Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 312 - Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander, Wait Until Dark by Kat Martin

Uneasy Lies the Crown by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Not my favorite story. I like Lady Emily and enjoyed the previous book where she told two stories; one current and one from the past. They did a good job of putting the two stories together. This time I did not enjoy the past and found that it really slowed the story down. Lady Emily is looking for a killer and Colin is trying to solve a puzzle. That puzzle is the reason for the story set in the past. I liked the current mystery and skimmed the past story. There was a connection but it just did not catch me and as a result this is the first time a book form this series gets only 3 stars.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Wait Until Dark by Kat Martin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A nice short start to a new series by Kat Martin. Jonah Wolfe and April Vale are both interesting characters. When April is set up to take the blame for a murder she turns to Jonah. The result is an exciting story with enough twists and turns to keep the story interesting while keeping the ending a surprise. Nice start to a new series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 150 - The Phoenix Warrior by Ella Drake, Provenance by Ann Leckie, A Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander

The Phoenix Warrior by Ella Drake
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I had trouble getting into this one. I found the action to be slow and the result difficult to understand. I did like the characters but did not feel the tension between the the two main ones made that much sense. I also found the book to be overly long. I felt it would have been better if it was edited down to a shorter length. I will wait to see if book two does a better job of catching me.


Provenance by Ann Leckie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a interesting story. Like my headline after I finished listening I came to the conclusion that this was story about sibling rivalry and coming of age mixed with politics. All of this is wrapped up in a complex plot while following the sibling who never expected to inherit because of her adoption background. Included were the different worlds, aliens, and the politics involved when you mixed all of this up. There is great world building and back story told from the main characters point of view. Adjoa Andoh does great job with giving voice to all the characters that are represented in this very complex plot.

Death in St. Petersburg by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This time Lady Emily has managed to join her husband Colin while he is on assignment. This leads to a book that tells a tail of mystery as well as highlighting the city of St. Petersburg. Set at the turn of the century there is unrest but the Tsar is still in power and the rich and mighty fill the halls of the city. What starts as a magical night at the ballet turns into a tale of murder when the principal ballerina is found dead outside of the theater. Lady Emily is asked to find the killer and she accepts. I was fun to see the city through her eyes and to watch her eliminate one suspect after another. There is a hint of the coming unrest before she realizes who the killer is. At the same time Colin is looking into the situation for England and the Queen. A very nice addition to the series.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #77 - Imprudence by Gail Carrier, A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander, Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany

Imprudence by Gail Carriger
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I like Imprudence better than Prudence the first book in the Custard Protocols. Once again Prudence and her crew are off in the Spotted Custard, her airship. Part of the book finishes out the Parasol Protectorate; something I had wondered about. As it turns out everything happens as planned in the last book Timeless. From there Pru and friends are off in another interesting adventure. This could be the last book in the series as things ended on a high note for Rue and Quesnel. We will see if there is more to come. This would stand alone but is much better if you have read Prudence and the Parasol Protectorate series.


A Terrible Beauty by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It seems that we are going back to book one in the Lady Emily series. Once again it seems like Philip, Lady Emily's first husband is alive. This time it is not a hint but a person who shows up looking and sounding like Philip. It throws both Emily and Colin a big curve. It was interesting to see how both reacted. Neither Emily or Colin want to end their marriage. They are still very much in love and plan to stay together. Philip does not seem to pose too much of a threat to the two but he does come with a mystery and brings danger with him. Is this really Philip or is it someone else? That is not resolved until the end of the book. An interesting addition to the series even though it seems like a re-tread of book one.

Elementary, She Read by Vicki Delany
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had not read a cozy mystery in quite awhile and had forgotten how much I enjoyed them. Elementary She Read had a book store devoted to Sherlock Holmes as the setting for this new series. Sherlock Holmes is part of the story line but the characters are unique unlike many that are following the Holmes theme. The setting is New London, New England and Baker Street. The main character is very good at noticing details but she is also sometimes to clever for her own good. She makes mistakes but does finally realize committed the murders and why. A engaging book. The cat named Moriety was one of my favorite characters. Relives in the books story and likes everyone but the book store owner. A very different cat who does nothing to help solve crime.

