Category Archives: In a nutshell

Button holed by Kylie Logan

Button Holed by Kylie Logan
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The mystery was not too bad (even though some solutions were really far-fetched). For example, if you were an actress who was more than eager to marry a prince and who even lied to get to that point, would you postpone your wedding simply because you did not find the right buttons? Not very likely!

The heroine must be the most boring conversation partner ever. To give you an idea here are a few quotes:

“I was a button dealer. Buttons were, are, and will always be the only thing I know how to talk about.”

“I didn’t want to come across as a boring nerd, so I refused to talk about buttons, and that was the only subject I was comfortable talking about.”

“You forget, buttons are my business. I think they are the most interesting things in all the world.”

Give me a break! This is even worse than the cookie cutter series where life and death revolves around cookie cutters – and that is bad enough already.

As far as buttons go, however, this is all you will be getting. Even though the heroine is the country’s top button experts she astonishingly shares very little of her knowledge. She sells them, she organizes them, she picks them up, that’s about it.

Disappointing!

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The story guy by Mary Ann Rivers

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Very short synopsis:

Woman answers ad and meets the man of her dreams, just he wants no more than kissing once a week. Why????

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes

This is a lovely novella and a super quick read. I couldn’t put it down as I was too curious to find out what on Earth was going on with Brian. I am a sucker for stories where people meet via ads, email, telephone, anything other than personal encounter, so this was right up my alley.

I did find the explanation in the end a tiny bit far fetched, but this did not lessen my enjoyment of the story. It just flowed.

If you like romance, a man with a secret (nothing bad, I assure you) and a very likeable heroine with no attitude, “The Story Guy” is for you.

Product info and buy link :

Title	The story guy
Author	Mary Ann Rivers
Publisher	Random House
ISBN	9780345548740
I got this book from	the publisher via Netgalley
Buy link	Buy The story guy as e-book

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Oscar Wilde and the dead man’s smile by Gyles Brandreth

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inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes

Oscar Wilde And The Dead Man’s Smile by Gyles Brandreth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another very entertaining book in the series. I loved the theater atmosphere in Paris and Oscar’s excursion to the US.

There are several great scenes which allude to Oscar Wilde’s later life (or death) like his visit to Reading gaol, his statement that he hopes his children will never feel the need to change their family name or the talk about Molière’s grave.

Favourite quote:

“Isn’t Molière buried at Père Lachaise?” I said.

“Oh, now he is, yes, beneath a mighty monument. Now, pilgrims come to kiss his tomb.” My friend chuckled softly and took a sip of wine. “There is no logic to hypocrisy.”

This is a delightful mystery with interesting characters and an intriguing plot.

View all my reviews

Product info and buy link :

Title	Oscar Wilde and the dead man’s smile
Author	Gyles Brandreth
Publisher	John Murray Publishers
ISBN	9780719569906
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Oscar Wilde and the dead man’s smile
More Info	The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries

If you click on the buy link above you will be taken to The Book Depository.co.uk. If you buy the book through this link I will earn a small commission. You can find my general affiliate links to The Book Depository, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com here.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle

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inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: No

Through the Grinder by Cleo Coyle
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Didn’t like this one. The constant thoughts of the killer got on my nerves. "Genius", give me a break!
Quinn comes in for some reason or other looking like hell, swamped with cases and Clare has nothing better to do than to educate him on the fabulous blend of coffee she is going to offer him once she has ground the beans to perfection. Please! You can take the theme a bit too far!

View all my reviews

Product info and buy link :

Title	Through the Grinder
Author	Cleo Coyle
Publisher	Penguin USA
ISBN	9780425197141
I got this book from	Birgit from The Book Garden
Buy link	Buy Through the Grinder

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Duke of Scandal by Adele Ashworth

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I realized I can copy my Goodreads reviews into a blog post. How convenient for some short bits, especially if it is a DNF.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Not particularly

Duke of Scandal by Adele Ashworth

DNF
I didn’t particularly like the heroine and was not interested in what became of her.
Skipped about three fourths of the book to read the last chapter. Why did she leave him and then come back without giving any explanation for her stupid behaviour? Why did he accept his reputation as a sexual deviant? To protect his brother? Made no sense under the circumstances.

