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Lessons in Love at the Cornish County Hospital–many faces of love
Lessons in Love at the Cornish County Hospital
By Jo Bartlett
This series is the fictional account of several of the workers at St. Piran’s Hospital. It focuses specifically on two couples: Gary, a staff nurse, and Wendy, the head of housekeeping; and Danni who works in emergency medicine and her boyfriend Charlie, a children’s book author. Working on the fourth book in this series, Jo Barlett presents a lot of background about the various characters. Sometimes I felt like I had been dropped into the middle of a soap opera; and at other times, I admired Barlett’s handling of characters and situations that are serious.
Wendy had been married to Mike, unquestionably a philandering, narcissistic jerk who was the father of her two young adult girls. Now he is in a relationship with the much younger Chloe. Wendy struggles with doing the right things for her daughters as they form bonds with Chloe who is pregnant. Danni is also pregnant and is carefully cared for medically as an older mom with a first child. Both Gary and Charlie are caring and loving mates, but the women take the stage in this novel.
With relationship and medical issues, there is both trauma and drama for Chloe. Eating disorders affect several characters. Wendy struggles with jealousy over Chloe even though Wendy no longer loves or is attracted to Mike. It hurts that her daughters see Chloe as the fun “mom.” Meanwhile Chloe suffers from a deep seated and unfulfilled desire to be loved.
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: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. #4 in the Cornish County Hospital series, but could be read as a standalone.
2. Only 6 instances of swear words and no open bedroom doors.
Publication: October 3, 2024—Boldwood Books
Memorable Lines:
…borrowing tomorrow’s trouble was a sure-fire way to suck all the joy out of life.
If death could come from a thousand small cuts, so could the death of a relationship and it felt like that day was getting closer and closer.
Everything they’d been through had taught her that love really could be found in the most unexpected of places. There was no such thing as loving too many people, or being loved by too many people in return.
What Comes Around–Coroner vs. Pathologist
What Comes Around
By Annette Dashofy
The thirteenth contribution to the Zoe Chambers Mystery series is What Comes Around, a mystery that meets all of my expectations. The protagonist Zoe Chambers, the Monongahela Count Coroner, continues to have conflict with the arrogant and unpopular Dr. Davis, who acts in the role of Chief Deputy Coroner. In their rural area he is the main forensic pathologist.
There are three different crimes that Zoe and her husband Pete, the local police chief, are having to deal with: the brutal murder of a woman who came to town to talk with Zoe, a vehicular attack on a retired forensic pathologist, and a suicide attempt. Zoe is also asked to look into a cold case. She and those law enforcement officers working with her must be getting close to an answer because life gets more dangerous for them.
Investigating these crimes leads to four whiteboards at headquarters with multiple cross-references as the police try to sort out victims, criminals, leads, and motivations. Needless to say, with this many threads, there are numerous clues along with dead ends as some of those interviewed are lying. There are characters whose lives hang in the balance, and the reader is brought along for the well-told adventures. What Comes Around is the kind of mystery that keeps me going from one chapter to another as Dashofy sustains a fast pace with hooks leading to the next chapter.
An additional mystery is on a personal level for Pete and Zoe when a beautiful young woman arrives in town and requests Pete’s help. Something is just not right about her and about the stalker she claims is following her.
I recommend this book and this series. I plan on reading the 5 books I have missed, not to fill in blanks on the characters, but to devour those tales. I love a good mystery!
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: Fiction, Mystery, Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1.#13 in the Zoe Chambers Mystery Series. It could be read as a standalone. I have read 8 of the books in the series and haven’t been hindered in my enjoyment or understanding by not having read all of then. I held off for a while in reading the series, starting with #5, because I couldn’t imagine wanting to read about a paramedic/coroner. It turns out that this series is not too graphic in terms of the bodies which was my main concern.
2. Contains some language, but it is not gratuitous, and there are no sexual encounters.
Publication: May 7,2024—Level Best Books
Memorable Lines:
Pete grabbed for his shoulders, but he juked out of Pete’s grasp. All four of the other officers dived at him, wrapping him up in their arms. For a scrawny kid, he managed to drag all of them a few more feet before they could stop him.
