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The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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I took Tuesday off work and used my free day to read The Rivals of Copper County by May Archer. It’s the second book in her “Copper County” series of male/male romance. Main characters are Watt Bartlett, single father and owner of an apple orchard, and Jasper (Wrigley) Lancaster, divorced former model.

When they were teens, Watt and Jasper were best friends and friendly rivals, daring and challenging one another each summer that Jasper spent in Copper County. After one awkward kiss, Jasper left town and didn’t return, never reached out, and seemed to have shaken the dust of Copper County from his heels. Now, twenty years later, he’s back in town to settle his great-aunt’s estate. He’s also taken on the dual roles of history teacher and hockey coach, which infuriates Watt. His son, Derry, has a chance at a scholarship, but not if the new coach can’t even skate. When Watt gets roped into co-coaching, he and Jasper end up spending more time together and what they learn is that things aren’t always black and white, and sometimes a second chance is all you need.

Once the two idiots main characters cleared the air between them, the story was surprisingly low-angst. From there, it was a matter of dancing around their long-time attraction to one another and then wondering how to handle it once they took things to the next level. I loved how supportive the secondary characters were, not to mention how zany many of them were, as well. There was also the conflict of Jasper’s looming return to LA and how that would impact his renewed relationship with Watt. If I have any complaint at all, it was the overused trope of “youthful romantic feelings-misunderstanding-reunion-reconciliation” with a side of “dastardly ex puts in an appearance”. It didn’t lessen my enjoyment of the story, but it did make me wish for something more original.

Favorite lines:
♦ I’d craved solitude and a chance to mutter under my breath without anyone wondering whether I’d gone crazy.
♦ “You can’t tell a story like that to a pregnant woman. I’m made up of ninety percent hormones and ten percent chocolate right now. I need happy endings only.”
♦ “Sometimes you need to take a wrong turn to get where you’re supposed to be.”
♦ I released a breath that sounded a little too much like a marmot hiss.
♦ “Chris and I will be your gay sherpas. Together, we will help you summit Gay Sex Mountain. The climb will be hard.”
♦ “Labels are for cheese.”
♦ “You brought me a cheese skate and a flying groundhog? As a Mature Friendship Peace Offering?”

Excellent characterizations, lively banter and humor, spicy times, and a hard-won HEA. Five 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

Murder at the Blarney Bash by Darci Hannah

My rating: 5 of 5 stars





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Last night I completed the book Murder at the Blarney Bash by Darci Hannah. This is the fifth in the “Beacon Bakeshop” cozy mystery series. The main character is baker Lindsey Bakewell.

As St Patrick’s Day approaches, Lindsey is busy creating an amazing array of themed goodies for her business, the Beacon Bakeshop. She’s also making items for the grand opening of a new, Irish-themed shop in town, owned by her boyfriend’s uncle, Finnigan O’Connor. Finn and his daughter, Colleen, have recently moved to Beacon Harbor from Ireland. Lindsey and many of the locals are bemused by Finn’s tall tales, but when he claims to have tracked a leprechaun and found his pot of gold, things take a turn for the bizarre. Lindsey herself swears she saw a leprechaun in town, and an employee at the Village Hall claims it was a leprechaun that attacked one of her co-workers. When the leprechaun himself is found murdered, Finn becomes a prime suspect. Not helping matters is the fact that he refuses to reveal where he found the gold, nor where he’s stashed it for safekeeping. Soon Lindsey and Rory are on the case, trying to create a timeline of the leprechaun’s movements, not only to discover who he was and what he was doing in town, but also to prove that Finnigan didn’t kill him.

This was very appropriate for the season, what with leprechauns and pots of gold, etc. The plot moved quickly and held my attention. In fact, I even dreamed about this book one night as I sought to make sense of it in my sleep. LOL! Characterizations were superb, and the baked goodies were making me drool. Nothing much made sense until the end, but it all came together neatly.

Favorite lines:
♦ Blood and glitter were definitely not a good mix. It was highly disturbing and looked utterly surreal.
♦ From now on Betty’s green Jell-O salad ought to be an Irish tradition.
♦ “The last one took him for all he was worth, the hoor.”
♦ “In the immortal words of Mr T, I pity the fool.”
♦ “They say that extreme wealth warps one’s sense of reality, but how warped do you have to be to go around clubbing the fairy folk?”
♦ “My night has been a bloody hellscape of leprechaun-driven lunacy!”

