard
The Men of Stone River Book 3
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Has this bad-boy bachelor met his match?

In business and pleasure, he needs his nemesis!

To catch the spy in his family business, Zachary Stone needs a first-rate security specialist. But the new hire is none other than Frances Wickersham, the girl who challenged a younger Zach at every turn. She’s always pushed him. This time around, the long-legged beauty is challenging his playboy ways. Now that they are all grown-up, can they ignore their undeniable chemistry?

Challenges, challenges. Ah, such is love.

I’m a sucker for a good romance with a set of enemies to lovers or friends to lovers. This one fit the bill. First, it’s written by Janice Maynard, so I know it’s solid. The story plugs along at a good clip and the characters are fun. Second, there’s the writing. It’s crisp. Third, the romance is wonderful.

I wouldn’t classify this story so much as an enemies to lovers story as much as a friends to lovers version. Zach never really hated Frannie and neither really went out of their way to make the other miserable. They were so competitive, which was refreshing. They were equals and I liked it. Plus, they have great chemistry. They worked well in and out of the bedroom–which is important.

If you’re looking for a fun romance that’s great for a chilly night, then this might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, Narrator Marin Ireland


Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, Narrator Marin Ireland
Publisher: HarperAudio
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Family Fang, a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with a remarkable ability.

Lillian and Madison were unlikely roommates and yet inseparable friends at their elite boarding school. But then Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly in the wake of a scandal and they’ve barely spoken since. Until now, when Lillian gets a letter from Madison pleading for her help.

Madison’s twin stepkids are moving in with her family and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there’s a catch: the twins spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a startling but beautiful way. Lillian is convinced Madison is pulling her leg, but it’s the truth.

Thinking of her dead-end life at home, the life that has consistently disappointed her, Lillian figures she has nothing to lose. Over the course of one humid, demanding summer, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other—and stay cool—while also staying out of the way of Madison’s buttoned-up politician husband. Surprised by her own ingenuity yet unused to the intense feelings of protectiveness she feels for them, Lillian ultimately begins to accept that she needs these strange children as much as they need her—urgently and fiercely. Couldn’t this be the start of the amazing life she’d always hoped for?

With white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written his best book yet—a most unusual story of parental love.

Ever since she took the fall for her friend back in high school, Lillian’s life has gone nowhere. Stuck living with her mother and working dead-end jobs, she’s in a rut she can’t find her way out of. Worse yet, the friend she’d protected has gone on to a life of luxury as the wife of a particularly important politician. When Madison contacts her out of the blue, Lillian thinks it’s a joke. She’s prepared for failure again, but she’s not prepared for what she actually gets.

Our narrator, Lillian, is a potty-mouthed take-no-prisoners sort of gal and I loved her tough, ‘bring it on’ attitude. Even though she wasn’t excited about this job, she embraced it and promised to do her best to see it through. Watching her come to not just like the twins, but love being with them, was amazing. Probably the best characters in the book though were the twins. They knew they were weird, they knew that they’d not had a good life, but they kept on moving forward every chance they got. The way the author handled the twins’ spontaneous combustion was great, too. He made it seem like all kids burst into flames the second they got agitated and I stopped thinking it was weird after the first couple times. I think that the way Lillian downplayed the spectacle helped a lot in that regard.

The version I picked up was the audiobook and the narrator nailed it. She has this smooth, soothing voice that lulls you into a comfortable place. She tricks you into thinking that there really is nothing to see here, despite the fact she’s talking about two ten-year-olds currently burning – literally – with rage. The deadpan and mellow way that the narrator delivered such crazy scenarios really made the experience for me.

Everything about this book drew me in. From the crazy cover with a cartoon child in flames to the idea of kids that spontaneously combusted, it was right up my alley. I’d gone in expecting a humorous look at parenting and left with what was not just one of the funniest books I’d read all year, but one of the most heartwarming as well. Lillian’s transformation from ‘I’m just here because I’m getting paid’ to honestly, earnestly wanting to help these kids, made my motherly heart ache in the best way possible.

Narco-Submarine Cartel’s Silent Service by Charles R Darner, Jr.


Narco-Submarine Cartel’s Silent Service by Charles R Darner, Jr.
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Jarratt Summer is busily working and planning for his upcoming wedding to Sarah. An unexpected phone call propels him into the world of narcotics smuggling. Jarrett is asked to find a specific type of boat for a new and different type of smuggling operation into the US. Unknown to Jarratt, not only does the Tamaulipas Cartel have grand plans, but the cartel’s new smuggling partner has plans of their own for the US population. Weaponized narcotics are being transported into the US. An outbreak is sure to be deadly, but it is a race against time to locate and stop these tainted narcotics from reaching the US.