He hoped Abby could unearth this woman’s background online so he could determine what was going on with her. His gut told him she didn’t have a stalker. Nor did he buy Baronick’s ridiculous theory about her stalking Pete. But there was something going on with her. He just didn’t know what.
She flashed back on the awareness of being airborne. The jolt and metallic crunch of the impact. The stomach-curdling sensation of rolling, being flung around inside, pinned by the seatbelts and air bags.
The Amish Matchmakers–romance for the matchmakers
The Amish Matchmakers
by Beth Wiseman
Two Amish elderly sisters, Esther and Lizzie, own the Peony Inn and two neighboring cottages which they rent out. The sisters have a reputation in their community as matchmakers, but in this story they turn their skills on each other. They love each other so much that neither wants her sister to be alone or lonely if she passes first. When retired Englisch dentist Ben Stotzfus leases one of the cabins for 6 months, each determines to make a match for her sister, but both widowed women are actually attracted to Ben.
Another part of the plot introduces Ben’s granddaughter Mindy. Ben was semi-estranged from that part of his family, but now that she is grown they have reconnected. Gabriel is an Amish young man who works for the sisters at the inn, mainly when they need outside work done. He and Mindy meet when an accident occurs at Ben’s cottage. A spark flies upon their meeting but they wonder if anything can come of it since Amish and Englisch romances often have bad endings.
As older adults, Ben and Esther have medical issues that they try to keep secret. Lizzie is an energetic, feisty woman who is an avid reader of romances. She has decided that the cottage is haunted by the ghost of a previous tenant even though that concept is not part of Amish beliefs. Esther frequently has to rein Lizzie in, suggesting that she get rid of books on ghosts and serial killers and calling her out on some lies.
Depending on the issue, the antics and interactions of Esther and Lizzie can be serious or humorous, but their actions, although sometimes extreme, are always well-intentioned. The setting centers around Thanksgiving and Christmas giving an Amish holiday air to The Amish Matchmakers.
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, Christian, Religion
Notes: Standalone
Publication: October 17, 2023—Zondervan
Memorable Lines:
“Gott had a plan. I believe that when things fall into place easily, it was meant to be.”
He truly did believe laughter was good for the soul, and he’d seen plenty of instances where a person’s joyfulness had prolonged their life.
He could lie, but she’d see through him. Mothers has a superpower when it came to lying.
An Amish Cinderella–sweet focus on family
An Amish Cinderella
by Shelley Shepard Gray
Levi Beachy is humble, but he has achieved fame as a blacksmith and a welder, His sculptures are valuable and sought after. He takes on Clayton as his apprentice, a young man who spent most of his years as an orphan in a children’s home. Levi has not thought through the details of the apprentice’s stay—food, lodging, etc. His sweet adult daughter Heart refuses to have Clayton stay in a small unheated attic room over the workshop with spiders, mice, dust and no bathroom facilities. Levi and Heart have been on their own for four years since Heart’s mom Katie passed away. Heart reminds Levi that his wife would never have allowed his treating the young man that way.
Although Levi is physically large and strong and his demeanor is gruff, he actually has a soft spot for children and animals. Levi is patient with his apprentice who works hard and appreciates all Heart does for him. Another important character is Mary who lives close by. She is a widow who helps take care of people in their final days, as she did for Katie Beachy, and those recovering from injuries and sickness. She involves the Beachy family in taking care of a white pet “fancy” rat and also her dog Virginia with five new pups.
An Amish Cinderella displays the trust the characters have in God even during hard times. It shows that God is not a magic genie to deliver wishes, but He does have a plan for our lives and we can count on Him. There are two gentle romances within this tale that is both pleasing and a page turner. This book showcases Amish and English being able to interact to pull together and help others.
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, Christian
Notes: #3 in The Amish of Apple Creek series, but perfect as a standalone because, judging by the publisher’s summaries, the characters do not overlap—just the setting. In fact I thought it was a standalone until I was finished and did a little research.
Publication: September 26, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
That was the thing about Levi Beachy. He was a mess of contradictions. He was the biggest man she knew and twice as gruff, but never harsh. Actually, she’d never heard him raise his voice to anyone. Likely, it was because he had no need to. Between his size and his continual scowl, most people in the area were anxious to do what he wanted and get out of his way.
