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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated One Taste Too Many in Books
Jun 20, 2019
Sarah Blair’s Tasty Debut
Sarah Blair is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from her twin sister Emily who exclaims that Bill is dead and the police think Emily is responsible. Sarah isn’t that upset that her ex-husband is dead, but she is surprised that Emily is the chief suspect. But Emily was found with Bill, who had eaten her rhubarb crisp despite the fact that he hated rhubarb and avoid the nuts Emily used because of his allergies. What is really going on? Meanwhile, Sarah gets a shock when Bill’s current girlfriend, Jane, produces a will that claims Jane gets custody of RahRah, the Siamese cat that Sarah has had ever since Bill’s mother died several years ago. Can Sarah prove she should keep RahRah while clearing Emily of murder?
While it doesn’t take much to intrigue me with a culinary cozy, I found Sarah’s status as a cook of convenience to be a great pull for this series. For more serious culinary lovers, Emily works as a line chef and is part of a culinary festival taking place in their town, so all abilities are covered, although the two recipes at the end are definitely on the simple side. The mystery starts strong, with us learning about Bill’s death on the first page. I did find it harder to care about the sub-plot involving RahRah; I think it’s more because I’m not a pet person so I needed more time to warm up to him before I would care. Still, both storylines reach great climaxes, and Sarah manages to figure out all the twists along the way. The characters have some room to grow, but the main cast, including the suspects, are all solid, providing a good base for future growth. Fans of culinary cozies will enjoy this tasty debut.
While it doesn’t take much to intrigue me with a culinary cozy, I found Sarah’s status as a cook of convenience to be a great pull for this series. For more serious culinary lovers, Emily works as a line chef and is part of a culinary festival taking place in their town, so all abilities are covered, although the two recipes at the end are definitely on the simple side. The mystery starts strong, with us learning about Bill’s death on the first page. I did find it harder to care about the sub-plot involving RahRah; I think it’s more because I’m not a pet person so I needed more time to warm up to him before I would care. Still, both storylines reach great climaxes, and Sarah manages to figure out all the twists along the way. The characters have some room to grow, but the main cast, including the suspects, are all solid, providing a good base for future growth. Fans of culinary cozies will enjoy this tasty debut.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Crown of Feathers (Crown of Feathers, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Simon & Schuster in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<i>Crown of Feathers</i> by Nicki Pau Preto is the first in a series set in a world where airborne warriors known as Phoenix Riders were legendaryuntil that world is ripped apart by two queens. The story is set 16 years after the war when protagonist Veronyka searches for any hints of the Riders shes heard of in stories and decides to disguise herself as a boy after being turned away by the commander of the Phoenix Riders for being a girl.
Pretos debut novel starts with an information dump in the first few chapters to set up the story and introduce readers to the different characters: Veronyka, Sev and Tristan. It can be overwhelming for those who want a good balance between world building, plot and character development, and isnt something I normally enjoy reading. However, I have no regrets for sticking through the buckets of information to get to the best parts of the story. While some plot points were predictable for me as an avid fantasy reader, I loved the relationships developed between the characters and the involvement of phoenixes in the world.
<i>Crown of Feathers</i> is a beautifully written debut with phoenixes and warrior queens, perfect for those who want a story where a girl dresses as a boy to chase her aspirations.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/crown-of-feathers-review/">This review is now live and can be found at 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
<i>Crown of Feathers</i> by Nicki Pau Preto is the first in a series set in a world where airborne warriors known as Phoenix Riders were legendaryuntil that world is ripped apart by two queens. The story is set 16 years after the war when protagonist Veronyka searches for any hints of the Riders shes heard of in stories and decides to disguise herself as a boy after being turned away by the commander of the Phoenix Riders for being a girl.
Pretos debut novel starts with an information dump in the first few chapters to set up the story and introduce readers to the different characters: Veronyka, Sev and Tristan. It can be overwhelming for those who want a good balance between world building, plot and character development, and isnt something I normally enjoy reading. However, I have no regrets for sticking through the buckets of information to get to the best parts of the story. While some plot points were predictable for me as an avid fantasy reader, I loved the relationships developed between the characters and the involvement of phoenixes in the world.
<i>Crown of Feathers</i> is a beautifully written debut with phoenixes and warrior queens, perfect for those who want a story where a girl dresses as a boy to chase her aspirations.