Alas, we also had the ‘didn’t realize I was holding my breath’ line: I exhaled, not realizing I’d been holding my breath.

Compelling and enchanting—five stars!

The Pretenders of Copper County by May Archer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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Today I finished reading The Pretenders of Copper County by May Archer. It’s the first in her “Copper County” series of male/male romance. Story is told in alternating first-person points-of-view of the main characters, Reed Sunday, undercover bodyguard, and Chris Winowski, shy charcuterie enthusiast.

Reed’s current assignment should be easy enough: pick up his latest protectee in Vermont and keep him safe until his mafia boss uncle signs a plea deal and testifies. What Reed hadn’t counted on was just how adorkable and accident-prone his new charge would be, nor how naive and chatty. When Chris befriends the drug dealer next door and blows their cover, Reed must go on the run with him as they search for a new safehouse. They both end up going undercover as the new caretakers of a rundown campground near O’Leary, NY. Make that married caretakers. The more time Reed spends with Chris, however, the less pretend their relationship seems.

Chris leads the most boring life in existence. When his boss tells him he should open himself to new experiences and seize the day, Chris responds by allowing Reed Sunday to pick him up. Only what Chris thought was a date seems more like a kidnapping, and what’s this about his beloved Uncle Danny being a crime lord? But, when Reed saves him from the midst of a bar brawl (one that Chris might have sort of accidentally instigated), Chris begins to see his protector in a new light. Too bad Reed is only pretending to like him as part of their cover.

This was laugh-out-loud funny, in spite of the danger lurking in the background. I loved how the author wove this story neatly into other series she writes: “Love in O’Leary”, “Sunday Brothers”, and “Whispering Key”. There were so many misunderstandings, especially in regards to Chris and his co-worker, Crys, and there was a lot to unpack and untangle along the way. This was like reading a Ray Cooney play. LOL! Of course, Reed and Chris developed feelings for one another, but neither wanted to say anything for fear the other didn’t feel the same. Maddening. But, what’s a May Archer book without its HEA?

Favorite lines:
♦ I resisted the urge to punch myself in the face.
♦ Was this how I would finally lose my mind?
♦ “Shouldn’t the universe have limits on the number of times a person can mortify himself in one day?”
♦ “He couldn’t walk across an open field without triggering a groundhog rebellion and compelling the bumblebees to fight for him to the death.”
♦ “You did call me the greatest lover of all time, which I think I’m going to have printed on a T-shirt and noted on my Grindr profile.” // “Do with it what you will. Ten out of ten. Excellent service. Will come again.”
♦ “Life’s all about embracing your own personal weird.”
♦ “See how much we have in common? Tell me you like hockey and I’ll make us friendship bracelets right now.”
♦ “Nothing says I want to be committed to you like getting hit in the face with a chair for the person you love, right?”

But, there was also this line: ”I’ve got eleven-eleven-cases that have all gone hot at once.”
Can’t even escape the curse of 1111 in a May Archer book!

Funny, flirty, fabulous, and hot! Five stars!

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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Finished reading The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox last night. This is the second in her “Southern Ghost Hunter” mystery series. The main character is Verity Long, and the story is in her first-person point of view.

When Verity and her sister, Melody, discover a dead body in the local library, in the midst of the town’s “Cannonball in the Wall” celebration, deputy Ellis Wydell actually asks Verity for her help. With no leads, he has nothing to go on. Verity agrees to use her ability to see and speak to ghosts in an effort to find out who killed the volunteer. Surely, in a haunted library, someone must have seen something? Not every ghost is friendly, however, and some are still stuck in the past and unaware of recent events around them. The only thing the police know is that Darla placed some calls in the middle of night, indicating she’d found something interesting in the newest donated artifacts. In the meantime, Verity’s ex-fiancé, Beau, seems intent on courting her again, while Frankie, the ghost she inadvertently grounded on her property, is pressing her to figure out how to free him. It’s a good thing Verity comes from a long line of strong, Southern women.

