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The Party Line–life changing secret
The Party Line
by Carolyn Brown
Once upon a time, phones had no dials or buttons. To place a call, you spoke to an operator who made the connection. To be affordable, several people shared the same phone line—and could stealthily listen in on neighbors’ conversations. What a way to spread gossip! That was the birth of the “party line.” What could happen if someone overheard something confidential never meant to be disclosed? Gracie, at fourteen, heard a secret that changed her life forever.
Gracie grew up to be a strong, independent woman of means. She shared her life and love with Sarah whose own parents kicked her out when she became pregnant out of wedlock. Gracie helped Sarah raise her daughter Lila and became a grandmother to her in every way except by blood. When Gracie passed away, she left her home and much of her fortune to Lila whose life was changed as she tried to live up to Gracie’s example and expectations in the little town of Ditto. She also devoted a lot of time to discovering Gracie’s secret.
The first chapter left me floundering a little trying to orient myself within this story. I gradually became more comfortable as history caught up with the present and the characters were somewhat sorted. Along the way, we are introduced to Sarah (Lila’s mom), Jasper (Gracie’s 90 year old best friend), and Connor (Lila’s love interest).
I didn’t enjoy this novel as much as other books by Carolyn Brown. She seemed to be searching for herself to understand ghosts, what happens to a person’s spirit after they die, and communicating with the dead. There was a lot going on in the book which could be viewed positively as a variety of plot threads or negatively as an inability to focus on the important points of the story. Although most of the characters were likable enough, none of them were particularly interesting to me. The premise of the book, a secret, was good, but not well executed and not surrounded with any tension.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Fiction, Romance
Notes: clean
Publication: November 5, 2024—Montlake
Memorable Lines:
“ ‘Ladies do not dance around like heathens in the rain. What would people think?’ ” Then her tone softened, and she smiled at me. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t dance in the rain.”
“Sometimes our choices determine our fate. Sometimes we just follow where we are led and are amazed when we find happiness,” Connor said.
“Do you think this secret stuff will ever completely die down?” “Someday,” she said. “The next generation won’t be interested in something that old any more than they are interested in their grandmother’s crystal and silver.”
Christmas at the Cat Café–in spite of fibromyalgia
Christmas at the Cat Café
by Jessica Redland
Author Jessica Redland slowly builds a captivating romance in the Yorkshire setting she is so familiar with. Tabby, with the nickname of Tabby-cat, is an ailurophile, a cat lover, whose dream is to own a cat café. I had to do an Internet search and discovered that there are examples of this kind of business all over the world, played out in various ways. In general the idea is to have a place for patrons to relax and enjoy being around cats. A baker by trade, Tabby quits her job at a restaurant to establish her special world in a multistoried building with an inheritance from her grandmother who has always encouraged her to follow her dreams. Her boyfriend Leon is also a chef and the intention is for him to run the café with her.
There are multiple problems in the execution of this plan from romance to health issues. I don’t want to insert too many spoilers, but I will reveal that Tabby has fibromyalgia. I learned so much about this condition that I did not know. In some ways it was difficult to read about Tabby’s struggles, but it was fulfilling to see her determination.
Initially I labored to visualize all of the different cats and remember their types and names. I have rescued a few cats over the years, but have spent more time and energy on dogs. I really don’t know all of the different breeds of cats. I soon realized that all of that background knowledge is not necessary to understand the plot, appreciate the characters’ motivations and enjoy this book.
There is a mystery woven into the plot of Christmas at the Cat Café when someone tries to ruin the café in various ways. The other shop owners on Castle Street are welcoming, and Tabby’s family is very supportive. I like Tabby so much as she tries to learn her limits with unpredictable fibromyalgia. Another main character, Tom-cat, was fostered by her grandmother, is a partner in her parents’ business, and has always seemed like a brother. He is handsome and likable and he and Tabby-cat have always been good friends.
Read this book to learn about cats and cat cafés. Read this book to become more aware of fibromyalgia and how you can help those who have it. Read this book because it has a fantastic plot with believable complications and great characters!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: clean other than a very few expletives
Publication: September 15, 2023—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
I realised that if I didn’t get to grips with my fibro, this could be me—angry, bitter, hating the world and everyone in it. That scared me more than a lifetime of pain…
“Fibromyalgia is so unpredictable that it’s not worth investing any energy into worrying about a flare-up. Fibro flares can be triggered by so many things such as stress, over-exertion, illness, changes in the weather and temperature, but sometimes those things don’t trigger a flare, and other times you can have a flare and none of those things are present.”
My heart was pounding and the nervous butterflies in my stomach were chasing each other and doing somersaults. I was excited, but also terrified.
Strike Out 4 Murder–softball themed cozy
Strike Out 4 Murder
by J.C. Eaton
The husband and wife team who write the Sophie Kimball Mysteries, as well as several other cozy mystery series, are on their eleventh book in this series with Strike Out 4 Murder. If you have read other books in this series you will find this one fits into the comfortable, predictable pattern of the rest. Sophie Kimball is a bookkeeper/accountant for a private detective agency in Sun City West, Arizona, where her retired mother, Harriet, lives. Newly married to one of the detectives in the agency, Sophie continues to get involved in investigations. Over time she has gotten more comfortable with searching for clues and putting together the pieces of a mystery puzzle. Sometimes she disregards the questionable legality of her actions.