View all my reviews

Product info and buy link :

Title	Duke of Scandal
Author	Adele Ashworth
Publisher	Avon Books
ISBN	9780060528416
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Duke of Scandal

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Espresso Shot by Cleo Coyle

4 Replies

Very short synopsis:

Finally Matt is getting married and will soon be out of the house. However, someone seems to be on the warpath and wants to kill bridezilla.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Rather

For people who like: cozy mysteries, coffee

I must admit that I am jumping around a bit in this series. The last book that I read was no. 2 (Through the Grinder) and it was extremely disappointing. I got so annoyed with it in fact that I dnf’ed it. This one was much better again.

I am happy to say that Cleo Coyle has finally gotten the name of Jackson Pollock right. This was a huge bugbear for me, but eventually the man got his proper name.

Then again there is always room for more error…listen to this:

“…Saloma Sunrise.”

“Saloma?” Nunzio smiled. “My little hometown?”

“And Ovid’s, too, right?”

He nodded, clearly happy that I’d done my research.

I am afraid, not. Ovid’s birthplace is called Sulmona nowadays, and was then called Sulmo. Saloma is – according to my research which took me all of 30 seconds- a community in Kentucky. A bit out of the way as far as Ovid is concerned. I don’t know why this author never gets the facts straight. Research, yeah, right.

Back to the story. It was quite nice, with tons of suspects, not too many corpses and a Clare as meddling as ever. In the end Breanna turned out to be human after all and with Matt out of the house Clare finally has the flat to herself and Mike. All is well.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Espresso Shot
Author	Cleo Coyle
Publisher	Berkley
ISBN	9780425230763
I got this book from	Birgit at the Book Garden
Buy link	Buy Espresso Shot

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Fix-it and forget-it: Vegetarian Main dishes by Phyllis Pellman Good

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Cover Fix it and forget it Vegetarian main dishes

inanutshell

I was slightly disappointed with this book. The last vegetarian book in this series had plenty of slow cooker meals, but in this book a lot of the recipes were non-crockpot meals and I am not sure how that ties in with the fix-it and forget-it idea.

Right the first recipe is for mushroom manicotti, and, frankly, I do not see the “forget-it” in a meal that calls for cooked manicotti, preparing the stuffing, stuffing the pasta, bake it and then prepare a tomato sauce on the side to serve it with.

So far to me this series represented easy recipes where I could throw the ingredients into the slow cooker and forget about them until the cooker had worked its magic. This concept seems to have been given up now for the sake of “roasting, stir-frying and steaming – all the methods that so highlight vegetables’ star qualities”. Admittedly those recipes sound mouth watering and lovely: Tasty lentil tacos, Polenta with spicy bean sauce, Quinoa with broccoli and hoisin sauce, but they are not what I came for.

I saved some of the slow cooker recipes and am definitely planning on making them soon. The non-crockpot dishes are definitely worth a go as well, just that they are not the fix-it and forget-it kind. If you don’t mind that, go for this book.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Fix-it and forget it: Vegetarian main dishes
Author	Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher	Open Road Integrated Media
ISBN	ASIN B00AYRI3GM
I got this book from	the publisher via Netgalley
Buy link	Buy Fix-it and forget-it: Vegetarian Main Dishes

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

This post is part of

Weekend cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. For the other weekend cooking posts please go there.

Fix-it and forget-it vegetarian soups, stews and chilis by Phyllis Pellman Good

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Cover Fix it and forget it Vegetarian Soups, stews and chilis

inanutshell

Just like the first Fix it and forget it book that I reviewed, this is a no-nonsense book with recipes suitable for a busy life with real life pictures. The recipes are all fairly easy and mostly for the slow cooker. With a few exceptions the instructions are limited to “mix all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours on low”. Can it be any easier? If you love beans and lentils especially, this is a book for you.

Out of the fifty recipes so far I have tried the Red Lentil Soup and it was super easy and very delicious. With baguette it is a nice, convenient and filling meal.

Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1,2 l vegetable broth
1 cup dry red lentils
3 carrots sliced
1 onion chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
3 tbsp rice uncooked
2 tbsp garlic minced
1.5 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions:

Mix everything in crockpot

Cook 4-5h on high or 7-8 hours on low.

The Non-Fiction Giveaway Blog Hop

By the way, today is the last day to sign up for the Non-fiction giveaway blog hop. Have you got a cookbook you want to give away? Sign up and find a new home for it.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Fix-it-and-forget-it vegetarian soups, stews and chilis
Author	Phyllis Pellman Good
Publisher	Open Road Media
ISBN	ASIN B00AYRI5FQ
I got this book from	the publisher via Netgalley
Buy link	Buy Fix-it-and-forget-it vegetarian soups, stews and chilis

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

This post is part of

Weekend cooking is hosted by Beth Fish Reads. For the other weekend cooking posts please go there.

