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Secrets in the Stacks–supporting friends
Secrets in the Stacks
by Lynn Cahoon
The Survivor’s Book Club is for women who are currently undergoing or have finished treatment for breast cancer. It was founded by Rarity, a local bookstore owner and cancer survivor. The group does not actually read books about cancer, but their background gives them an unspoken bond and perspective. When one of the club members discovers her grandmother murdered in their home, the group shifts into high gear to support their friend, clear her of suspicion, and help discover the real murderer.
As is usual with a Lynn Cahoon book, Secrets in the Stacks has an intricate plot, great characters, and a lot of surprises. Cahoon actually discovered cozy mysteries when she was going through breast cancer treatments herself and realized that writing is what she really wanted to do. She has been very successful with several popular series to her credit, but this is the first one that draws on her experiences with cancer treatment and survival.
Rarity is supported by a group of friends who are Sedona, Arizona, locals. She is close friends with Drew, a detective, but the romantic interest in the story is Archer, an athletic man who leads group hikes in the surrounding area. Rarity has her dog Killer, a Pomeranian, with her almost constantly. As the boss, she can even take her well-trained dog, who has a great instinct about people, to work with her.
The murdered grandmother was well-loved in the community, but no one seemed to know anything about her life before she and her teenaged son moved to Sedona. The group decides that something from her past could be a motivation for the crime. The deeper they delve, the more complications arise.
The ending is dramatic, action-packed, and surprising. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
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: Mystery
Notes: 1. #2 in the Survivors’ Book Club Mystery Series, but could be read as a standalone as Cahoon provides any background information needed.
2. Sedona is often associated with new-age beliefs so there are several references to tarot cards as well as one to crystals and sending out good wishes through the universe. Some of the characters believe in the “mystical part” of the tarot card reading and others don’t. As a Christian, I avoid the occult, but there are few enough references and enough skepticism on the part of the characters that I am able to read this book. It is not a predominant theme.
3. Includes a recipe for Hamburger Stew.
Publication: November 1, 2022—Kensington Books (Lyrical Press)
Memorable Lines:
“…running my own business is harder than I thought it would be. Every time I think I see a light at the end of the tunnel, it turns out to be a train.”
She’d worked out her negative feelings about what Shirley had said without confronting the woman. Sometimes you just needed to realize it was you and not them.
The book club was more than just a bunch of women reading books. Or even poking their noses into an investigation, or now, two. They were there for each other.
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.
Liturgy of the Ordinary: sacred practices in everyday life
Liturgy of the Ordinary
by Tish Harrison Warren
Liturgy is the form or pattern that a church service follows. It may be a general and loose sequence or it may be highly structured as followed by Anglicans and other denominations that use The Book of Common Prayer. In Liturgy of the Ordinary, Tish Harrison Warren connects our daily routines to the rituals and patterns of the Christian life from our waking in the morning to our rest at the end of the day. Along the way she examines our search for lost objects and ties it into confession and repentance. She discusses quarrels within the family and how as Christians we are called to extend peace or shalom. Warren dissects how we look at time and at community. She suggests savoring the good gifts of God in our everyday life, but discourages overindulgence in pleasure lest it become an addiction, trapping us in the cycle of wanting more.
Liturgy of the Ordinary is a wonderful book for individual enjoyment and study or for sharing with a group. It is a book that takes simple concepts and invites a deeper dive. Warren is an excellent writer. The book is full of wisdom from both Warren and those she has studied. She invites the reader to look at everyday routines in a new way. The book is replete with anecdotes and quotes. Above all, Warren is open and honest; readers will see themselves in her struggles and her revelations. She makes the mystery of living out the Christian life in this broken world both real and accessible.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Nonfiction
Notes: Includes Discussion Questions, Practices, and a Bibliography
Publication: 2016—InterVarsity Press
Memorable Lines:
Waiting, therefore, is an act of faith in that it is oriented toward the future. Yet our assurance of hope is rooted in the past, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth and in his promises and resurrection. In this way, waiting, like time itself, centers on Christ—the fulcrum of time.
Christian friendships are call-and-response friendships. We tell each other over and over, back and forth, the truth of who we are and who God is…My best friendships are with people who are willing to get in the muck with me, who see me as I am, and who speak to me of our hope in Christ in the midst of it. These friends’ lives become a sermon to me.