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Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 - February 17, 2017

I'm linking up with Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings and Freda's Voice for Page 56. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Pick the closest book on your book stack and join the fun.

The Beginning:

"I looked at the profusion of mourning jewelry spread across my dressing table and sighed. "

Page 56:

"Whenever I catch my first glimpse of the Parthenon, I know the Greeks were superior to the Romans, but I will never admit this in any other circumstance."

From A Terrible Beauty, A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander. I have followed this series from the beginning. According to the blurb, this latest one has a twist I never saw coming. I got it at the library yesterday and it is on top of my TBR pile.

Short and Sweet Book Reviews # 53 - It Must Be Christmas by Jennife Cruise, Donna Alward and Mandy Baxter, The Falls by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander

It Must Be Christmas: Three Holiday Stories by Jennifer Crusie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What it not to like when you get three novellas with a Christmas theme and a romance. All three stories were fun to read but Hot Toy by Jennifer Cruise was the one that made me laugh out loud through out the story. A really fun story with toys and spies at its heart. Christmas at Seashell Cottage by Donna Alward had me wondering if I had read it before. I had not but I had read the novel that came after this story. A nice sweet romance with a baby at the heart of the story. Christmas with the Billionaire Rancher by Mandy Baxter was the story with the most explicit sex as a big part of the story line. Since I usual just skin those part this was a very fast read. All three have been published before so check before you buy to make sure you have not already read them. If not pick up It Must be Christmas for some nice Christmas Romances that are fun. The nice thing about three stories in one book; you can sip them one at a time between all of your holiday plans and get the complete story in a much smaller time frame.


The Falls: A Diving Universe Novel by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

For those of us who are fans of the Diving Universe and have read the series from the start The Falls will probably not be what you expect. No Boss in this one. Instead it takes the readers to a Fleet Base that is still active but about to close. There is a mystery that starts with a pair of shoes left at Flisker Falls on the same day that the final closing date for this Fleet Base was announced. While the mystery is center stage for the story it also gives a lot of backstory and world building for the rest of the series.
There are also some great characters and two events that turn out to be connected.

I enjoyed the story and wondered if it would have any tie in to the previous books in the series since this happened many years in the future, not in the time the rest of the story takes place. Listen and look careful for near the end there is something that ties the book to events in the past. Rush says in her comments she started this story to flesh out the Fleet and how it operated but she realized that she had written an entire novel to get all the information in she wanted so decided to publish it for those of us who love the series. I think it would also work as a stand-alone or an introduction to the series.
There is a new book in the series coming out in 2016.


The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Lady Emily books and I call them a slow burn mystery. This one starts when Emily and Colin go to France for the engagement party for Emily's life long friend Jeremy. No one expected Jeremy to ever marry but it seems he has found the perfect woman and plans to make her his wife. Nothing goes as expected. People are dying and Emily wants to know why. There are a lot of red herring along the way. While I though maybe I knew who and why things were happening actions in the story kept me guessing. A nice addition to the series. You can read this as a stand-alone. It is a good introduction to the series but like most series it is much better if you have read the previous books.

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Book Beginnings and The Friday 56 - October 28, 2016

I'm linking up with Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings and Freda's Voice for Page 56. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Pick the closest book on your book stack and join the fun.

The Beginning:

"The English Duke is dead."

Page 56:

"We must speak no more on this subject. Bainbridge is happy and the choice of wife is his alone."

From The Adventuress, A Lady EmilyMystery, by Tasha Alexander. This is one of my favorite historical mystery series. It is set in the early 1900 and features setting around the world. I just started reading today and am having trouble putting it down to write this post.

Stacking the Shelves: October 22, 2016

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves. 