On what grounds by Cleo Coyle

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Cover On what grounds by Cleo Coyle

Very short synopsis:

First mystery at the Village Blend. With the police discarding the case as an accident, Clare sets out to find the killer.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes. I have already read a few later books in the series so I knew what to expect. It is a nice start to the series that clears up a few situations that were not explained later on anymore. Cozy atmosphere and likeable main characters. If you don’t mind the usual overload of the “theme” (i.e. “There is a bludgeoned body in the basement? Nothing a gourmet latte couldn’t fix.”), this is a very pleasant mystery.

For people who like: cozy mysteries & coffee.

Product info and buy link :

Title	On what grounds
Author	Cleo Coyle
Publisher	Berkley Prime Crime
ISBN	9780425192139
I got this book from	Birgit from The Book Garden
Buy link	Buy On what grounds

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Diary of a wimpy kid by Jeff Kinney

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Very short synopsis:

Illustrated diary of a middle school kid, describing his life at school and at home.

I read it in: German (Gregs Tagebuch)

I liked it: Yes

My thoughts:

I can’t praise this book enough. If you have a school child who HATES reading and so far has never picked up a book voluntarily, try this one! We didn’t listen to the advice of the book sellers at our trusted comic shop (this book is not a comic, though) and discarded their suggestion of that very book because we thought it had too many pages, was too intimidating etc. However, a few weeks later our non-reader came along and told us that he wanted exactly this book. With pleasure, son! He read it in five evenings (224 pages), a miracle. He even copied a paragraph out of the book to take it to school and read to his friends, because I didn’t allow him to take the book. Voluntary writing – another first.
We had ordered the sequel at the same time and he started reading right afterwards.

As the book was also on my TBR list I read it after him and totally enjoyed it. There are a few situations where I cried with laughter. Oh, the things Greg and his mate get up to! It’s just too funny!

If you need a good laugh, even as an adult, get this book!

Product info and buy link :

Title	Diary of a wimpy kid
Author	Jeff Kinney
Publisher	Puffin Books
ISBN	9780141324906
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Diary of a wimpy kid

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith

1 Reply

Very short synopsis:

The second instalment in the 44 Scotland Street series with news of all the inhabitants.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes, it was a great continuation of the series.

Again we are left behind with a few loose threads that I can#t wait to find out more about. What is going to happen to Bertie? Whose baby is Irene having? Is Janis a gold-digger or not? That one thought of hers in the restaurant indicates as much, but the latest conversation between Matthew and his father says different. Bruce is gone – good riddance! Is Pat’s father buying the flat for her? Is she going to be available for Matthew now because of his financial prospects? “Love over Scotland” is already waiting for me.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Espresso Tales
Author	Alexander McCall Smith
Publisher	Abacus
ISBN	9780349119700
I got this book from	I bought it
More info	The 44 Scotland Street series
Buy link	Buy Espresso Tales

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Is Heathcliff a murderer? by John Sutherland

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Puzzles in 19th-century fiction

Short synopsis:

John Sutherland analyzes unsolved mysteries and enigmas in classic 19th century fiction.

Language I read the book in: English

Did I like it? Yes

For people who: like to get to the bottom of things, enjoy speculating about what happened that the writers kept quiet about.

This is a delightful read if you have read the books in question and always wondered about certain aspects, like, for example, what the hell was that transcendental experience when Jane and Mr. Rochester communicate via “celestial telegram”? Or, what went really on between Ms. Stoner and Dr. Roylott in “The Speckled Band”? Or whether Alec is a rapist or not?

Out of the 34 books tackled I have read only 13, not an impressive figure, but it is still worth getting this book. Plus, the intriguing chapter titles encourage you to go and read the rest. Who wouldn’t want to know what is behind the question “What kind of murderer is John Barton?”, or what is the story of “Effie Dean’s phantom pregnancy”

Highly recommended!

Related books by John Sutherland:

Can Jane Eyre be happy? *** Who betrays Elizabeth Bennett?

