Book Review: "Well Versed" by Jen DeLuca

OMG!! I’m so happy that Jen DeLuca has taken us back to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire with another book in her Well Met series! Reading this book really brought me so much joy. Thanks so much to Berkley Romance and NetGalley for the advance copy!

When she was a teenager, the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire was Caitlin’s favorite place to be. She loved working there each summer, singing and portraying the queen’s lady in waiting. But when she turned 18, she had her heart broken for the first time, and she no longer enjoyed any of the magic.

Now, six years later, she had to move back to Maryland after getting laid off from her job. She’s being pressed into service as the queen’s lady in waiting once again, as her aunt Emily is filling in for the queen this season. She just has to survive four weekends of wearing the same costume she did when she was in high school.

Returning to the Faire brings back lots of memories and helps her rekindle some friendships. But the last thing she’s expecting is to see Alex, one of the sword-wielding performers, who broke her teenage heart six years ago. His old act is gone, but he now performs Shakespeare on demand, and he’s even hotter than he was back then.

Caitlin is absolutely not going to let Alex derail her summer. But of course, they’re thrown together at every instance, so they start to become friends. Caitlin insists she will not fall for Alex again—but that’s easier said than done. But with them both going their separate ways after the summer, there’s no chance of them having a future, right? What if that’s exactly what they both want?

It was so great to return to these characters and see how they’ve been living their lives since the last book in the series was published. As always, DeLuca imbues her books with so much heart and humor, and I wish I could be there at the Faire. I hope we’ll get to return again!

The book publishes 9/22.

Book Review: "Summer Coven" by Kat Hillis and Rosiee Thor

I was so excited to see that my favorite vampires/bed and breakfast owners were back for a second adventure! Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Arthur Miller (no relation) and his husband, Sal Conte, finally feel at home in Trident Falls. Business at their bed and breakfast (called Dead & Breakfast) is booming, especially with the summer solstice festival coming to town. And since Arthur was able to solve a murder (and clear Sal as a suspect), they’ve finally made friends in town.

The summer solstice festival is absolutely packed, and all of the food and activities bring out Sal’s inner child. When he takes their cat, Rumble, to a pet psychic, there is a bit of a kerfuffle. Later that day, the pet psychic is found dead, apparently poisoned. (She obviously couldn’t intuit she was drinking poison.)

At first, Sal once again is the primary suspect, but Arthur is able to quickly clear his name. But his skills as a VAMP (Very Astute Married Paranormal) PI are requested by Ambrosia, the head of the Celestine Coven, a group of witches essentially operating an MLM of sorts. Of course, Arthur hasn’t solved his other case yet—the disappearance of their friend’s missing mother—but he realizes the two cases are connected.

It turns out Ambrosia isn’t the benevolently powerful witch she’s pretending to be. The coven is getting investigated for fraud, and Ambrosia (who used to be called Amanda) may not even be a real witch. Can Arthur expose the real criminals before it’s too late? How many diversions can Sal create?

This is a fun series. Arthur and Sal are an adorable couple, as each balances the other out. Sal is flighty, flaky, and utterly melodramatic, while Arthur could use a little more loosening up. I hope to see them again in another book!

Book Review: "Kiss Slay Replay" by Rachel Harrison

Over the last few years, I’ve become a huge fan of Rachel Harrison’s books, despite the fact that I don’t read much horror. But her upcoming book, Kiss Slay Replay, may be my most favorite yet. Thanks so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the advance copy!

Being a wedding guest can definitely be stressful, even when your best friends are getting married. Willa is dreading her friends’ wedding because she recently ended her own engagement, and her ex will be there, too. She knows that breaking up with Ravi was the right thing, but why is she so conflicted?

Despite her misgivings, she drives up to the wedding. It’s being held at a posh summer camp-turned-wedding venue, and it’s absolutely gorgeous. All of her best friends are there and they quickly fall into old behaviors and routines. And then she finds out that Ravi has brought a date to the wedding.

Before she can completely spiral, she meets Danny, an old friend of the groom’s. They flirt and mess around a bit, and plan for more—but then a masked killer comes out of the woods and starts murdering everyone. Willa and Danny try to rescue people but nearly everyone has been killed—and then the killer comes after them. And just as she gets killed…

…she wakes up in her apartment, having had the craziest nightmare. But it turns out it’s the morning of the wedding again. She’s freaked out but knows she has to try and save her friends this time. No luck, however. She’s fallen into some type of murderous time loop, and each time she relives the wedding, the killing gets more and more brutal. Can she escape and stay alive?

This is definitely bloody and more than a bit disturbing. But apart from the horror, this is a poignant look at how our lives take different paths from our friends, and what do you do when things don’t go the way you planned? I loved this.

The book will publish 9/1.

Book Review: "The Blue Flame" by George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos is one of my favorite crime writers of all time. He’s definitely an author that should be so much more of a household name because his books are really excellent. I was so excited that he had a new book come out and that it featured a familiar character, PI Derek Strange.

“Everything that used to be complicated and laborious was easy now. But an investigator still needed to know how to talk to people and do the job.”

Derek Strange is still working as a private investigator, still operating out of his office in Washington, DC. And he’s still as dogged as ever when trying to figure out a case. When he’s approached by a drug lawyer, asking him to help clear his client of a murder charge, Derek is ready to search for answers.