The plot was quick and entertaining. Some of the ghosts Verity encountered were downright terrifying, even as others were friendly and helpful. Characters were fleshed out, including Verity’s pet skunk, and the mystery was sprinkled with humor and romance. Sweet and scary!

Favorite lines:
♦ “It’s all going well. The whole place is on fire. There’s hand-to-hand fighting in the streets. They’ll be talking about this for years.”
♦ “Lucy and I ate too much dessert and were in bed early. I should never have let her talk me into a second banana.”
♦ “You don’t just attract trouble. You have it on speed dial.”
♦ A frigid gust of air seized me. Dead leaves swirled at my feet, prickling my legs. All normal for fall. Or for a haunting.
♦ No sense wasting good candy.

Very good, engrossing, five stars.

The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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I took advantage of having a day off work to finish reading The Litter of the Law by Rita Mae Brown (and Sneaky Pie Brown). It's the 22nd "Mrs Murphy" series, starring Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and her brood of pets: Tee Tucker, Mrs Murphy, and Pewter.

It's October, and the residents of Crozet, VA are preparing for Halloween. Included is a haunted hayride, intended to raise funds for the local library. The spooky holiday begins early for Harry and her husband, Fair, when they discover a grisly scarecrow in a field of corn. With the local police looking into the crime, life goes on...until another person is found dead in a similar fashion. There's no question that the murders are related, and Harry can't help but try to connect the dots to see how and why. What she and Deputy Cynthia Cooper uncover is an injustice going back generations. But, was it enough to kill for?

Once again, I managed to choose a Halloween-themed book in January. D'oh! This one was creepy enough that I really wish I'd read it in October. Ah, well. As always, the characterizations were amazing, even to the pets and the assorted wildlife. While Harry was nosing around, she was also shown to be engaged in normal life, which I appreciate. The narrative was engrossing and kept me turning pages. The plot made sense as it moved along, and the author(s) dropped a tiny hint that helped me figure out who dunnit. Bonus!

Favorite lines:
♦ "Ever notice how sometimes money makes people stupid?"
♦ "Her friends and interests fell into categories, which didn't overlap."
♦ "Don't see how people can argue with climate change."
♦ Anyone who lives with cats figures out soon enough they will do what they want.
♦ "I have some iced tea. Always have it, even in winter."
♦ "Here's a frightening Halloween idea: I'll jump on the table and make everyone scream, 'Get the cat off the table!' Now, that's really scary."

Fabulous fun, five stars

Hell for the Holidays: A 24/7 Demon Mart Christmas Special by D.M. Guay

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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I stayed up half an hour past bedtime to finish reading Hell for the Holidays last night. It's by author DM Guay, and it's part of the "24/7 Demon Mart" series of paranormal lite. I haven't read any others in the series, even though it's recommended to read the first book in the series before this. I am a rebel! And, in any case, I did not feel as if I were floundering and wondering what was going on.

Lloyd Wallace is using his time off from working at the local mini-mart (which has a beer cave that doubles as a gate to hell) to build the perfect snowman. This year, he intends to win the neighborhood competition. Scooter Davis is going down! Lloyd must also help his parents get ready for their annual Christmas Eve party--the last gasp of fun before the dour relatives descend on them for Christmas day. However, when a blizzard is forecast, the relatives arrive early. Lloyd's mother is on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and Lloyd himself is wondering how he let Kevin, the cockroach, talk him into a party invitation. Things go from bad to worse when a van load of new ghosts possess the local snowmen and go on a rampage, targeting the Wallace house. Now it's up to Lloyd and his co-workers, Doc and DeeDee, to save the day. And Christmas. All without letting the "normal" people realize that the supernatural is alive and well and coming for them.

This was hilarious! Crack at its finest! It seemed that every disaster that could befall Lloyd (and the party) did, from the cat peeing on the cords and shorting out the tree to a snobby socialite dropping in to lord it over everyone, to the booze running out. Lloyd was teetering on a meltdown, but his co-workers helped him remain focused, even when they sent him out as live bait for the murderous snowmen.