The words of the liturgy felt like a mother rocking me, singing over me, speaking words of blessing again and again. I was relaxing into the church like an overtired child collapsing on her mom. When my husband and I would get into the car after church each week and talk about the service, I would say to him, “It feels like chamomile tea.”
Hooked on You–Riley and Hayden’s story
Hooked on You
by Kathleen Fuller
Riley and Hayden went to the same high school, but barely knew each other. She went off to New York City hoping to find success as an artist while he pursued a career in baseball. Both find themselves helping out at family businesses—a yarn shop and a hardware store in the dying little town of Maple Falls. Author Kathleen Fuller has created damaged, but likable characters and surrounded them with loving, supportive people. Will the pair overcome their pasts? Can they save the businesses and the little town?
Join the BB’s (Bosom Buddies) who are Riley’s grandmother’s friends, and the Three Musketeers, an unlikely group of three young women as they welcome the loner Riley with the friendship she never had.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Romance
Notes: 1. #1 in the Maple Falls Romance Series which should be read in order.
2. Includes a map of Maple Falls and Discussion Questions
Publication: 5/11/2021—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
A riot of colors, textures, and fibers filled the canvas in front of Riley McAllister. She tilted her head to the right. To the left. Then, with careful precision and pointed tweezers, she started to apply a hair-thin golden thread to the narrow bead of glue on the peacock feather in the center, the final touch to a project that had taken over three months to complete.
Mimi’s lilting Southern drawl filled Riley’s ear, triggering the tiniest spark of homesickness, which always surprised her. After nine years of living in New York City, she should be over it, but every time she heard Mimi’s voice, it came back again. Riley’s life in Maple Falls had been a big disappointment, but that wasn’t Mimi’s fault.
The Maple Falls Romance Series
I tried to start reading the Maple Falls Romance Series with an Advanced Reader Copy of the third novel. By the time I got to the fourth chapter, I realized that Sold on Love was just not good as a standalone. I was dropped in the middle of a small town wedding where everyone, except me, knew everyone else. Very confusing! Fortunately, since bad weather closed the library for a few days, my library was able to provide me with e-copies of the first two books in the series. Each book in the series focuses on a different couple, and thus characters are introduced as necessary and show up again in later books. The books in order of publication are:
Hooked on You
Much Ado About a Latte
Sold on Love
Two to Tango (to be released on July 11, 2023)
My next upcoming reviews will give my impressions of the three published books in the series. They are all clean, gentle romances. I am attracted more to cozy mysteries than romances, but I did enjoy these.
The True Love Bookshop–a Marine of honor
The True Love Bookshop
by Annie Rains
With themes of forgiveness and second chances, The True Love Bookshop invites you into the small town of Somerset Lake. The setting is predominantly Tess’ dream come true: her bookshop which she is trying to put her own stamp on by expanding the collection of books on offer and inviting authors for book signings. Unfortunately, she is still dealing with grief three years after her husband passed away.
The drama in Tess’ life ratchets up when River Harrison stumbles into the bookshop having suffered a knife wound. He is the man who ruined her wedding day nine years prior. Although she has never forgiven him for trying to break up the event, she agrees to take care of his dog Buddy while he is in the hospital. This simple act of kindness results in Tess and River teaming up to find out what her deceased husband Jared was doing in the neighboring town of Morrisville when he had the fatal car accident.
This romance has its share of ups and downs. Tess and River both deal with pains from the past. River was adopted as a two year old, but has done little to search for his birth parents. He is viewed as a loner, but he enjoys nature and is happy. There are devastating revelations in store for Tess. Both characters learn to redefine family and friendship.
I liked Tess and River; watching them reach out and grow emotionally and relationally was a pleasurable benefit of this romance. There were plot complications both for the couple and for the town whose festival had been ruined for the last two years by mischief. As a PI, River was hired to discover who was behind the problems.
This was my introduction to author Annie Rains, and I would definitely like to read more of her books. I appreciated that the author included multi-cultural friends and marriages and treated them as the norm.
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: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #3 in the Somerset Lake Series, but it worked fine for me as a standalone.
2. Includes excellent discussion questions.
Publication: July 7, 2022—Forever (Grand Central Publishing)
Memorable Lines:
…the point of Tess’s book club…was friendship, food, and fiction. The best three f-words in the dictionary, if you asked Tess.
River believed in loyalty and honor, not just in the military, but in everything. And Jared believed in loyalty and honor only when someone else was watching.