Recently, I just wasn’t feeling the desire to read. Narco-Submarine, Cartel’s Silent Service was just the book I needed to get back into the groove. It only took the first few pages for the plot to grip my attention. Once I started reading this well-written book, I was unable to put it down.

This novel was an across-the-board entertaining read. The plot consisted of a steady pace that took this reader on an adventure that left me riveted to my seat until the end. There were two specific scenes where I expected a dramatic plot twist yet there wasn’t one. That in itself was a startling turn of events and it made the story unpredictable. At one point I was expecting the worst case scenario and my stress was high. You have no idea of the vast wave of relief I felt when it didn’t occur. Since reviews are a matter of opinion, someone else might be disappointed with that writing style but I wasn’t. I experienced plenty of anxiety provoking plot lines throughout the story to make up for it.

This book is actually Charles R Darner, Jr.’s second book. The main characters are the same in both books, however, each can be read as a standalone. I was pleased with the addition of the new cast members. The author provided just enough character development to keep the story going without me getting lost or confused.

My husband often says to get my head out of my books, that they aren’t real. I know they are make-believe but sometimes I have to wonder, how real could it be? How many times has fiction turned into fact? I have a new perspective when I see a Coast Guard helicopter fly over the beach.

I enjoyed reading Narco-Submarine, Cartel’s Silent Service and look forward to the next installment in this series. I’m interested in finding out how Sarah and Jarratt met. I recommend this book to other readers that like action/adventure. It sure kept me turning the pages.

The Trash Collector: A Short Story by Monica Shaughnessy


The Trash Collector: A Short Story by Monica Shaughnessy
Publisher: Jumping Jackalope Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Lavender

When objects begin to disappear from porches, Lydia Strichter suspects the neighborhood hoarder, Dale Kreplick. He’s a strange man with an even stranger habit of digging through people’s trash. But when she sets out to prove the “Trash Collector” is behind these thefts, she discovers more than the culprit. She discovers some things can’t easily be discarded. A heart-warming story of tolerance, grief, and the persistence of memory.

This contemporary short story may not be strictly a mystery, but there is something mysterious going on. A nosy neighborhood lady, Lydia, immediately jumps to conclusions and accuses a young man of stealing things that have gone missing around the area.

Dale is not like others around town and so makes an easy scapegoat. Could he really be the one taking things from his neighbors, or is there something more to all this? Lydia holds a meeting, determined to catch Dale in the act.

The writer has composed characters that are easy to either dislike or sympathize with. Dialogue fills out this characterization as do just enough physical details to allow readers to see the scene.

When the neighbors “catch” Dale with some missing things, there is a surprising twist to the story. Themes of tolerance versus intolerance, dealing with loss, and remembering important times underlie the story. Lessons are to be learned, mainly, not to be too quick to judge those who are different from ourselves.

The Blueberry Swirl Waltz by Maria Imbalzano


The Blueberry Swirl Waltz by Maria Imbalzano
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short story (118 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

After a family crisis, Katie Hathaway must return home to help out in the family’s ice cream shop. She leaves behind her dream job of teaching ballroom dance to spend her summer scooping ice cream and mixing milkshakes.

Chaz Hollander, Katie’s high school crush, has also returned to town to work in his family’s business. After Katie treats him to a blueberry swirl sundae, he invites her to the town’s upcoming dance. The only problem is he has two left feet.

When Katie starts giving Chaz dance lessons, their chemistry ignites, and the postponement of her dream doesn’t seem as ominous. But financial woes and a suspicious business deal cast a shadow on their budding relationship.

Katie was ecstatic when all her hard work paid off and she was given a job at the dance studio. Excited to share the news with her family, she rushes home only to find out that her mother has broken her arm and Katie is needed to help run their ice cream shop during their busiest month – and so she needs to put her own dreams and ambitions on hold for a while longer. When she finds her old high school crush, Chaz has moved back home also, Katie is pleased but cautious when they reconnect.

I enjoyed the older style of this story. While the plotline was fairly simple and straight forward Katie’s character was interesting and I found myself quite drawn to her and the hard decision she made to help her family. There is a very strong cast of secondary characters that I felt really helped boost the story – with Katie’s mother and two sisters, as well as the hunky Chaz. The romance was slow and quite sweet with just a few steamy kisses – as I feel anyone should expect from a romance story set back in the 1950s. I enjoyed the small-town feel of the whole story, how the community knew each other and gossip spread around like wild-fire.

The scenes of Katie teaching Chaz to dance was sweet and really helped sell me on how well the two characters meshed together. It also helped show me – without any sexual intimacy – how they had chemistry and how the attraction wasn’t just one-sided on Katie’s behalf. I felt the author did an amazing job of showing (not telling) the romance and this really helped me love the story more. I also liked how there were multiple aspects to the plot – Katie helping out her mother and sisters and the drama with the ice cream shop was an excellent counterpart I felt to the romance blossoming between Katie and Chaz.