The reader knows only too well Sophie’s eating habits and her need for caffeine and a good swim. Despite being a little too predictable, this cozy mystery does offer up a good plot—very complicated. It is actually too involved for even the most astute reader to be able to predict the outcome. Several times Sophie thinks she can solve the crime only to discover a missing piece of information that changes everything. Her mother’s dog Streetman, a Chiweenie, and the inclusion of a new dog character Thor, a Great Dane, both add humor, interest, and excitement. Harriet’s book club friends and the men’s pinocle club have major roles in Strike Out 4 Murder with some amusing threads involving Paul and his passion for fishing and Herb who takes up softball.
At this point in the series, I think I enjoy the books more as a reunion with characters than as a captivating mystery. It is fun and well written, but the series probably needs to draw to a close soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #11 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series and probably should not be read as a standalone.
Publication: March 21, 2023—Beyond the Page Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“I can’t be deciphering initials all day long. I blame it on texting. No one can write a full word anymore that’s longer than four letters.”
Intelligence information? Is that the new euphemism for gossip-mongering?
“She can pick up gossip faster than a Hoover vacuum on full speed.”
The Story of Love–being Englisch in an Amish community
The Story of Love
by Beth Wiseman
Yvonne moves from her house in Houston to live in Amish country in Montgomery, Indiana. Her friend Eva has been ordered to bed during her pregnancy, and Eva’s father-in-law is confined to a wheelchair leaving the farm management to Eva’s husband Jake. Yvonne, a rare book dealer, had met the couple at their bookstore, and now she steps in to help her friends at their store.
Abraham is a police officer who left the Amish church on friendly terms hoping to be useful as an intermediary between the Amish and the Englisch. He met Yvonne shortly after her fiancé died and hoped that at the right time he would be able to get to know her better.
The Story of Love is a sweet story of two people trying to sort out priorities and relationships. When the tale begins, Abraham is dating a very attractive woman who is as shallow as a mud puddle. With Yvonne and Abraham trying to make honorable choices, it takes a while for the romance in the story to progress. There is the further complication of Abraham’s family’s attitudes toward both women and their continuing discomfort with Abraham leaving the Amish faith. It is a problem for him too. Interesting and important subplots center on a homeless dog and a case of domestic violence.
I really enjoyed reading The Story of Love and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Hopefully Ever After, to discover what lies ahead for the characters. It is a gentle book but also has some action and confronts some serious issues. The characters use some Amish terms, and through the plot I learned how the Amish celebrate Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: 1. #2 in the Amish Bookstore Novel Series. It would be fun to read the first book in the series, but I had no problem jumping into this one.
2. Contains a Glossary of Amish words used in the book.
Publication: October 11, 2022—Zondervan Fiction
Memorable Lines:
Brianna smiled, looking gorgeous, but now that Yvonne had seen what was on the inside, her striking appearance had lost some of its luster.
This was what Christmas was supposed to be. Gifts created out of love. Meals shared with family. And an all-knowing sense that where more than one gathered in His name, He was there.
…if she was honest with herself, she was the problem. She was unlovable, despite her outward beauty that she’d always counted on to get her through life, to land her a good man, and to enjoy the life she thought she deserved. Maybe you had to give love with genuine intent before you got it back.
Broadcast 4 Murder–mystery with lots of humor
Broadcast 4 Murder
by J.C. Eaton
Get ready to solve several mysteries, laughing your way through the pages of J.C. Eaton’s Broadcast 4 Murder. Sophie (aka “Kiddo” to her boss, “Phee” to her mother, and “Hon” to her boyfriend Marshall) gets pulled into a murder investigation when her mother discovers a dead body at the Sun City West radio station as she prepares to broadcast a show about cozy mysteries. As soon as Sophie’s mother enters the scene, the reader can expect demands on Sophie to nose around, daily phone calls, and wacky shenanigans as the residents of this Arizona senior community interact. Streetman, her mom’s chiweenie, gets a delightful starring role.
The first murder is not the last, and other crimes are discovered in the process of the investigation. Lots of characters are implicated as possible suspects, but they don’t appear to fit all the requirements—motive, means, and opportunity. These crimes are a puzzle to local detectives as well as the private investigators Sophie works with. She is not a private investigator; she is an accountant. In this book, however, she is able to do some informal forensic accounting along with on the ground sleuthing to catch some crooks. Broadcast 4 Murder is funny, has a complicated plot, and will keep you turning pages while you just don’t want it to end.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #7 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but you can enjoy this cozy mystery as a standalone. This husband/wife writing team does an excellent job of beginning the action simultaneously with providing pertinent details of the backstory. They never miss a beat.
Publication: October 27, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
“Someone misplaced an apostrophe on some boxes? That’s the trouble these days. Schools no longer teach the important things. They’re too busy with social skills and self-esteem building. How can anyone build self-esteem if they can’t write a decent sentence?”
