Gretchen Over the Beach by R.W. Alley

August 18, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Gretchen Over the Beach by R.W. Alley
Publisher: Clarion Books
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

On a breezy summer day, Gretchen and her family head to the ocean. Gretchen wants to swim with her older brothers and sister, but everyone ignores her. When the wind steals her new sun hat, she catches it by its ribbon and is lifted into the sky, far, far above the beach, where a friendly seagull is happy to play. This ode to imagination is one of four small books each featuring a different sibling and season, created by children’s book veteran R. W. Alley.

Who wouldn’t want to enjoy the beach on a nice day?

Gretchen was such a playful and spunky kid. No matter what happened to her, she always kept a positive attitude as she continued to try to enjoy her surroundings. I giggled at some of the solutions she came up with for her problems. She certainly gave her options a lot of thought before she decided how she wanted to respond to the disappointments of the first few scenes.

I didn’t like the way Gretchen’s parent and three older siblings ignored her repeatedly during their relaxing day at the beach. None of them made any effort at all to include her in their plans no matter how often she asked. While I understand the need for family members to spend some time apart doing their own thing, it felt unkind to me to see her brushed aside so many times when she was clearly yearning for positive attention. I would worry a little about it setting the wrong precedent for some families that are already trying to figure out how to include a preschooler in the exciting plans of their older brothers or sisters.

With that being said, I appreciated the emphasis on imaginative play and making your own fun in a tricky situation. Gretchen found so many creative ways to amuse herself with all sorts of ordinary items that can be found on many beaches. Sometimes she stretched the boundaries of what those items are capable of so far that this almost felt like a fairy tale! She had a wonderful imagination that was clearly being used to its full effect.

Gretchen Over the Beach was a thought-provoking read.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,

Forest Baby by Laurie Elmquist

August 17, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Forest Baby by Laurie Elmquist
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

From a carrier, a baby peers out at the trail. Leaves rustle overhead, and a turtle stretches toward the sun. Everything shimmers with light, including the jeweled wings of a dragonfly and the star-shaped lilies. This delightful board book takes the reader on a hike accented by the soft sound of footsteps on the trail and grounded by the rhythmic rocking of mother and baby moving through the forest. Travel along on their serene journey with Laurie Elmquist’s lyrical verse and Shantala Robinson’s warmly painted collages. A beautiful book that will be treasured by anyone who loves the outdoors.

No one is ever too young to appreciate nature.

It was beautiful to experience a forest scene through the perspective of a toddler who was seeing, smelling, touching, and hearing everything for the first time. Small things like maple trees shedding their seeds or a turtle who wandered nearby were enough to cause excitement for this character. Those moments made me smile and wonder what this family might discover next on their nature walk.

I would have preferred to see a little bit of conflict included in the plot. While I understood the gentle approach it took in order to appeal to the youngest age range that can possibly sit and listen to a brief story time, the storyline would have been stronger if the characters had been given some sort of challenge to overcome even if it were a mild one like an approaching thunderstorm. As peaceful as their forest walk was, this was something I’d struggle to read over and over again due to how few things happened in it.

The ending was satisfying. I appreciated the way it wrapped up this particular excursion while also making the audience wonder what this mother and child might see the next time they spent an afternoon in the woods or had some other adventure. It could have easily led to a sequel or simply allowed readers to come up with their own theories about what happened next. I always like it when that happens.

Forest Baby was a sweet and mellow take on what an autumn hike can be like for a young family.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , ,

His Woman by Arabella Sheen

August 16, 2021 By Leave a Comment


His Woman by Arabella Sheen
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Lesley York, a divorced mother of two with a PhD in Fine Art, finds herself falling hard for the charm and charisma of Rafael Capello.

And love? Well, love has nothing to do with it. She’s making no plans for a future with Rafe. And besides, she’s ten years too old for him. What she needs from Rafe is physical fulfilment … in other words, sex, but without the romance or strings attached.

But Rafe wants more from Lesley than a fleeting romance. He thinks she’s sophisticated and stylish, and he’s developed an unexpected passion for one sexy mature lady in particular…

As the University goes into lockdown, can Rafe and Lesley find love amid the crisis of a pandemic?

Lesley might not be the young, naïve dreamer she had been – but that didn’t mean she couldn’t occasionally do something spontaneous. Like take the handsome Rafe up on his offer of a steamy, sexy fling. Since they both worked at the University they often found their early morning swims at the campus pool meant they had the entire complex to themselves. Lesley all too soon finds herself in deep water with Rafe. Are they in this together, can she really become his woman?

I found this to be a delightfully sexy, short read. I was pleased that both Lesley and Rafe were interesting characters and that Lesley in particular was a thoroughly modern and relatable character that I could empathize with. While her painful past and emotional baggage held her back somewhat I was pleased she took a chance on Rafe and that they could indulge together and have some grown up fun.

