Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


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I only had the epilogue left to read of my work book; therefore, I brought it home to finish. The book was Born to Bite by Lynsay Sands. It’s the 13th installment in her “Argeneau” series of paranormal vampire romance. The main characters in this one were enforcer Eshe d’Aureus and Armand Argeneau.

As an enforcer, it’s Eshe’s job to track down rogue vampires. Her latest case has her spending time with Armand Argeneau to learn if he’s a killer. Armand’s previous three wives all died grisly deaths that were deemed accidental at the time, but suspicions abound. It’s up to Eshe to determine if he’s a murderer or extremely unlucky in love. Armand agrees to take Eshe in, believing she is in danger and in need of a safe house. His immediate attraction to her is dismaying, because Armand has come to suspect that his wives were targeted for attack, and he isn’t willing to risk the life of another woman he’s come to care about. When odd accidents begin happening, it’s going to take Eshe and Armand working together to bring a killer to justice.

This was actually more of a mystery than a romance, but that was fine with me. I didn’t really care for the insta-love/lust, although that’s part and parcel of this series when vampires find their life mates. Eshe was better developed as a character than Armand was. Other characters were portrayed well enough, and there were cameos by characters from previous books in the series. The narrative seemed a bit choppy to me; I would have liked it to flow more smoothly.

Favorite line: “Life just isn’t worth living without chocolate and cheesecake.”

Nothing extraordinary about this one, average score of 3.

The Great Witches Baking Show by Nancy Warren

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I finished an ebook last night. It was The Great Witches Baking Show by Nancy Warren. It’s the first book in her Great Witches Baking Show series. The main character is Poppy Wilkinson, baker and novice witch.

Abandoned as a baby, Poppy is determined to learn more about her birth mother. When she sees a painting in a grand British home of a woman wearing a shawl that matches her baby blanket, Poppy is desperate to gain access to the family that live there. Fortunately for her, the newest season of The Great British Baking Contest is being filmed on the grounds, and Poppy has been chosen as a contestant. The show is not without drama, however, with accusations of sabotage. When Gerry, a fellow contestant, dies under mysterious circumstances, Poppy is convinced he was murdered. So does Gerry, who’s shown up as a ghost. Poppy has always had the ability to see spirits, and she learns that it may be due to a witchy inheritance she knew nothing about. Now Poppy has two goals: solve Gerry’s murder, and get into Broomwode Hall.

Fun story. Poppy is a likable character, and I enjoyed how quickly she made friends with some of the other people involved in the show, including other contestants. One of the judges, Elspeth, is a witch, and she’s the one who clued Poppy in to her own heritage. Characters were three-dimensional, and the plot was sensible and entertaining.

Favorite lines:
♦ One bad move could snowball into catastrophe.
♦ “We’re more powerful when we work together. That’s why we have covens.”
♦ “What kind of man sabotages another man’s pie?”

Light, enjoyable read. Four stars.

A Killing in Kula by Aysia Amery

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


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I finished reading A Killing in Kula last night. It’s the second in author Aysia Amery’s “Maui Mayhem” series. The main character is Ginger Lee. She’s a caterer, and she can see ghosts, which comes in handy when there’s murder afoot.

When a local man drops dead on his protea farm, at first it seems he died of natural causes. However, when Ginger visits, she encounters Tony’s ghost, and he’s convinced he was murdered. Ginger relays the information to her friend, Pako, who’s on the police force. Pako begins investigating, with an assist from Ginger. There were five other people on the farm that day, and one of them is a killer.

This was cute and light, but it lacked any substance. Virtually the entirety of the story was taken up with Ginger’s sleuthing (and Pako’s). I liked their easy camaraderie. Characterizations were okay. The narrative was straight-forward, but again, I would have liked to see more of Ginger doing things other than investigating.

Favorite lines:
♦ “Have a cookie. It’ll make you feel better. Is it helping?” // “No, but I might as well enjoy my misery while I’m at it.”
♦ It ain’t over until the fat Menehune sings.

Neither awful nor exceptional—average score of three.

Knit Fast, Die Young by Mary Kruger

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


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Finished reading my work book at work today, with time left at lunch to spare! It was Knit Fast, Die Young by Mary Kruger. This is the second book in the “Knitting Mysteries” by the author. The main character is Ariadne “Ari” Evans.