<a href="https://60secondsmag.com/crown-of-feathers-review/">This review is now live and can be found at 60 Seconds Online Magazine</a>
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Here Comes the Body in Books
Feb 26, 2020
Debut You Won’t Want to Refuse
Mia Carina has returned home after her adulterous husband’s mysterious disappearance to work in the family business. Or, I should say, the family’s new business. Her father, reputed mobster Ravello, has recently acquired the Belle View catering hall in the Queens borough of New York City, and Mia is going to help him run it as a 100% real business. Her first week on the job, Mia is in charge of a bachelor party when disaster strikes. Not only does the stripper not jump out of the cake, she’s dead in the cake. With the police showing interest in the new business and especially her father, Mia begins poking around, hoping to figure out what happened. Can she do it?
The mob? New York City? Yes, this is indeed still a cozy. While those are the elements that help make up this different take on the genre, they only help provide the background. The heart of the book is still a great puzzle and charming characters. Mia already knows some of the supporting players in the book, and we can tell right away how much they love each other. The rest of the characters are entertaining, and the suspects are strong. The plot weaves in some interesting directions before we reach the logical and satisfying conclusion. We get some great humor as Mia deals with a return home that isn’t as smooth as she thought it would be. Being a culinary cozy, we get some delicious sounding recipes at the end and a fun party idea. I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to finish this book, and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m already anxious for the sequel. It would be a mistake to refuse this excellent debut.
The mob? New York City? Yes, this is indeed still a cozy. While those are the elements that help make up this different take on the genre, they only help provide the background. The heart of the book is still a great puzzle and charming characters. Mia already knows some of the supporting players in the book, and we can tell right away how much they love each other. The rest of the characters are entertaining, and the suspects are strong. The plot weaves in some interesting directions before we reach the logical and satisfying conclusion. We get some great humor as Mia deals with a return home that isn’t as smooth as she thought it would be. Being a culinary cozy, we get some delicious sounding recipes at the end and a fun party idea. I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to finish this book, and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m already anxious for the sequel. It would be a mistake to refuse this excellent debut.
Shawn Mendes: The Ultimate Fan Book
Book
This is a number one album in nine countries, 1.5 billion views on YouTube and a world tour that...
The Other Alcott: A Novel
Book
Elise Hooper's debut novel conjures the fascinating, untold story of May Alcott-Louisa's youngest...
Mrs Engels
Book
Longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award Love is a bygone idea, centuries-worn. There are things...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2273 KP) rated Arsenic and Adobo in Books
May 5, 2021
Murder of an Ex
After a disastrous breakup with her fiancé, Lila Macapagal has moved back to Shady Palms, Illinois, and is trying to help her aunt save her Filipino restaurant. One issue the restaurant is having is Derek Winter, Lila’s high school sweetheart who has becoming the local food critic and has written several nasty reviews of Tita Rosie’s Kitchen. When he comes back for yet another meal, he winds up dropping dead in his meal. Now the police are looking at Lila as a murderer, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen is closed until further notice, and Lila feels like the only hope of a happy ending is figuring out what is going on herself. Can she keep herself out of jail?
This is a solid debut. The mystery starts off quickly, and Lila learns plenty of secrets on her way to uncovering what really happened. The climax is suspenseful and creative. The characters are all strong. We even learn a bit more about Derek that makes him a little sympathetic although not completely likable. The rest of the cast is strong. A few supporting players blend together, but that is done on purpose, and we see glimpses of their individual personalities. We do have the beginnings of a love triangle here. Some of Lila’s friendships are so strong already, they help make those characters more real for us. I did feel a few of the themes of the book weren’t quite as well developed as I would have liked. Hopefully they will be explored more in further books. If the descriptions of food make you as hungry as they made me, you’ll be happy to see the four recipes at the end of the book. This is a strong debut, and I already can’t wait to find out what happens next to the characters.
This is a solid debut. The mystery starts off quickly, and Lila learns plenty of secrets on her way to uncovering what really happened. The climax is suspenseful and creative. The characters are all strong. We even learn a bit more about Derek that makes him a little sympathetic although not completely likable. The rest of the cast is strong. A few supporting players blend together, but that is done on purpose, and we see glimpses of their individual personalities. We do have the beginnings of a love triangle here. Some of Lila’s friendships are so strong already, they help make those characters more real for us. I did feel a few of the themes of the book weren’t quite as well developed as I would have liked. Hopefully they will be explored more in further books. If the descriptions of food make you as hungry as they made me, you’ll be happy to see the four recipes at the end of the book. This is a strong debut, and I already can’t wait to find out what happens next to the characters.
The Other Hoffmann Sister
Book
Gripping historical fiction from the prize-winning author of The Spring of Kasper Meier Shortlisted...
historical fiction fiction