Though most people’s childhoods were the same, it was different in a home. There were two realities that permeated every waking hour. One was that his parents hadn’t wanted him, and the other was that no one else seemed to want him, either.
Why hadn’t he ever let go of his control enough to feel such joy?…Laughter felt good. It felt cleansing. Hopeful, even. The Lord sure worked in amazing ways.
The Sound of Sleighbells–Christmasy romance
The Sound of Sleighbells
by Janet Dailey
Are you looking for a clean romance with good characters in complex situations? The Sound of Sleighbells is all of that in a Christmas setting that is essential to the plot.
In the little town of Branding Iron, Texas, Ruth is trying to recover from a relationship that 16 years earlier left her a single mom disowned by her family. She found stability a few years later with a kind hearted man who loved her son Skip as his own. After his untimely death, she married Ed who revealed his true self as an abusive, mentally disturbed husband. Fortunately he did not abuse Skip or the two precious girls that he fathered with Ruth.
Judd went to prison for five years for defending a friend in a motorcycle gang fight. He has changed his ways and has become a responsible and successful rancher and leather craftsman specializing in custom saddles. Skip looks just like him.
Ruth has kept Skip and Judd apart to protect Skip, but when they meet she is terrified that they will both discover the secret she has worked hard to hide. Also, both Ruth and Judd feel sparks, but Ruth tries to distance her family from him to protect them from hurt.
There are other good characters in the story and many examples of people helping others. A conflict arises, however, when Digger, the man Judd saved so many years ago arrives fresh from prison with dreams of quick drug money on his mind. He becomes a danger to several of the characters.
For me, this was a quick read, and I enjoyed this Christmasy tale. It had many special moments handled with charm. The three kids and their friends help us see Christmas through children’s eyes. Butch, a massive shaggy brown dog who looks like a small bear, is one of the heroes of this novel.
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
Notes: #6 in The Christmas Tree Ranch Series, but I read it as a standalone with no problems.
Publication: September 26, 2023—Kensington
Memorable Lines:
She knew she should be grateful. But she could feel her stung pride lashing like the tail of an angry cat.
A hush fell over the crowd as the prerecorded piano music began the introduction to “Silent Night.” Voices joined in the beloved old song. Slowly, the magic began to happen—Christmas lights blurred by falling snowflakes, the sigh of a breeze passing through snowy branches, the fresh scent of pine on the chilly air.
To the children who waited, watched, and cheered, this Santa was absolutely real—not just because Abner was round and jolly by nature, but because the living spirit that surrounded him like an aura wasn’t an act. It was genuine.
As Directed–pharmaceutical poisoning
As Directed
by Kathleen Valenti
If you have a master’s degree in pharmacology but come up on the wrong side of Big Pharmaceuticals, you might end up like Maggie O’Malley as a pharmacy technician working her way up to becoming a pharmacist. Along the way Maggie stumbles over dead bodies, gets wound up in several investigations, and finds that her deadly nemesis has been released from jail.
As Directed by Kathleen Valenti is a complicated mystery that makes you feel like you are in a maze. There are lots of victims and many potential criminals. Maggie makes an engaging main character, trying to do the right things but often stumbling along in the frustrating fog of post-concussion syndrome. Her ever supportive boyfriend Constantine is always ready with IT help and amusing quips. His pet hamster Miss Vanilla and a stray dog that the couple is “definitely” not going to keep make multiple appearances along with interesting characters who people the book. I recommend this book as a fascinating whodunit especially if you like mysteries with a medical bent.
I would like to extend my thanks to Edelweiss and to Henery Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Mystery
Notes: #3 in the Maggie O’Malley Mystery Series, but works well as a standalone.
Publication: March 12, 2019—Henery Press
Memorable Lines:
Levon Petrofina was particular to the point of rigidity, committed to not just following the letter of the law but alphabetizing each letter.
She used to think of the place where she shoved the uncomfortable, the painful, as the Wall. Now she realized she had added to her repertoire of denial, creating a blister around her heart that encapsulated the feelings and memories she wanted so desperately to avoid.
Broken out windows gaped like empty eye sockets. The front door, splintered and half off its hinges, sagged in a toothless frown.
education pathways 