A strong and character-centric story, this was a great read and one I can easily recommend. With vibrant characters, a few good, strong plotlines and a lovely slow moving romance this story is one I feel sure will appeal to many readers.


Lord Sayer’s Ghost by Cindy Holbrook


Lord Sayer’s Ghost by Cindy Holbrook
Publisher: Zebra Books
Genre: Historical, Romance, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Is he a ghost?

Outraged screams echoed through Shadow Hall, and Prudence was ready to kill…Lord Sayer. If he weren’t dead already, that is. His mischievous antics made help impossible to keep. Prudence wished the seductive spirit would simply take one step beyond…and stay there!

…A rake?

But no insouciant ghost was going to drive Prudence from this castle. Sayer’s will declared that any relative able to inhabit it for one year would inherit his estate. Prudence was only a distant relative to be sure, but she simply had nowhere else to go.

…Or a man to love?

Except into the arms of…Lord Sayer! The very-much-alive nobleman was just pretending to have passed on so he could unmask his would-be murderer. Now he had just stolen a kiss—and requested Prudence to host a séance. Dare she trust this rogue who was far from what he seemed? Could a spirited scoundrel properly woo her? Perhaps—with a little faith, a lot of love, and maybe some help…from the other side.

A ghost who happens to be very real and quite the rake? That’s Lord Sayer.

Historical romances can be hit or miss for me. I don’t know the history enough to know if the details are correct and I’d rather have the story take me away. I’d never read anything by Cindy Holbrok, so when I saw this book and there was a cat on the cover, I had to pick it up. I was intrigued by the premise. He’s pretending to be dead in order to prove someone wanted to murder him. Okay, I can go along with that. Prudence, who is sort of family, is the only one who can figure out if he’s truly been almost murdered.

I had to admit, this one was a tad slow in spots. I put it down and had a hard time coming back to it. I guess it’s because it seemed to drag. I wasn’t as caught up in the characters as I might have liked. It’s nearly four hundred pages.

Prudence could be a bit of a prude, but I rather liked her lack of experience and her getting flustered when she ended up in compromising situations. It was cute. Lord Sayer…I’m still not sure how I feel about his character. I liked that he wanted to find the person who wanted to murder him. He had money and the family didn’t like how he spent it. But he tended to get extreme with his strolls at midnight and his mood swings were a little much for me. I also had a hard time with the way the cat was treated. He isn’t hurt, but it just wasn’t my thing.

That said, there is some amusing romance in this book and the mystery was different. I didn’t figure it out until revealed at the end, so there’s that.

If you want a historical romance that’s got some mystery and a super slow burn, then this might be the one for you.

The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan


The Fast and the Furriest by Sofie Ryan
Second Chance Cat Mystery, Book 5
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Sarah Grayson and her trusty companion, Elvis, race to tail the right suspects in the fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Second Chance Cat Mysteries.

Sarah Grayson owns Second Chance, a shop that sells lovingly refurbished items, in the charming town of North Harbor, Maine. But she couldn’t run the store without the help of her right-hand man, Mac–or her dashing rescue cat, Elvis.

Mac’s life before North Harbor has always been a little bit mysterious, but it becomes a lot more intriguing when a woman from his past shows up in town, and then turns up dead. Suspicion falls on Mac, but Sarah–and Elvis–know he can’t be the killer, and they hope they can prove his innocence quick as a whisker.

A cat who can tell when you’re lying, a woman who solves mysteries and a teensy bit of romance…I’m in!

I’ve said before that I’m a sucker for cat mysteries. This one was exactly what I wanted. I hadn’t read anything by Sofie Ryan before this book. I’m glad I’ve rectified that choice. Ryan’s story is tight, the writing flows well and I was sucked right in. I wanted to know what would happen with these characters. I liked Mac, even if he was the one being looked at for murder. I liked Sarah, too. There’s certainly chemistry between Sarah and Mac, so I wanted to know where that would go.

I liked Elvis most of all. He’s a black cat with an uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying. I love that. Cats can be so touchy with certain things people do and I liked this detail in the story. Plus, he’s cute!

I didn’t figure out the mystery until it was revealed at the end and I’m glad. I liked being taken on the ride through the story.

If you’re interested in a cute mystery with a touch of romance and cat, then this is a book to check out.

June Book of the Month Poll ~ Binding Circumstance by Kelley Griffin


Binding Circumstance by Kelley Griffin
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Romance, Suspense/Mystery
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Alstroemeria

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

To save the life of the man she loves, she’ll have to risk her own.