Favorite lines:
♦ Handmade sweaters, knit by the gnarled bony hands of Great Aunt Edna herself, from the scratchiest wool on earth, likely harvested from the meanest, most bitter sheep on the planet.
♦ "We are going to pretend to be a happy family, and we are going to have a fucking Hallmark Channel, It's a Wonderful Life, Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus picture perfect Christmas so help me God, or I will kill you all."
♦ "That's some Harry Potter shit right there."
♦ He was making the same sound an old man makes when he's honking out a dirt snake. *

I laughed my way all through this and would definitely read more in the series. Five stars!

Off Key by May Archer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


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Completed the book Off Key by May Archer last night. It's the third in her "Whispering Key" series of male/male romances. Main characters are Rafe Goodman, a Whispering Key lifer, and Jay Rollins, up-and-coming rock star.

Rafe and Jay grew up as besties, spending their summers together on Whispering Key. Rafe developed a crush on Jay as they got older, but he knew he had no chance with his straight BFF. When he had a chance to help Jay's sister, Aimee, via a marriage of convenience, Rafe took it, not knowing he was breaking Jay's heart in the process.

Jay always knew he wanted to write songs and play music, but he also knew the industry wasn't kind to gay men. For that reason, he kept his sexuality to himself along with his burgeoning feelings for his friend Rafe. Once he found success as "Jayd Rollins" and learned that Rafe and Aimee got married, Jay couldn't bear to spend time with either of them. He made sure he was always too busy to get together or even call. His attitude resulted in a huge falling out with Rafe, and now the two of them haven't spoken in years, never mind that "Jayd's" gold album was filled with songs inspired by Rafe.

When Aimee goes no-contact with both her brother and her ex-husband, Jay and Rafe are forced to travel together to find her and make sure she's okay. Being in close proximity reminds each of them of the closeness they once shared, but both are too scared to admit to any feelings or make the first move. It's going to take a kinda-sorta kidnapping, a stolen van, a phone call from Aimee, and the quirky residents of Whispering Key to convince Rafe and Jay that they were always meant to be together.

This one hit all the right feels. Typically in a romance, there's the getting to know one another stage, falling in love, then some drama or conflict before the HEA. In this story, we dive right into the drama and conflict stage. I was pleasantly surprised that, once Jay and Rafe finally talked to one another and got through it, there were no further monkey wrenches thrown into their lives other than the dilemma of how they would handle Jay being a famous musician, while Rafe hates to fly. Hint: the Key is the key! Characterizations were marvelous, even those characters who merely flitted through the narrative. I adored Jay's friend, Oak. The plot had great pacing, the dialogue was witty and heart-warming, and the sexy times were amazing.

Favorite lines:
♦ I had the resources to enjoy myself to the fullest. So what was I doing? Chaperoning a meeting of the Extravaganza Committee. As one does.
♦ A dynastic marriage with a dowry of loaded nachos was not the weirdest setup for a Whispering Key love story I'd ever heard. Literally not even the weirdest this month.
♦ "The Rafe I know and tolerate is a bitter little ball of righteous indignation."
♦ "Did thinking of the giant penises rot your brain?"
♦ Every time I open my mouth, I make a noise like an Edvard Munch painting.
♦ "Choose dicks at every opportunity, you hear me?"
♦ If I kept trucking down Pity Party Lane, I was pretty sure I'd end up sobbing into my fritters.
♦ When I was with him, something in my soul sighed and whispered, "Ah, there you are!" And I was pretty sure it always would.
♦ "Lord a'mercy, we got us a geyser! The end-times are upon us!"*
♦ "A man never appreciates what he has until shit's half a foot high and rising, am I right?"
♦ "And this guy loves a good topping."
♦ "The kidnapping wasn't for nothing. Best kidnapping I've ever experienced. Ten out of ten."
♦ "Responsibility is stupid. We should throw away our phones and just stay here."
♦ I might have worried that the rapture had come, except my cousin Fenn wasn't replying either, and there was no way that fucker wouldn't be left behind just like me.

May Archer always makes me laugh! Loved this story, five stars.

Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I took two extra days off from vacay, and I used today's downtime to finish reading Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews. It's the second in the "Kate Daniels" spinoff, "Wilmington Years". The story is mainly in Kate's first-person pov, with some passages devoted to Curran's pov.