For Review:

Flying Through Fire by Nina Croft









Eye of The Pharaoh by Nancy Fraser






From the Library:



Frost Line by Linda Howard and Linda Jones








The Adventuress by Tasha Alexander






Won From Author:



Werewolf in Denver by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Tempting the Cowboy by Vicki Lewis Thompson

What Else I Read in March of 2015

Books:

The Skull Throne by Peter V. Brett- This is the fourth book in the Warded Man Series. The books are about mankind's war with the Demons that come at night. At the end of the third book Arlen threw himself and Jardir off a cliff during their combat to decide who was the Deliver. It was a true cliffhanger. The prologue shows the response of the parties watching the single combat, Brett then moves on and throws a twist into the story. It appears that he will continue his habit of retelling part of the story from previous books from another character's perspective, this time Jardir's niece, who doesn't seem as central to the story as the retellings in 2nd and 3rd books.  I quickly realized it wasn't as deep a retelling as from those books, and the story of the Daylight War dominates most of this book. This book is longer than the previous books, and with out giving spoilers I have to say the story line takes some twists that I didn't see coming.  I don't think it advanced the series as much as I expected. I thought the series was going to be five books, but I am not sure everything can be tied up in one more book even if it is longer than this one. So while mildly disappointed that it didn't seem to move forward as much as I would like, I still look forward to the next book in the series. 

The Peyti Crisis: A Retrieval Artist Novel:  Book Five in the Anniversary Day Saga (Retrieval Artist series 12) by Katherine Kristine Rusch This series just gets better and better.  In the Peyti Crisis everyone begins to see that there is more to the attacks than they thought.  There are some new characters in the book but most of the action is centered on DeRicci, Miles Flint, Bartholomew Nyquist and Deshin.  All main character we have met before.

Start this series from the beginning of the Anniversary Day Saga as all the action and characters build from that point.  For even more fun start with book one of the Retrieval Artist series.  Rusch is publishing one book a month in the Anniversary Day Saga so there is much more to come and you don’t have a long wait until the next book.  I have the next book on pre-order so I can start reading on its release day.

The Argent Star (The Monarchy Book 1) by Emerson Fray – I did a book blast tour for The Argent Star because I liked the concept of owning a star because someone in the past named it.  The tour did not come with a copy of the book so I purchased it on Amazon. 

Despite the great concept the book was a disappointment.  I almost put the it down several times.  The world building, back-story and characters all needed a good editor to bring everything into focus.  This is the start of a series so I hope that things jell more in the next book.  Having said that it was a disappointment I will still give book two a try because it does have great potential. 

The Counterfeit Heiress (Lady Emily #9) by Tasha Alexander – This is a very nice addition to the Lady Emily series.  Again Emily and Colin are drawn into a mystery that leads to another mystery.  Starting in London at a Masquerade ball they travel to Paris as they work to find out where the real heiress is.  I caught on sooner than either Emily or Colin but that did not keep me for enjoying the book.  In fact I think when I do know before everyone in the book it just makes it more fun.

A Matter of Trust by Greta van der Rol – A really good SFR story with great characters and action.  The romance is believable.   Amira and Admiral Ul-Mellor have met before.  When she is in danger he is the one to come to her rescue. It is only 94 pages but van der Rol uses each to maximum advantage.  The story line keeps moving, the two main characters are very well drawn and the romance nicely done.  This could lead to future stories so maybe Amir and her Admiral will grace the pages of a future story.

Stars Across Time by Ruby Lionsdrake – Yes, yes, yes.   I would love more about Andie and Theron.  Ruby Lionsdarke wrote Stars across Time while taking a break from her Mandrake Company series.  Stars Across Time is a time-travel story with some really interesting characters and a great story line.  With all of the world building and character development it would be a share if this were the only story in this setting.  The ending leaves room for a whole lot more so I hope to see Andie and Theron again.

Conspiracy (The Iron Admiral #1) by Greta van der Rol – This is

book one so don’t look for a nice neat ending.  One thing is over but there are still a lot of issues to resolve.  Allysha’s husband is still out there somewhere and she still cannot forgive the Admiral.  My only problem with the book was how Admiral Saahren fell in instant love with Allysha.   I did think it should have taken a little longer.  I did like the no HEA in Conspiracy.  There is a lot of tension and danger in Conspiracy.  The world building and back story are very well done.  Now I just have to get the next book in the series.