…River had never believed in luck. He believed in right and wrong, in keeping your word, and helping others as much as possible. He couldn’t imagine ever falling into a pattern where he did the wrong thing and needed to search out lawyers to hide his secrets.
Through the Liquor Glass–—not the author’s best
Through the Liquor Glass
by Sarah Fox
Sadie and Grayson find a food critic’s body under a cask at Grayson’s brewery. It soon becomes clear that someone is trying to frame Grayson for the murder. He goes into hiding, and Sadie, owner of the Inkwell pub, tries to find the real murderer. She is also dealing with maintaining the Inkwell’s booth at the local food and drink festival, and running her business during this top tourist season. Add to that her mother’s first visit to Sadie’s new home and business in Vermont. Sadie wants her mother’s approval on her new life and her new boyfriend who is currently on the run from law enforcement.
I have enjoyed all of the cozy mysteries in The Literary Pub Mystery Series by Sarah Fox, but this one was disappointing for me. The plot was well-conceived, but the execution was repetitious. Just how many times do I want to read about Sadie drinking coffee at her apartment, at her pub, and at the local coffee shop? How many times does the author need to verbalize Sadie’s emotional distress over missing her boyfriend? They were only separated for a little over a week. Sadie, in her efforts to clear Grayson, does a number of stupid, dangerous and illegal things. One example is stealing a hotel key card, breaking into a guest’s room, and returning the key card—actions which she repeats! Grayson purposely does not tell Sadie where he will hide out so she can truthfully relate that to the police when she is questioned. Despite the police having surveillance over her pub and apartment, she works as hard at discovering his location as she does at uncovering the murderer, putting herself and Grayson in even more threat of being arrested unless the murderer finds them first.
The whodunnit part of the book is interesting and surprising, but not really worth the read for me. I want to read the next book in the series as I hope this was a one off.
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: Mystery
Notes: 1. Contains two recipes—a snack: Maple Butter Popcorn and a cocktail: Kiss of the Cider Woman
2. #5 in The Literary Pub Mystery Series, but can work as a standalone because the author does a great job of supplying information about each character as they appear in this book.
Publication: November 29, 2022—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
Even with my back to what was likely the murder weapon, I was keenly aware of its presence. It was almost as if it were emitting a palpable and dangerous energy.
When we left the cidery a few minutes later, I had a snack in hand to assuage any physical hunger pangs that might strike, but my appetite for clues remained unsatisfied.
Silence settled over our table, but it was a silence fraught with tension and apprehension. My mother stared at me from across the table and I had to fight to keep from sliding down any farther. I was already in danger of falling off my seat.
Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door–kidnapping
Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door
by Barbara Ross
If you want a solid mystery with good writing and a well-crafted plot, if you are in search of a cozy mystery that has tension, but is not too dark, give Barbara Ross’ Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door a try. A young lawyer seeks out her next door neighbor Jane, whose business cards read “Professional Busybody,” to help her determine the cause of some unusual symptoms. Jane, retired from her first career, has helped informally with a murder investigation before, but her real focus is smaller, neighborhood problems. She charges a fee that is high enough to discourage those who are just irritated over a frivolous situation.
The young neighbor’s problem is sufficiently bizarre to attract Jane’s interest, especially when she disappears the next day. In her investigation, Jane uncovers a sad past for this woman who is an overcomer. There are a lot of potential suspects, and as an older woman, Jane is not shy about getting in their faces with her questions or finding her way around guard dog secretaries. There are surprises along the way and the plot is not simple. Jane and the reader learn together about the suspects with various ones narrowed down and then eliminated…or not. The kidnapper seemed suspicious to me early on, but so did a lot of other people. The ending wrapped things up well.
I was unable to find plans for a third book in the series, but I hope there will be one. Meanwhile, I think I would enjoy reading other books by this author who will be publishing the eleventh book in her Maine Clambake Mystery Series in June.
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: Mystery
Notes: Always in search of a good, clean mystery with a plot Agatha Christie would be proud of, I took fellow blogger Jay’s advice and read this book. He also suggested that I might enjoy it more if I read the first in the series. I have requested it from my library, but didn’t want to wait for it. I am happy to announce that I had no problem reading and enjoying the second book in the series as a standalone.