Ari is pleased to be attending the Freeport Wool and Yarn Festival, where she encounters old acquaintances and meets new people. One of the attendees is familiar to Ari—Felicia Barr, of Knit it Up! magazine. Felicia is known to be a mean girl, and no one wants to get on her bad side and get dissed in the magazine. When Ari dashes out in the rain to get coffee at one of the other buildings, she didn’t expect Felicia to stumble into her arms, any more than she expected to see a knitting needle sticking out of Felicia’s back. Now the woman is dead, and there are several suspects on-site, including Ari. She swore she wouldn’t get involved in another murder investigation, but Ari is uniquely suited to assist her kinda-sorta boyfriend, Detective Josh Pierce. Josh is hoping Ari can help unravel the mystery before anyone else dyes. Hah!

I didn’t really care for this. Fabric arts are not my cuppa tea, but I could have overlooked that if the story itself had been more enjoyable. Most of the action took place over the course of one day and in one location—the fairgrounds where the murder took place. As a result, I was left feeling like I didn’t learn much about any of the characters nor the (typical series) setting. Ari did provide some helpful clues, but she made a cringe-worthy false accusation of one of the other suspects. I also didn’t like that her friend, Diane, took every opportunity to snipe about Josh. Give it a rest! Also ( Editing error, ahoy! )

Favorite lines:
♦ “Spinners and knitters and murderers, oh my.”
♦ “I’ll put the skating back on. Michelle Kwan can take your mind off anything.”

I’d give this 2.5 stars if I could. I’ll be kind and bump it up to a three. It was no better than average, in my opinion.

( Trope Test )

The Witch Is Back by Angela M. Sanders

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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I powered through The Witch is Back by Angela M Sanders in less than 24 hours. Woo! It’s the 6th “Witch Way Librarian” mystery, starring witchy librarian Josie Way.

In the midst of an unexpected visit from her mother, Josie takes her on an excursion to the Aerie, the clifftop home where the recently deceased pastor once lived. There, Josie hears angry whispers from the books, and even her mother (who has long denied her own magical abilities) feels ill at ease. Shortly after their trip, several people in the small town of Wilfred receive poison pen letters. Josie’s indicates only that someone knows her secret. Now everyone is angry and suspicious, but the odd letters take a back seat to local gossip when someone is found dead at the base of the Aerie. The man’s wife swears it was murder, and from what Josie gleans from the books around her, she agrees. She needs the help of Sam, local police officer, but first, Josie knows she must tell him she’s a witch.

There were a lot of twists and turns in this one, from Josie angsting over her parents’ disintegrating relationship to angsting over her own relationship with Sam. She was convinced the poison pen letters were tied to the murder, and she struggled to identify the person behind the acts. Frankly, I was able to quickly suss out who sent the letters, but the identity of the killer caught me by surprise. Characters were fully realized and the plot pelted along in a sensible fashion. Some things were left unresolved, which was a tad disappointing.

Favorite lines:
♦ Wilfred was so small and the grapevine so robust that you couldn’t burn toast without hearing about it the next time you bought margarine.
♦ “Some of the world’s most dangerous rulers were masters of glamour who could convince people that the most horrible of actions were justified—desirable, even.”
♦ “Now what?” I asked. // “Pickles,” Mom said. “If you have them.” // “Not the sandwiches, the poison-pen letters.”

Fabulous read—engrossing and delightful. Five stars.

A Guide to Solving A Murder by Courtney McFarlin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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I just polished off the last of A Guide to Solving a Murder, the first book in author Courtney McFarlin’s “Finn and Briar” series of cozy mysteries. Main characters are Tessa Windsor, along with her border collie, Finn, and her cat, Briar.

Tess is living the high life. She has her own business leading hikes in the Colorado Rockies, her faithful pets by her side, a brother whom she’s close to, and her BFF, Meggie. Her life is shaken up, however, when she and Paul are named as heirs to a woman they never knew—their great-aunt Euphemia. Paul inherits Euphemia’s home, but Tess inherits her magic. Now she can communicate with her cat and dog, which is amazing. Not so amazing is the very real nightmare Tess has of witnessing a woman’s murder. She recognizes the trail from her dream and travels there, only to find the woman’s body. Both Tess and Paul soon dig into the investigation, Tess by asking questions and Paul utilizing his skills and contacts as a journalist. Finn and Briar lend assistance where they can, and when Tessa gets too close to a killer, it will be up to her pets and her newfound magic to save the day.