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs – I have

read several of the Mercy Thompson books but never Moon Called. When I dropped off books for my local library’s used book store I saw it on the shelf and decided to pick it up.  Reading it after reading other Mercy Thompson books and reading the Alpha and Omega series added to my enjoyment.  I could see the hooks to other stores and to the Alpha and Omega series.  Moon Called has great character development, back story and world building.  All in all very enjoyable.

Reckless Rescue (A Barren Planet Romance Book 1) by Rinelle

Grey – What happens when you have a planet that affects fertility and a male who crash lands on that planet.  This is how Tyris meets Marlee and what follows is a slow growing romance that may or may not work.  This is book one and only one problems is solved.  The story is very well written, the back-story revealed as needed, and the world building is solid.  All in all a nice Science Fiction Romance.

The Navy SEAL’s E-Mail Bride by Cora Seton – I read one of Seton’s other E-Mail order bride stories and thought it was really cute.  The Navy SEAL’s story is just as fun.  Mason Hall is a great character and Regan is his match.  It was fun seeing them get together.  Like some other’s I did not like the debt that was thrown in.  It was unfair to put that on Mason but it did serve a plot purpose.  Cute story and an easy read.

Her Mule Hollow Cowboy by Debra Clopton – Maddie Rose is one of those strong characters who just cannot ask for help.  She also keeps her heart secure by keeping everyone at a distance.  Enter Cliff Masterson who sees Maddie’s need for control but works very hard to get into her heart.  This is a nice sweet story with some Christian influence.  It is just a short few paragraphs so it is not enough to be a turn off if that is something you don’t like in a book.  No explicit sex just some hot kisses as Cliff wins Maddie over.  A really nice short love story.

Joe Steele by Harry Turtledove – I can’t say I liked or disliked Joe Steele.  I can say I found it was a depressive read but one that struck an uncomfortable cord.  This could happen today.  We could take that slippery slope that leads to a country we don’t want.  I have to wonder if that is the reaction Turtledove wanted.  Read at your own risk.

Audio Books:

Raging Heat by Richard Castle - I love Castle the TV show and have watched from the first episode.  Richard Castle is the fictional hero on the show and he is the author of the Nickki Heat books.  It turns out there are actual books being released with Richard Castle listed as the author.  Raging Heat is the first one I have read/listened too.  It is a fun book with lots of action, romance and tension.  I don't know who actually writes them but I think any fan of the show would enjoy the story.  

The Blood of an Englishman by M.C. Beaton - Agatha is once

again looking for love and this time it looks like she might find it.  Her luck has not changed though.  All of her possibilities fall through.  As all of this happens she is trying to solve several murders.  I have followed this series from book one and it just does not get old.  Look for all the previous characters to appear and some like Charles to play a major role.  There was a twist in the book that I did not expect.  I  won't be eating certain foods for awhile.

Stacking The Shelves - March 7, 2015

Books Stacked on My Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books I added to my shelves this week. They may it be physical or virtual. I include books I buy in a physical store or online, books I borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews.  Follow the link to see what others have on their shelves. 

This week two of the books I had a hold on at my local library came in.  Jayne Ann Krentz's latest Trust No One and Tasha Alexander's latest Lady Emily Mystery The Counterfeit Heiress both arrived and were available for check out.  Now they are waiting for me to finish my current book and dive into both of these.

When I checked Netgalley this week I found a whole group that I wanted to read and review.  I had my review list down and now it has 8 new titles.  Most are Science Fiction or Paranormal, two of my favorite reading groups.

The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier Leviathan by Jack Campbell

Omega by SM Reine

Angles of Attack by Marko Kloos

Alien Separation by Gini Koch

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep

King of Thieves by Evan Currie

The Alchemist’s Daughter by Mary Lawrence

Betrayed by Your Kiss by Laura Landon