Costume designer, Leslie Carroll has mastered the art of flying under the radar. She’s had to, or risk being found by the psychopath who almost killed her.

When she literally falls into Hollywood heartthrob Charlie Erickson’s dressing room on her first day of employment, their mutual attraction is instant and undeniable. Despite his star status, Charlie is a sweet southern boy at heart, and for the first time in a long time, Leslie begins to think she has a chance at happiness.

When her harrowing past catches up to her and targets Charlie, will she run to save herself, or face her monster to save the man who is her future?

READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE!

The Company of Cats by Marian Babson


The Company of Cats by Marian Babson
Publisher: Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

A millionaire’s cat may be the key to a murder mystery in this delightful novel from an Agatha Award–winning author.

When Annabel Hinchby-Smythe accepts an offer to serve as interior decorator to computer mogul Arthur Arbuthnot, she can’t help noticing that no one in the house seems to genuinely like the tycoon—aside from his cat, Sally.

After Arthur’s sudden death—and the revelation that Sally is named sole inheritor in his will—Annabel’s new task will be finding out the truth about her client’s demise, and keeping the furry heiress safe from harm.

A man with money, his cat and a mystery. What can go wrong? Murder.

I’m a sucker for a book with cats. I saw this one had a gray tabby and I knew I wanted to read it. Marian Babson is a new to me author, so I wasn’t sure what I was in for with this book. It was certainly a ride.

The writing flowed well for the most part. Every so often, it’d get clunky, but it wasn’t enough to deter me. I wanted to know what would happen next and got emotionally involved with the characters. I wanted to know what would happen to Sally (Arthur’s cat), Sylvester (the imposter being pushed as Sally) and Sassy (yet another imposter). I mean, people went hunting for cats to try say they have Sally so they get the inheritance. It was nuts. But it roped me in. I didn’t want to see the cats get hurt.

I wasn’t wild about Annabel, the gossip hunter/faux interior designer/amateur detective. She seemed to drink an awful lot during the story and a lot while she was on the job. I don’t know. It just turned me off a bit as a reader.

That said, this was a cute read and the cats were adorable. I loved Sassy and her…er… sass. She was adorable.

If you’re wanting a mystery that takes a little bit to get into, but is worth the read, then this might be the one for you.

A Week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr.


A Week at Surfside Beach by Pierce Koslosky Jr.
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Inspirational
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Thousands of families and individuals are attracted to the South Carolina coast each year, renting houses up and down the beach throughout the seasons. They bring their lives with them when they come to this magical place. In A Week at Surfside Beach, author Pierce Koslosky Jr. has crafted sixteen poignant short stories that paint a vivid portrait of the beach’s diverse, temporary inhabitants: those people attracted to a landscape both beautiful and overwhelming in its ability to force introspection and change. Set over the course of a single rental season that ends at Christmas, the book’s unrelated characters all have their stays in the blue beach house, yet each story has a distinct message at its core. Readers will follow people in every stage of life—from a six-year-old entering the imaginary world of crabs to an escapee from a retirement home—and witness their varied individual experiences. These are stories of hope and redemption, connection and detachment, and lessons taught and learned. Both original and contemplative, heartbreaking and inspirational, A Week at Surfside Beach brings together a collection of tales with seemingly ordinary, simple, and familiar details—yet underneath their calm, relatable surfaces exist the uncomfortable, extraordinary complexities of life.

A week at the beach can be far more than a simple summer getaway.

In “June 6–June 13: The Inflatable Dragon,” an elderly man named John booked a week at the beach house in order to get away from his adult children who were trying to force him to move into a nursing home. While he was there, he met someone who needed exactly what he had to offer. They were two people who on the surface seemed to have nothing in common but who turned out to understand each other much more deeply than they would have guessed. I was pretty pleased by the process of them developing their friendship and discussing their problems.

There were some cases in which I wish the characters had stronger resolutions to their conflicts. Obviously, not everything can be solved in the few short days to a week that the audience has with each protagonist, but I do wish more had been done with three-year-old Lucy’s disappearance in “June 27–July 4: Lucy.” She was able to wander off because her parents were having an argument about something they’d fought about many times before. There was so much more room here for character development, from the parents’ stubbornness to a much deeper exploration of what happened to this little girl and why the police reacted the way that they did to the conclusion to the case.

Dan and his family watched at home in horror as a hurricane threatened to destroy the beach house they’d been visiting every summer for many years in “September 26—October 3: As Seen from a Safe Place.” Seeing them revisit old, happy memories about their previous trips there only made me more curious to see if their vacation spot would survive the storm and if their family could gather together there again. I felt invested in them and couldn’t stop hoping they’d have a happy ending.

A Week at Surfside Beach was a lovely summer read for anyone looking for something lighthearted.