Readers looking for an intricate plot or a very deep and complex story won’t find that here, but this short story is a steamy and wonderfully quick, fun read. Extremely explicit, I thought this hot romance still managed to covey a strong emotional connection between Lesley and Rafe. Despite her previous relationship pain Lesley was clearly willing to trust Rafe and I felt it was obvious he had good intentions towards her too.

Rafe could easily have been written as an arrogant playboy, cruising through the female population of the university so I was relieved and impressed when it was clear he was focused on Lesley and really wanted to form a relationship with her and commit. I found that refreshing and lovely. The small subplot around Lesley’s ex-husband and children could have been fleshed out a little better to my mind, but I wasn’t overly concerned about that partly due to the short word count, but also since the focus remained on the beginning stages of Lesley and Rafe’s relationship and that made sense for this steamy romance.

With two strong and interesting characters and a brilliant modern outlook this sexy short story was a great, quick read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier

August 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Halloween is coming to Tinker’s Cove, Maine, and local reporter Lucy Stone is covering the annual Giant Pumpkin Fest for the Pennysaver. There’s the pumpkin-boat regatta, the children’s Halloween party, the pumpkin weigh-in…even a contest where home-built catapults hurl pumpkins at an old Dodge! But not everything goes as planned.

Lucy’s getting annoyed that her husband, Bill, and his friend Evan have been working seemingly nonstop on their potentially prize-winning pumpkin catapult. But on the day of the big contest, Evan is nowhere to be found…until a catapulted pumpkin busts open the trunk of the Dodge, revealing a deceased Evan.

Bill’s on the hook for the Halloween homicide, so Lucy’s got some serious sleuthing to do. With each new lead pointing her in a different direction, Lucy learns that if she wants to spook the real killer, she’ll have to step into an old ghost story…

Halloween is coming and so are the pumpkins… They’re killers.

I’ve not read anything by Leslie Meier and I was in the mood to read mysteries so I picked it up. I’m glad I did. This is a new to me take on the cozy mystery. No real pets, but a grandmother taking care of her grandson. It’s cute.

I have a few issues with Lucy. She can be too forthright for her own good and sometimes she rankled me. I get that she’s mama bear about her grandson, but she could be too much and too…grumpy towards others where her grandson was concerned. I really had a hard time with the side story of the grandson going to daycare because the teacher was condescending beyond condescending. It made me not want to keep reading at times. I kept at it though.

The mystery was a tad thin, but I wanted something that I didn’t have to think too hard about. That’s not to say I didn’t like the book or it’s not good. I wanted something fluffy and this fit the bill. If you’re looking for a good afternoon read, then pick this up.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Sycamore Gap by LJ Ross

August 11, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Sycamore Gap by LJ Ross
Publisher: Dark Skies Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

The past never stays buried for long…

Detective Chief Inspector Ryan believes he has put his turbulent history behind him. Then, in the early hours of the summer solstice, the skeleton of a young woman is found inside the Roman Wall at Sycamore Gap. She has lain undiscovered for ten years and it is Ryan’s job to piece together her past.

Enquiry lines cross and merge as Ryan is forced to face his own demons and enter into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who seems unstoppable.

Murder and mystery are peppered with a sprinkling of romance and humour in this fast-paced crime whodunnit set amidst the spectacular scenery of Hadrian’s Wall country in Northumberland.

Life has settled into a comfortable and happy routine for DCI Ryan. He is living with his lady-love, his police work fulfills him and the events from six months ago are finally turning into memories. When an old murder site is discovered in the old Roman wall at Sycamore Gap though, events and connections from the past once more threaten to steal Ryan’s happiness for good.

I really enjoyed this story. For the most part this is an excellent British police procedural story with interesting characters and a slow but well plotted murder mystery. While I feel this book can be read as a stand alone there are a number of factors that link the present mystery plot with items from the first book (Holy Island) and even the events from DCI Ryan’s past that are deeply important to him and the work at large. So while I genuinely feel readers can pick this book up and enjoy it by itself, I also strongly feel a deeper understanding and enjoyment will be gained from having read the first story – and as this is the second in a much longer running series I am beginning to feel it likely is best to read these books in order to gain a full understanding of some of the longer-running plotlines.

That said, this is an excellent and well plotted story. There are a few different factors swirling around – the cult from the Holy Island series that was never fully resolved, the serial murderer who killed DCI Ryan’s sister whom Ryan incarcerated, the relationships between the small police squad and DCI Ryan’s solid but still-new relationship with Anna. Each of these components are exceptionally written and all interlinked together marvelously and I was particularly pleased that in this book I felt Anna and Ryan’s relationship felt far less stilted or forced. I felt the balance in this book was really well handled and even and the book sang because of it.