Having established a home base in Wilmington, Kate and Curran are attempting to maintain a low profile while raising their son, Conlan. Since plans often go awry, their peace is interrupted by a man who comes to beseech them for help. An entire town nearby is being held hostage to an ancient magic that demands human sacrifices. To sweeten the pot, the man offers a vast amount of acreage right in the midst of the trouble area. Kate and Curran agree to help, not so much for the land as to save innocent lives. What they encounter when they travel to Penderton is nothing like anyone has seen before. Massive, Ice Age shapeshifters combined with a dark, unknown magic have them stumped. Kate, however, has magic in spades, and she reaches the decision to embrace it and unleash the full power of a Shinar Queen on the enemy.

Fantastic story! I love the continued world-building as well as snippets of what's been happening in Atlanta since Kate and Curran abdicated their positions in the Pack. Characters were fully realized, including the villains. Fight scenes were exciting, bloody, and brutal. The story was also laced with romance and humor.

Favorite lines:
♦ The world was filled with fools, and I was clearly the dumbest of them all.
♦ "When you find freaky shit in the scary woods, you don't poke it with a stick."
♦ "I trust you with my life, not with yours."
♦ "After you killed the skull mage, you turned to me and you were smiling. A big, bright smile. Old Kate smile." // "Old Kate?" // "Dangerous Kate. Stabby Kate. My Kate."
♦ "I didn't do a thing. I talked to them a bit and then their negotiator self-destructed. Not voluntarily." // "I've negotiated with you before. That tracks." // "Ha. Ha."
♦ If I claimed the land and then faceplanted to my death on the street, I'd never live it down.
♦ It felt almost cheerful: a cozy little picnic, just us and some friends, eating by the scary woods, across from a mass grave and a burning pit filled with corrupted, toxic ashes.
♦ I wasn't close enough to see her face, but her body language was clear enough. It was the Ice Age version of WTF.

Magnificent, engrossing, and satisfying. I only wish it had been longer. Five stars.


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Hot as Heller by Lucy Lennox

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Since I didn't have to work today, I stayed up until the wee hours to finish reading Hot as Heller by Lucy Lennox. It's the third book in her "Aster Valley" series of male/male romances. Main characters are Sheriff Declan Stone and Hollywood star Finn Heller.

Declan moved to Aster Valley from LA to get away from the Hollywood crazy. Now Hollywood has come to Aster Valley in the form of a production crew. An action movie is being filmed in Aster Valley, disrupting the peace and quiet. Declan is particularly annoyed with Finn Heller, especially after Finn mistook him for a valet and instructed Declan to park his car. Still, there's something about Finn that brings all of Dec's protective instincts to the fore. He's both gorgeous and vulnerable, and Declan can't help but be drawn to him.

Finn got his start in acting as a child on a wildly popular TV series. Ever since then he's been trying to make it as a serious actor. He's only working on this film in hopes of landing a role in a Shakespeare adaptation. Finn is accustomed to people wanting a piece of him, using him for connections, and riding his coat tails. Sheriff Stone, however, is different. He seems to see right through Finn's front to the insecure young man he is. With Declan's encouragement, Finn may just learn how to stand up for himself and reach for what he really wants out of life.

A lovely, tender story. Humorous, although not laugh-out-loud funny. You couldn't help but feel sorry for Finn. It's as if there was no one in his life who truly cared about him as a person, rather than as a commodity, including his own mother. Spending time with Declan and his friends makes Finn feel like he belongs for the first time in his life. The drama was exciting, sexy times were delish, and characters were marvelous--even the ones I wanted to punt off the mountain.

Favorite lines:
♦ I was still busy backing up my salt truck over this latest outrage.
♦ "She comes in here with Pickles all the time and makes everyone laugh."
♦ "Everyone knows Scooby-Doo."
♦ "I swore to myself not to treat you like a piece of meat, and now here I am with my steak sauce out and my knife sharpened."
♦ "No matter what nefarious plans were afoot, our intrepid sheriff was all in."

I really liked this book. I'm hesitant to give it five stars, but it deserves more than four. Why can we not give halfsies?! As a nod to the author, I'll bump this from 4.5 to 5.