Apparently, this series is a spinoff of the author’s “Razzy Cat” series. I have a few book in that series but have yet to read any. At least this one didn’t produce any overt spoilers. I loved Tessa’s ability to speak to Finn and Briar. Who among us wouldn’t want to talk to our pets? Characterizations were wonderful, including the pets. I liked how Paul and Meggie continued to dance around their attraction to one another. The plot moved quickly and held my attention.

Favorite lines:
♦ “It’s been my dream to talk to animals since I was a little girl.”
♦ “He couldn’t find his way out of a wet paper bag with a guide dog.”
♦ One never passes up donuts when one doesn’t have to.

Fun read, four stars

( Trope Test )

A Wild Ghost Chase by Elle Adams

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


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Earlier this evening I knocked back the rest of A Wild Ghost Chase by Elle Adams. It’s the first book in the “Reaper Witch” series of paranormal mysteries. The main character is Maura, half witch, half Reaper.

After breaking the rules as a Reaper, Maura has turned her back on her paranormal life to live among non-magical people. However, her ability to see and communicate with ghosts continues to plague her. Now she’s been sacked from her job in a morgue and wondering how she’ll pay the rent. Maura is contacted by a teenage ghost blogger who asks her to come to Hawkwood Hollow to lay a particularly nasty ghost to rest. Maura accepts the job, but what she finds in Hawkwood Hollow is unexpected. There are far too many random spirits hanging around, even for a magical town, and she learns that the local Reaper has quit his job and is no longer crossing souls over. Teenage ghost-hunter wannabe, Carey, shows Maura the dilapidated old mansion where the surly spirit refuses to leave. What should be a simple case for a Reaper witch is complicated by a detective who doesn’t want Maura there, a belligerent heir, and her own twin brother, Mart, whose ghost is still attached to her. Maura is determined to get to the bottom of things, if only for Carey’s sake and to show Detective Drew that she knows what she’s doing.

This was a little bit fluffy and a little bit creepy. The ghost of old Mrs Renner was a nasty piece of work, as was her very much alive grandson, Henry Renner. Maura keeps being thwarted by the detective each time she tries to enter the house to communicate with Mrs Renner, and the old harridan is determined to stay put. Maura and Carey were portrayed well, but other characters could have used some fleshing out. The story was almost exclusively Maura’s investigation with some backstory thrown in.

Favorite line: Most magical folk are about as subtle as a troupe of unicycle-riding clowns juggling fireballs.

Not all that substantial, but enjoyable. It deserves 3.5 stars, but since I can’t award halfsies, I’ll bump it up to a four.

Red Wolf by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


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I had so little left in my work book to read that I brought it home to finish. The book was Red Wolf by Linda Thomas-Sundstrom, and it’s the first in the “Wolf Moons” verse of Silhouette’s Nocturne line. The main characters were Tory McKidd and Adam Scott.

After the brutal murder of her brother, Tory quit her lucrative job to exact vengeance. She’s a werewolf, like her brother, and so is the vicious felon who killed him. Chavez and his gang of werewolves have claimed a park in Miami as their base of operations, and when Officer Adam Scott chases a criminal into the park, he encounters a flame-haired beauty that he can’t get out of his mind. Tory is equally drawn to Adam, and she realizes that she and the human male have Imprinted. She is desperate to avoid the man, but his investigation into her brother’s death leads him straight to her door...and into her arms. Now Tory and Adam aren’t just fighting for justice, they’re fighting for one another.