Readers looking for a fast paced or highly action orientated story probably wont be as satisfied as I was, this book is far more procedure and “discovering who done it” based rather than running around hunting the killer and bad guy. Personally, I wasn’t bothered by this at all and found the more character and process based story really interesting and well woven. I feel readers who enjoy a series with a longer-term story arc as well as a mystery/case for each individual book should find this story and series as a whole really fits their needs.

An excellent book with good balance I am really pleased I’ve given this series a chance and am looking forward to reading more in the future.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Trouble with Funerals by Joan Havelange

August 10, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Trouble with Funerals by Joan Havelange
Mabel and Violet’s Excellent Adventures, Book 3
Publisher: BWL Publishing INC
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The trouble with funerals is there are too many of them. Mabel’s mother is convinced there is something nefarious going on at the senior’s condo ‘Gravenhurst Manor.’ She convinces her daughter to look into the death of her best friend, Mini, who died in suspicious circumstances. If there is a cold, calculating murderer at work. Mabel needs to find the killer before it’s too late. Her mother could be next. But what is the motive? Why would anyone want to kill a senior? And her main suspect has a perfect alibi, namely Mabel.

Her reliable sidekick Violet is no longer reliable. Violet may have gotten herself involved with a con-man. Against the backdrop of the peaceful little town of Glenhaven, Mabel’s challenge is to solve the motiveless murders; and save Violet from herself.

Who would ever want to hurt senior citizens?

It made me smile to see so many references to Canadian culture here. The author did a great job of showcasing some of the many things that make Canada unique. There were some specific items like certain local foods mentioned for readers who have lived in this country or are otherwise intimately familiar with it, but they were always explained in enough detail that people from other parts of the world can get in on the fun, too.

I noticed multiple punctuation and other errors in this book. Some of them made certain sentences difficult to understand, so I needed to reread them a few times to figure out which meaning was most likely. This was especially noticeable when a character’s first name suddenly changed at one point only to switch back to what it had been previously a few paragraphs later. Had there been another round or two of editing, I would have happily chosen a higher rating as the storyline itself was well done.

The cast of characters was large but easy to keep track of. I appreciated the fact that the author reminded readers of the relationships between certain folks who only showed up occasionally. That helped me remember who they were and when Mabel had last seen them.

This is the third instalment in a series. It can be read out of order or as a standalone work.

The Trouble with Funerals was a delightfully Canadian cozy mystery that I’d recommend to anyone who is intrigued by one or both of those topics.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha by JoAnna Carl

August 10, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Chocolate Bunny Brouhaha by JoAnna Carl
Publisher: Berkley Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

The approach of Easter means a rush of business at TenHuis Chocolade, and Lee Woodyard and her aunt Nettie need all the help they can get to make their famous chocolate bunnies. Unfortunately, new hire Bunny Birdsong is a klutzy basket case. But to Lee’s surprise, she’s a wiz with computers and fixing the store’s website, so they decide to keep her.

However, Bunny receives a few visitors they could do without: Her soon-to-be ex-husband Beau, his wealthy aunt Abigail, and his new girlfriend and her brother all descend on the shop one day and have a bitter argument. Lee hopes they can find a peaceful way to settle their dispute, but when Abigail’s body is discovered in the vacant store next door, it’s clear to Lee there’s a bad egg in her midst. Now she’s on the hunt to find out who it is…

This mystery will get quite sticky..

I’ve never read anything by JoAnna Carl, so I was interested in reading this one. I like chocolate, so a mystery and chocolate? Yes, please. This book plugs along just fine and the writing is interesting. I’m glad I picked it up.

I have to say I wasn’t totally enthralled with the characters. Bunny is cute, but Lee seemed almost judgmental. I did enjoy reading it, so there was that and I wanted to see what would happen to Bunny. I didn’t like her ex and I wasn’t fond of the rest of her family, so that kept me invested in the story. I did need to know what would go on next.

If you’re looking for a cute mystery that’s a nice afternoon read, then this might be the one for you.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , ,

Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase

August 9, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase
The Dressmakers series, book 4
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Historical, Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Biweekly marriage proposals from men who can’t see beyond her (admittedly breathtaking) looks are starting to get on Lady Clara Fairfax’s nerves. Desperate to be something more than ornamental, she escapes to her favorite charity. When a child is in trouble, she turns to tall, dark, and annoying barrister Oliver Radford.

Though he’s unexpectedly found himself in line to inherit a dukedom, Radford’s never been part of fashionable society, and the blonde beauty, though not entirely bereft of brains, isn’t part of his plans. But Clara overwhelms even his infallible logic, and when wedlock looms, all he can do is try not to lose his head over her . . .

It’s an inconvenient marriage by ordinary standards, but these two are far from ordinary. Can the ton’s most adored heiress and London’s most difficult bachelor fall victim to their own unruly desires?