What Derek discovers is a series of crimes affecting young men who grew up together, playing football in high school. But now one is dead, one is accused of his murder, and the younger sister of another is the link between the two. He figures out what happened and tells the police, although he keeps some of the details to himself.

Shortly thereafter, another murder occurs, and Derek feels a responsibility to clear it up. Of course, the police have warned him about interfering, and he finds himself treading in some dangerous neighborhoods, but it’s all in a day’s work.

I love the amazing details Pelecanos brings to his books, both in setting and habits of his characters. This is a crime novel but it’s also about greed, family, protecting your own, and second chances. I hope we’ll see Derek back again—I’ve missed him!

Book Review: "Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay" by Lex Croucher

It’s time to return to Camelot for the sequel to Gwen & Art Are Not In Love. Thanks so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the advance copy!

All is not happy in Camelot. With the death of the king, his son Gabriel has (reluctantly) assumed the throne, and he’s so ill-at-ease that it’s starting to cause a crisis in the kingdom. And since he became king, Gabriel has ended his relationship with Arthur, despite how much he loves him.

Meanwhile, Gabe’s sister Gwendoline is also having a romantic crisis. Bridget, the only female knight in the kingdom, left several months ago and hasn’t responded to any of Gwen’s letters. Bridget, who has always been unshakable when a challenge arises, suddenly can’t win a joust.

In a move to engender goodwill among his subjects, King Gabriel convenes a new round table. He and his knights will travel throughout the kingdom, investigating the rumored sightings of the questing beast and the green knight, and determining whether the holy grail has been found. Of course, Gabe’s anxiety increases at every appearance he makes, and he’s rapidly coming unglued.

Can Gabe become the king he was born to be? Can Bridget recapture her jousting skills? And can love return to Gabe and Arthur, and Gwen and Bridget?

I really love these characters so it was great to have a sequel. This book is a lot more serious and less playful than its predecessor, dealing with grief and anxiety and recovery. But the found family and the romance at the book’s core warmed my heart and made me smile.

Book Review: "Murder with a Side of Shrimp and Grits" by Skylar Warren

I’m so thankful that this book wound up on my radar. Of course, I’m utterly starving after reading it, but this cozy mystery absolutely warmed my heart. You’ve got to love a book that makes you wish you could somehow teleport into the town it’s set in!

Honeybee’s Hideaway diner has been feeding the bellies and the souls of Willow Bluff, Georgia for 50 years now. Jessie Haynes is running Honeybee’s now, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother. The smell of butter and garlic, with just a hint of cinnamon, has filled Jessie’s life for as long as she can remember.

On the day of the diner’s 50th anniversary celebration, the mayor comes in and orders his usual shrimp and grits. But after the first bite, he has trouble breathing, and he collapses quickly thereafter. When word gets out that the mayor died, the townspeople immediately suspect Jessie, despite the fact they’ve seen her cooking since she wasn’t tall enough to see over the counter.

Jessie is devastated by what happened to the mayor, and the damage his death does, not only to her reputation, but to the future of Honeybee’s. Suddenly she’s the topic of gossip and speculation all over town, and some are even trying to capitalize on her misfortune.

When they find a wrapper from a peanut packet in the diner’s pantry, it quickly becomes obvious that the mayor’s death was no accident. And clearly someone wanted to hurt Honeybee’s in the process. So Jessie, along with her mother, her best friend Tee, her young waitress, and the town’s handsome new therapist band together to clear Jessie’s name and find the killer.

I absolutely love books in which cooking and restaurants play a part. And while I’m craving nearly everything Jessie cooked in this book, I so enjoyed the warmth of Willow Bluff and all of the characters. I’m excited that this was the start of a new series, and the second book will be out in October!

Book Review: "Hot Girl Murder Club" by Ashley Winstead

I’ve read all of Ashley Winstead’s books, and one of the things I love about her is she’s never content to write the same book twice. Every one of her books is different from the next, and she always keeps me guessing!

Ten years ago, Scout Sage’s younger sister Georgia was murdered at a Hollywood executive’s Christmas party. The alleged killer was never brought to justice.

Now, with her musical career just on the cusp of exploding, Scout is always surrounded by a posse of beautiful women. Some of them are famous for having overcome abusive relationships or other toxic situations. But with a string of revenge-type murders occurring, suddenly Scout (and her so-called “Hot Girl Murder Club”) is the prime suspect.

Detective Grey Holloway is tapped to lead the investigation, despite her youth and Barbie-like appearance. Is Scout a vigilante murderer, or is someone trying to frame her and call her out for her past transgressions? The deeper Grey digs, she finds that there have been many crimes perpetrated against women in Hollywood that have gone unpunished, and there may even be a more personal tie to these incidents.

This book is really quite timely given the way the pendulum has swung back from the #MeToo era. There are characters in the book who give voice to the anti-woke, pro-male perspective that seems to be prevalent in today’s society.

There are A LOT of characters in this book and a lot of perspectives. I found the two main narrative threads to be the most interesting, and when either of them were the focus, I was much more dialed in. But I love some good vigilante justice, and Winstead again delivered a compelling read!