Ugh. Imprinting (or whatever you want to call it) may seem all fierce and sexy, but when you really think about it, it’s extremely cringe inducing. Imagine having no choice in the matter. In these paranormal romances, of course, the characters are always attractive and noble, etc. Would this have been sexy had Tory Imprinted on Chavez? Blech. What if one of them was already married? With children? Aside from that, our main characters spent very little time together. Most of the narrative was taken up with Tory’s search for justice, Adam’s investigation, and their mutual pining and ‘I am drawn to this person even though I should avoid him/her’. They had two (maybe three?) very brief encounters before Adam arrived at Tory’s house, after which they fell on one another in a fit of lust. Cue more pining and avoiding until the inevitable showdown/climax. That’s another thing I disliked—there was precious little resolution to the story. At least Tory wasn’t assaulted, which seems to be a staple of Nocturne books. I appreciated that she could take care of herself. However, this was not an enjoyable read at all. The character I liked best was Adam’s new partner, Dana Delmonico. There was a short, bonus story at the end of this one featuring Dana, but I didn’t bother reading it. And “short” isn’t entirely accurate, as the bonus content was easily 20-25% of the entire book.

Favorite line: Yes, folks, I actually am out of my freaking mind.

This was not in the least bit romantic, and there was no humor in it, either. It was dramatic, but not my cup of tea. Two stars.

Nine Lives to Die by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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After I finished cleaning my house, I finished reading my book: Nine Lives to Die by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown. It’s the 23rd in the “Mrs Murphy” series of cozy cat mysteries. Main characters are Mary “Harry” Harristeen and her pets: Mrs Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter.

As the holidays approach, Harry, her husband Fair, and many of their friends and neighbors are busy helping local churches distribute gifts and supplies to those in need, as well as attending social functions and fundraisers. When two prominent sponsors of Silver Linings (an organization dedicated to helping boys get a good start on life) are murdered within days of one another, the entire community is rattled. The discovery of a skeleton on property adjoining Harry’s just adds to the level of unease, especially when it goes missing before the police can retrieve it. Harry can’t help but wonder if the cold case and the recent murders are connected. Somebody knows for sure, and may go to any lengths to keep a secret.

Harry spent more time speculating than sleuthing in this one, which I appreciated. Her cats and dog did far more investigating than she did. LOL! They’re the ones who led Harry and Fair to the skeleton. Even without active investigating on Harry’s part, the plot moved at a swift pace and kept me engaged. Characters are always portrayed wonderfully in this series, and this book was no exception. I was able to figure things out thanks to some clues the author(s) skillfully dropped in the narrative. I was also pleased that Harry didn’t stumble over any (recently dead) bodies, nor did she end up in mortal peril at the end of the book. Hallelujah! My only complaint is that Harry was referred to as “Harriett” on page 1 of the book, causing me to clutch my pearls in shock and dismay. Womp womp! Wait. I do have another complaint. These books typically include some artwork interspersed throughout, and some of the drawings in this one were rather ghastly. I had to clutch my pearls all over again!

Favorite lines:
♦ “If you don’t have children, don’t start.”
♦ One is never truly alone on a farm. If nothing else, there’s always a spider within three feet of you.

Excellent story (wish I’d read it in December!), five stars

Purrfect Healing by Tiana Renatus

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


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I finished reading Purrfect Healing on Monday night. It’s the first “Tropes Are Us” book by author Tiana Renata. It’s a male/male paranormal romance featuring Alpha Ryder and Omega Samson, both lion shifters.

Author Ryder Zemar has longed to find a mate of his own, and when he begins picking up tantalizing scents of the man he knows is his, Ryder’s writing gets an inspirational boost. Now he just needs to track down his Omega, and his life will be perfect.

Rejected by his family for being an Omega, Samson doesn’t believe in fated mates. He works in construction and indulges in one-night stands. However, when he has the opportunity to spend a night with his favorite author, Samson can’t resist. He pulls a runner afterward, not knowing why he feels compelled to seek Ryder out again.

This was rather jumbled. World building was frustratingly scant, merely touching on a dystopian event that led to shifters outing themselves. Alphas and Omegas are rare, as most shifters present as Betas, but no real explanation was given as to why. Characterizations were not great. The main characters came across as dramatic, mopey teens most of the time. I did like that Ryder, the Alpha, was a second son, not the oldest, and that Samson, an Omega, was strong and powerful.

Favorite lines:
♦ “It’s love we need and love sometimes requires us to fight.”
♦ “Love simply is. It always has been and it always will be.”
♦ “If you’re good, I’ll buy you a lollipop after we’re finished.”

Eh...two stars.