Some Favorite Books This Week!

I’ve been having a tough time keeping up with both the reading AND posting here. While I get it all sorted out, I thought I could at least post the reviews here to Amazon, so you can read them there!

By the way, the first book on the top line above is my own book, published in April to help restaurants through the pandemic. Know any restaurateurs, restaurant managers, or head chefs? Let them know about the book! It could save their business!

Note: I am listing reviews as I do them each day. Sometimes, Amazon takes days or even a week or more to approve these reviews, so you will see a lag between when I list reviews and when a link is available. The longest I had to wait was 3.5 weeks!

Note about Goodreads and BookBub Reviews Linked Below

Sometimes, you’ll see me link to my review at Goodreads or BookBub. That’s usually because I’m having some sort of issue with Amazon: they’re taking waaaaay too long to post the review or they’ve rejected the review because they say it isn’t up to “community standards.” They are never specific… and just ask me to review the community standards page. I wish they would be specific… so I can avoid whatever it is they don’t like. Most “rejected” reviews are rather tame; some are even 5 stars. I’ve noted that some words seem to trigger it, like boring or transitioning. Hey, sometimes things just ARE boring, and it is much more succinct to say that than “visually unappealing” when talking backgrounds in children’s activity books! Others completely leave me scratching my head about what might be “wrong” with the review.

Hope that life becomes a little more sane so I can post my full reviews here soon!

Fiction

Historical Romance

Taming of the Rake by Victoria Vale
A Lord of Many Masks by Jessica Scarlett (confusing at first… couldn’t tell who the hero was!)
The Depths of Her Soul by Rebecca Ruger (very well-done historical Scottish romance with plucky heroine)
The Lady of Larkspur Vale by Kasey Stockton
Regency Dukes Box Set by Eliza Heaton
Never a Bride by Abbey North (terrible Pride & Prejudice fan fiction)
The Forgiven Scoundrel by Laura A. Barnes (terribly written… wrong words and phrases… and the hero is reprehensible!)
Heartsick by Abbey North (humorous Pride & Prejudice fan fiction)

Contemporary Romance

The Reunion at Halfpoint by Celia K Nott
Roommaid by Sariah Wilson
Unraveled Hearts by Dakota Davies
Finding Love Box Set by Ashley Zakrewski
The Umbrella Diaries by Stella Quinn
Up to Date by Susan Hatler
Once Upon a Date by Susan Hatler

Mysteries, Suspense, and Thrillers

The Unspoken by Ian K. Smith
Dread and Butter by Chelsea Thomas
A Triple Shot of Trouble by Jo-Ann Carson (end of paranormal mystery series)
The Secret in the Sarcophagus by Ami Diane (very clever time-travel… for an entire town!! In this one, they travel to ancient Egypt)
Witch Things Come in Threes by Mara Webb

Christmas in August/September

A Sweet Christmas by Maria Michaels
A Kiss for Christmas Eve by Jayne Kingsley
Love for Christmas by C. A. Ayres
Silent Night, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany
A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander (for whatever reason, this review was rejected by Amazon… and I can’t figure out what was against “community standards”… can you? Check it out at Goodreads instead…)
The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking by Leigh Perry (fun and funny cozy mystery with an animated skeleton as one of the characters)