She’s beautiful and he’s breathtaking. It’s a match made in heaven, right?

These two are so wrong for each other, it’s right. The writing was crisp in this story and I had to see what would happen next. I mean, I had to. Would they stay together? Would they even make it that far? I had to know. I’ve read others by Loretta Chase and I’m glad I read this one, too.

I do have to admit I got a bit tired of hearing how wonderful and beautiful the heroine was. Yes, she’s pretty and yes, she’s not taken at personal value because men can’t see beyond her looks, which is sad, but it got a tad repetitive. It was like the author was pushing too hard to remind the reader Clara is perfect. Raven is flawed and I liked that because he’s tough around the edges and doesn’t always take her seriously, but it worked for me.

This was a good read and I’m glad I picked it up. I’m going to look for the others in this series.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

Butcher Boy Rebellion by Robert H. Cherny

August 6, 2021 By Leave a Comment


Butcher Boy Rebellion by Robert H. Cherny
Publisher: Club Lighthouse
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Standing in the blood of the man who tried to kill him, the boy, almost a man, froze, horrified at what he had done. The head, separated from the body, lay face down in the forest undergrowth. Blood flowed from the open neck onto the mat of decaying leaves. There had been no time. There had been no time to think. No time to plan. Only one would walk away from that confrontation in the woods. The boy had gotten the better of this man who had killed many before him.

When the woman, dressed to blend into the forest, emerged from behind the trees to admire his handiwork pointing her crossbow at him, he thought he might have killed for naught. Little did any of the handful of people standing in the forest that day know the changes that this one death put in motion.

Anyone who wants to survive in this world needs to think and react quickly. There is no time for second guessing here!

The pacing was fast and exciting. I liked the way the author leapt straight into the action in the first scene. It helped me immerse myself in this world immediately. Pertinent details like certain backstories popped up later, but in the beginning all I really needed to know was that the protagonist was a skilled butcher by trade who had excellent fighting skills.

I struggled to keep track of the large cast of characters in this novella. New folks were introduced so rapidly that I didn’t have much time to get to know them before the next batch of people showed up. There also wasn’t a great deal of time spent describing them and their personalities even for the main characters. When combined with the large cast, this made it even harder to remember who was who.

The snappy dialogue kept me coming back for more. This was a heavily plot-based tale, so it made perfect sense for the characters to stick to the facts and spend as little time on long or unnecessary conversations as possible. I appreciated how careful everyone was with their words. That made perfect sense given the setting and rapidly-developing plot.

Butcher Boy Rebellion kept me perched on the edge of my seat from the first scene to the last one. Anyone who enjoys adventurous fantasy novellas should give it a try.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Noisy Classroom by Angela Shanté

August 4, 2021 By Leave a Comment


The Noisy Classroom by Angela Shanté
Publisher: West Margin Press
Genre: Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The first day of school is coming… and I’m going to be in the noisy class. Any class but the noisy class will do!

A young girl is about to enter the third grade, but this year she’s put into Ms. Johnson’s noisy class. Everything about the noisy class is odd. While all the other classes are quiet, Ms. Johnson sings and the kids chatter all day. The door is always closed, yet sounds from it can be heard in the hallway. With summer coming to an end and school starting, the girl realizes that soon she’ll be going to the noisy class. What will school be like now?

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There were so many humorous moments in this picture book. The author sprinkled them into nearly every scene, and they only grew better over time. That was a wonderful way to approach a topic that can be a little sensitive for some kids. It’s hard to remain nervous about discussing something serious when the first few pages are already filled with laughter and joy.

This story seemed to be a little too dismissive of the idea that noisy classrooms are not going to be a good fit for every student. Some children who have sensory processing disorders, anxiety, and other diagnoses wouldn’t enjoy that type of learning environment at all. I wish this had been acknowledged alongside the encouragement to give scary things a try and not make assumptions ahead of time. This is something I’d be thrilled to read to some kids but hesitant to introduce to others depending on their personalities and reasons for being nervous about starting a new school year. The message itself was a good one. It was simply something that I would have liked to see tailored to its intended audience better and with a deeper sense of empathy for the young readers out there who need a quieter learning environment for any number of medical reasons.

With that being said, I did appreciate seeing how the main character reacted to the dreaded noisy classroom. She had thoughtful reasons for wanting to avoid it, and the creative method for getting out of it she slowly perfected over the summer made me laugh out loud. What a clever kid she was! I only grew more curious to see how she’d react to her first day back at school in the autumn when she had to face up to her fear. Her stubbornness and imaginative personality were going to be quite the match for her new teacher, and I didn’t want to miss a minute of it.

I’d recommend The Noisy Classroom to early elementary students who are a little nervous about adjusting to a new teacher this autumn.

Filed Under: Reviews, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , ,
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