Product info and buy link :

Title	Is Heathcliff a murderer?
Author	John Sutherland
Publisher	Oxford Paperbacks
ISBN	9780192834683
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Is Heathcliff a murderer? in Awesome Books’ bargain bin

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Death of a charming man by M. C. Beaton

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Very short synopsis:

Beautiful young newcomer to a dreary village charms all the women. Eventually he gets killed which was practically unavoidable. Hamish saw it coming.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes

For people who like: I don’t know whether M.C. Beaton does not like women very much or whether it is just coincidence that again the women are all daft and gullible. They seem to be all over Scotland, too, as this time we are not in Lochdubh, but in another backwater village called Drim.

Hamish’s and Priscilla’s engagement is a joke! I can’t find fault with Hamish; Priscilla knows he is unambitious, but the second they are engaged she starts to try to “change” him – and when has that ever worked? On top of that she is a cold fish and not responsive at all to his romantic advances. What a couple! Oh, well, the engagement only happened by accident, so to speak, so what can you expect? Not surprised to see them split up at the end of the book.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Death of a charming man
Author	M. C. Beaton
Publisher	Robinson Publishing
ISBN	9781845297336
I got this book from	I bough it
Buy link	Buy Death of a charming man

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Death of a travelling man by M. C. Beaton

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Very short synopsis:

Hamish takes an immediate dislike to a travelling man and newcomer to Lochdubh. Needless to say the unpleasant bloke gets his head smashed in.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: It was ok, but for me one of the weaker books in the series. I never understood the lure of the victim and how he “seduced” the women of the village. So my interest in seeing his murderer brought to justice was was low. I couldn’t have cared less. The women of Lochdubh are painted in a rather unfavorable light. They are all easily seduced (not necessarily sexually, see "Death of a perfect wife”) and rather simple and one-layered.

Hamish’s engagement with Priscilla happens quite unexpected and under unusual circumstances. We will see how long that relationship lasts. My prediction: Not very long.

For people who like: Cozy mysteries, the Highlands.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Death of a travelling man
Author	M. C. Beaton
Publisher	Robinson Publishing
ISBN
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Death of a travelling man

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

Death of a glutton by M. C. Beaton

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Very short synopsis:

Disgusting woman is being killed in an eccentric way. Hamish encounters eccentric suspects galore to choose from.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes.
The victim was such an unpleasant creature that you could only root for the murderer. A group of visitors in a hotel are always a great cast for a mystery, and the story set in Tommel Castle adds a little extra flair. However, the way that hotel is being run makes me wonder how they make any money at all. A luxury hotel where people have to replace the light bulbs in the rooms themselves? This is unheard of! Shows that the Halburton-Smythes as owners are just amateurs who have their upper class status going for them.

For people who like: very cozy mysteries, the Scottish Highlands

Product info and buy link :

Title	Death of a glutton
Author	M. C. Beaton
Publisher	Robinson Publishing
ISBN	9781845297350
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Death of a glutton
More info	The Hamish Macbeth series

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex–Smithsonian Prehistoric Pals

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Very short synopsis:

Short e-book for the iPhone or iPad about the T-Rex and its living environment.

inanutshell

I read/listened to it in: English

I liked it: Yes, but more important, my son liked it even more. This is my first step in the world of iPhone books (I don’t read e-books on the phone) and I was surprised at the convenience and possibilities. The book is short – and just right for the attention span of children. You can either swipe to get to the next page/scene or have it play itself on auto, and you can either read yourself or have the book read to you. A tap on an animal shows or tells the name of it and a tap on a word in the text has the word read to you. It’s a lovely, entertaining e-book for kids and has great illustrations to boot.
There are more books in the series about other dinosaurs as well.

For kids who like: Dinosaurs, especially T-Rex, and want to know more about them.

Product info and buy link :

Title	It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex
Publisher	Oceanhouse Media
I got this book from	Publisher’s Weekly with a coupon code. A review was not required.
Buy link	Buy It’s Tyrannosaurus Rex on iTunes

What children’s books for iPhone do you know and recommend?

Agatha Raisin and the vicious vet by M. C. Beaton

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Very short synopsis:

Vet who hates small pets gets killed in what looks like an accident and Agatha investigates together with her stand-offish neighbour James.

inanutshell

I read it in: English

I liked it: Yes, but the constant up and down in the “relationship” of Agatha and James got on my nerves. It’s like a childish “Help, she fancies me!” – “Thank God, she fancies me not!” on his side and a “I must come on stronger” – “I need to back up and play it cool” on hers. Too much, that. They are not sixteen anymore, you know.