Publication: December 28, 2021—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
As for her son, Jonathan, he and Jane had not spoken for more than ten years. It was a source of daily heartbreak for her. Parenting was the one area in her life where she had most desperately wanted to succeed. And the one where she had most spectacularly failed.
He was a medium-height man and very square. Square head emphasized by close-cropped brown hair. Square shoulders emphasized by the cut of his sports jacket. Even his manicured fingernails were squared. Not a bad-looking man, despite the squareness.
“But embracing a new way of life means giving up an old vision of how our lives will be. It’s hard to let go, but it’s necessary to do so to live in and enjoy a new reality.”
Christmas at the Amish Market–finding the right mate
Christmas at the Amish Market
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Sometimes we forget how stressful being a shopkeeper in the month of December can be. There is no exception for Amish merchants as many customers seek out their wares for unique, special gifts. Wesley Raber has been working at his family’s large Amish market since he was a boy. As a young man he gradually took over most of the operation, but he had never tried to handle it alone until his father had a heart attack.
Jenny, who has a month-long break from her job as a nanny, is called in to help at the market. She stays with Liesl who is actually her niece although they are close to the same age. Wesley has been courting a frustrated Liesl for many years but has never proposed. Liesl is an expert seamstress and through her work has met the widower Roland and his four year old daughter Lilly.
Since Christmas at the Amish Market is a Hallmark book, you can guess where the plot is headed, but as always it is fun to learn more about the characters and their struggles, experience the ups and downs of their lives, and watch as romance develops in a very proper Amish way. The Pinery is a Christmas event center that plays an important role in the story. It attracts tourists and locals to view the magical light displays, sample delicious food and drinks, and get lost in a tree maze.
“For sure and for certain,” Christmas at the Amish Market is a fun holiday read with a quiet Amish background showing people trusting God and seeking his guidance.
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: Romance, Religion, Christian
Notes: The book includes a recipe for Cincinnati-style chili. It is served in an unexpected way, and the reason it is a Christmas Eve tradition for Liesl’s family is shared in the story.
Publication: November 8, 2022—Hallmark Publishing
Memorable Lines:
…while Wesley was kind and sweet to her, he didn’t exactly have as much passion for life—or for her—as she might have imagined. He was more the steady, plow horse type of man. He clip-clopped along at a steady pace but never exactly did anything flashy.
He was currently in between a rock and a hard place with a side of torrential rain added into the mix. It was the holiday season, and he had a slew of customers needing to be served and two parents who were depending on him to not let them down.
“You know as well as I do that our Lord is in charge. Everything happens in His own way and in the right time. Doesn’t do any good to second-guess accidents and whatnots.”
The Party Crasher–a family breakup
The Party Crasher
by Sophie Kinsella
Check them off your list—the elements you anticipate in a Sophie Kinsella novel. You will find them in The Party Crasher.
- A wacky, but lovable protagonist: Effie (AKA Euphemia or Ephelant).
- Interesting setting: Greenoaks isn’t just any old house. It’s amazing. It has character. It has a turret! It has a stained-glass window. Visitors often call it “eccentric” or quirky” or just exclaim, “Wow!”
- Broken romantic relationship: What happened to Joe years ago that he would just drop Effie without an explanation?
- Dysfunctional family: Mimi, the beloved stepmother, and Dad have an announcement one Christmas that changes everyone’s life.
- Siblings: Bean, the always positive peacemaker, and Gus who is clearly unhappy in his relationship with the domineering Romilly.
- Mystery: Where are the missing Russian stacking dolls?
- A house-cooling party: Doesn’t everyone have one when they move?
- A gold-digger or two: Perhaps the flashy Krista and/or her flirty sister Lacey?
- Humor in both situations and characters: Maybe a protagonist dressed in black sneaking through her own house with a little Mission Impossible music thrown in for good measure?
I enjoyed The Party Crasher, and I recommend it for light-hearted fun with a background of serious themes and issues.
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: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: Includes some casual swearing
Publication: October 12, 2021—Dial Press (Random House)
Memorable Lines:
For all that I loved him, I never got to the core of Joe. I never reached his innermost Russian doll. He always kept a part of himself locked well away.
I had no idea my brother and sister were so secretive and duplicitous. I’m shocked and I will tell them so, at some point, when I’m not hiding from them under the console table.
She sounds cynical. Her face is tight and jaded. She looks as if her expectations of life have sunk so low, she’s not going to bother having any anymore.
education pathways 