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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2423 KP) rated It Takes Two to Mango in Books

Feb 15, 2023 (Updated Feb 15, 2023)  
It Takes Two to Mango
It Takes Two to Mango
Carrie Doyle | 2021 | Mystery
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Plum’s Reset Gets Off to a Rocky Start
Plum Lockhart has lost her job at a travel magazine, so she reluctantly takes a job arranging vacation rentals at a resort in the Caribbean. However, her new co-worker is a jerk, and she struggls to get her first booking. When she does, tragedy strikes when one of the guests is found dead by the pool. Did Plum make the right decision by moving?

When this book begins, Plum is extremely unlikable, so much so that I almost put the book down about 30 pages in. Even when she arrives on the island, she doesn’t give up her ego and entitled attitude. The other characters we meet started pulling me in, both the ones I liked and the ones I didn’t. When the murder kicks in, I really got into the story, which had some good twists. I loved the resort setting. The expected character growth was good as well. I’m actually surprised based on my initial reaction, but I am planning to continue the series. If the setting appeals to you, consider starting this series. Just be prepared for how obnoxious Plum is at the beginning.
  
Murder at the Breakers
Murder at the Breakers
Alyssa Maxwell | 2014 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Party to Die at
Emma Cross is attending the social event of the year at The Breakers. While she is distantly related to the hosts, the Vanderbilts, she is also covering it as the society reporter. The night ends in tragedy when a man falls to his death in front of Emma. With all the evidence pointing to her brother, Brady, who was up to something that night, Emma starts investigating. Can she find the truth?

This book does a great job balancing the beginning of the plot with the introduction of Emma and her world. The plot was great, and I appreciated that Emma fell for some red herrings before she reached the logical conclusion. The characters are also strong; it was hard to tell if some of them were going to be series regulars or were just suspects for this book. This book is a tad gray and falls closer to traditional than cozy for me, but that’s a minor issue. I also appreciated how the time and place came to life and were used by the author. It’s easy to tell why this series is so popular. I’m looking forward to reading more soon.
  
TT
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
71 of 220
Book
The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: collected stories
By Eric LaRocca
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Eight stories of dark fiction from a master storyteller. Exploring the shadow side of love, these are tales of grief, obsession, control. Intricate examinations of trauma and tragedy in raw, poetic prose. A woman imagines horrific scenarios whilst caring for her infant niece; on-line posts chronicle a cancer diagnosis; a couple in the park with their small child encounter a stranger with horrific consequences; a toxic relationship reaches a terrifying resolution…

This was a compilation of stories from a very talented authors. You get taken on a journey with these short stories. A few stories stood out from the crowd! The Strange things we become a story of how cancer destroys everything it touches and plays with the mind.
You’re not supposed to be here l, I think this is my favourite of them all a parents worst nightmare and a dark tale of secrets and desperation.
I’d also mention Where Flames Burned as Grass, would you sacrifice your child on the word of a complete stranger?

Really enjoyed these stories and the writing style.
  
Just Right is the first book in the Bradford series by Erin Nicholas. Nurse Jessica Bradford has loved looking at Dr Ben Torres these past 6 months in the ER Department. Tonight’s tragedy has them all on edge, when Ben enters the ER and strikes a patient, Jessica doesn’t know how to help him. It becomes her duty to keep an eye on him during his suspension and keep him on the straight and narrow to be able to return to the ER Department. She doesn’t count on falling for him quite so easily and quickly.

Dr Ben Torres is having a hell of a night in the ER. He’s lost 2 young patients and their mother is looking to be next all because a guy he put back together on the operating table a few months back decided to drink and drive. He can’t stand by anymore while people take advantage of each other anymore. Why doesn’t anyone appreciate the life they are living any longer? When he sees that patient put his hands on Jessica he loses control. He has kept his distance from Jessica for 6 months, he has to keep his eyes off the prize, but he won’t stand by while someone hurts her. He has tossed around the idea of quitting for a while and this tips the scale big time.

When both Jessica’s brother Sam and boss Russ ask her to keep an eye on Ben until he can return to the ER she does so eagerly. She grows closer to him while he tags along with her in everyday life. He helps her at her family’s youth center, she helps him at his new barrista job. Their adventures together have quite a few funny situations and of course the secondary characters help the humor move along.

Ben and Jessica both have tragedy in their pasts, both have a self doubt they are working to erase from their beings. Even though they think they’ve taken different roads to end up where they are now, they are actually quite similar.

I read this authors Counting on Love series first, which is a spin off of this series, so I was already pretty familiar with all the main and secondary characters in this book. Erin Nicholas is a wonderful writer with a style I love to follow along with. I have no idea how I ended up reading her first to me novel but I am so glad I did. Now on to the next Bradford book…..