For people who like: Cozy mysteries where people get killed in not so cozy ways.

Product info and buy link :

Title	Agatha Raisin and the vicious vet
Author	M. C. Beaton
Publisher	Robinson
ISBN	9781849011358
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy Agatha Raisin and the vicious vet

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

The madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

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Very short synopsis:

Rich supposedly mad lord gets together with rich widow for affair, but a police detective throws a spanner in the works. He wants the madman convicted for murder.

I read it in: English

I liked it: No , because the police officer was such a terrible person, obnoxious, pushy and insufferable; he spoilt all the fun for me. The two main characters were ok, but somehow they didn’t hold my attention and I was not really interested in how they were going to get together for good and/or how they got the detective off their backs.

For people who like: historical romance, an unusual hero, a down to earth heroine

Product info and buy link :

Title	The madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
Author	Jennifer Ashley
Publisher	Berkley Publishing
ISBN	9780425244463
I got this book from	I bought it
Buy link	Buy The madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie

Have you read this book? What did you think of it? I would love to hear other opinions.

And yet another DNF

8 Replies

GRC

Lately it seems I pick up quite a lot of books that turn out to be a DNF. I tried so hard to read (and like) “The mysteries of Udolpho” which is a book I have been wanting to read for a long time, actually ever since reading “Northanger Abbey”. The Gothic Reading Challenge was the perfect opportunity to finally tackle it.

According to Goodreads I started reading that book on June 26. You want to know how far I got? To page 48!

I was willing, I compared covers, I told you the book beginning, Udolpho turned up on my monthly reading lists – to no avail. That book is so long winded, it defies description. Admittedly, at 880 pages I didn’t expect it to go medias in res, but the descriptions of scenery bored the hell out of me, and I didn’t want to read through 200 pages of them before the gothic “horror” would start. If it ever started I don’t know.

I think it’s time to say good bye to it and just face the fact that the mysteries of Udolpho will remain a mystery to me.

WMSmoker seeks seclusion by PirateGrrl

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Clyde, a chain smoking, snarky, misanthropic secretary falls slowly and against his will in love with Sam who worms his way into Clyde’s life. The story is told completely in first person from Clyde’s POV and in present tense. Clyde doesn’t change that much in the course of the book, he’s still the guy who hates people in general and his colleagues in particular. The only difference now is that he’s in love with Sam. I absolutely loved it. At a word count of almost 83.000 words it is a long read, so make sure you set apart some reading time.

Get or read it for free at Fictionpress

Feathers by Vincent Diamond

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I wasn’t too thrilled with it. I liked Brandon’s character, but Ramon’s shilly-shallying really grated on me. He wanted to, but couldn’t go through, and that went back and forth for ages. I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but I just didn’t connect with the story at all.

When Brandon couldn’t have Ramon, he went and looked for one night stands who resembled Ramon. Can’t say I cared for that much either.

Lily from I love books gave this a very favourable review, though. So check it out yourself!

Available at All Romance e-books (Publisher Lethe Press)

Special delivery by Cassandra Gold

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A really sweet story. The office atmosphere was pretty realistic. All the secretaries being hot for Tim, yeah, those UPS guys have something going for them. Mark was so shy and self-conscious, you just had to love him. Again, as I already said in my review for Fool for love, two guys take it slow and mean it. Nice change! A lovely and quick read.

Available at Freya’s Bower

Seeing love by Sean Michael

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You would think that this story has a lot of potential for conflict. A middle-aged, blind businessman and a young rent-boy hired as a reader. There is an age gap, difference in backgrounds, outside pressure. All those could make both their lives miserable, but there are almost no problems whatsoever. A slight disturbance with the usual evil ex, which is resolved quickly and we go back to the regularly scheduled program. If you like a typical Sean Michael story, get it.

Available at Torquere Books

Promise of the heart by Chrissy Munder

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Second chances is always something I enjoy reading about. I liked the characters and how they interacted. What I could have done without was the love scene right at the beginning. I don’t care very much for scenes like this without context and without knowing the relationship between the characters. In fact I skipped most of it. Other than that I liked it a lot.

Available at Dreamspinner Press

In search of fireworks by Ariel Tachna

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Cody was a great character with all his conspiratory planning to get Seth to meet him. Seth’s qualms to get together with Cody were understandable, so the story made perfect sense. I think Ariel can write whatever she wants and I’ll like it.

Available at Dreamspinner Press