“You don’t have to worry about social media. She doesn’t use it. She prefers yenta media. It’s faster and commands a larger audience.”
It played out during the entire week with more and more salient details every night. It was as if we had our own version of Telemundo, only instead of seasoned actors, we had greedy retirees.
Botched 4 Murder–endangered golf courses in Arizona
Botched 4 Murder
by J. C. Eaton
If you like your cozy mysteries with a heavy dose of humor, look no farther than J. C. Eaton’s Botched 4 Murder. Once more, Sophie, who works as an accountant for Williams Investigations, gets dragged into a Sun City West murder investigation by her mother, Harriet, who insists she use her connections to help solve a crime. The main thread is finding the murderer of Sorrel, an eco-activist who wants to change many of the community’s golf courses to neighborhood parks, a very unpopular cause with Harriet and many members of the community, mostly seniors and snowbirds, who are concerned about their privacy, their property values, and crime rates. Was Sorrel murdered because of her activism in this issue or were other factors at play?
This cozy mystery rapidly becomes and stays complicated with quite a number of threads. Sophie has trouble saying no, and she finds herself physically in danger. Her boss, Nate, and her boyfriend and coworker, Marshall, urge her to stay out of the investigation for her own safety, but they have to admit that she gets more information from her informal interviews than they do as private investigators. The whole book is peppered with humor, mainly centering around Harriet and the other seniors who tend to dramatize everything and oil the wheels of the rumor mill.
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #4 in the Sophie Kimball Mystery Series, but, due to the author’s efforts and the nature of the book, it works well as a standalone.
Publication: December 18, 2018—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Thank goodness I was at the other end of a phone line because my eyes were rolling around in their sockets like balls on a roulette wheel.
“The venom went through that guy like prep medicine for a colonoscopy.”
“I already made plans. With my mother and her friends. Bagels ’N More. You’re more than welcome to join me.” “And what? Get interrogated because we haven’t solved Sorrel’s murder yet? No thanks. The Salem Witch Trials would’ve paled in comparison to what I imagine tonight’s conversation will be like.”
The Rancher’s Rescue–the vet comes home
The Rancher’s Rescue
by Cari Lynn Webb
Big E (Elias Blackwell) left the Blackwell Ranch in financial difficulties, took off in his RV with his extravagant fifth wife, Zoe, and nobody in Falcon Creek nor any of his grandsons knows where he is. Big E and his mysterious disappearance is the thread that holds this “continuity series” together.
Jon, as related in The Rancher’s Twins, is the only one of the Blackwell brothers remaining in the area. He has a full time job with his own ranch, twin daughters, and a new wife. He does what he can to keep the Blackwell Ranch above water, but calls in brother Ethan, a newly graduated veterinarian, to troubleshoot various problems including the opening of the Blackwell Guest Ranch and gaining access to more of Big E’s funds to meet expenses.
In The Rancher’s Rescue, Ethan arrives in Falcon Creek and is surprised to learn that the quiet and reliable Grace Gardner is carrying his child. Both Grace and Ethan must come to grips with what a baby means to them, their career goals, and their families. Will love play a part in their decisions about the future?
The first book in this series, The Rancher’s Twins, has a lot of action and cute five year old twins. The main characters are obviously dealing with serious issues in their backgrounds. The Rancher’s Rescue is more subdued. There is less action, fewer events, and more soul searching by the main characters as they waffle back and forth without talking anything out with each other. They have important decisions to make, but they aren’t being honest with each other or themselves. At times it almost feels like Hamlet’s soliloquy on continuous repeat. At other times the plot and interaction are quite enjoyable. The last third of the book is the most interesting as other characters intervene and force a confrontation. Things begin to happen quickly and a resolution occurs.
Author Cari Lynn Webb brings in interesting supporting characters like Katie, manager of the Blackwell Ranch; Judge Myrna Edwards, second wife of Big E—for five days; and Sarah Ashley, Grace’s sister who was Ethan’s high school sweetheart. I appreciate that there were no characters competing for Grace or Ethan romantically. That is a complication that would not have added to the plot: a triangle is not always of benefit to a romance novel.
As in the first book in the series, there is an epilogue that focuses on Big E, and this one holds a huge surprise! Although The Rancher’s Rescue is not as much of a page turner as the first book in the series, it is well-written and I enjoyed it. It also segues nicely into the next book, The Rancher’s Redemption.
I would like to extend my thanks to the author, Cari Lynn Webb for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Notes: #2 in the Return of the Blackwell Brothers series. This could be read as a standalone, but is more enjoyable if read as part of the sequence since the town and its residents are introduced in the first book.
Publication: September 1, 2018—Harlequin Heartwarming
Memorable Lines:
Curse words banged around inside his mouth like popcorn kernels chipping his teeth, but he located his inner gentleman before he spewed any into the air.
That thought bothered him like an unseen puncture in a horse’s sole, that by the time it was discovered, the horse had developed an abscess that could cause severe damage and even death.
“We have to love and live for the moments now so that we have memories to carry us through later.”
education pathways 