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Thirty and a Half Excuses (Rose Gardner Mystery, #3)
Thirty and a Half Excuses (Rose Gardner Mystery, #3)
Denise Grover Swank | 2013 | Crime, Mystery
5
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I don't read all that many mystery/romantic suspense books anymore and Rose's small Southern town sounds like hell to live in. Everyone knows everyone's business. If you don't go to church, how dare you. If you've been thrown in jail for something you didn't do, the stigma sticks to you like glue. I really have no idea why Rose is still in Henryetta.

Once again, though, Rose finds herself knee deep in an investigation after several older women in the town die of supposed natural causes, and some things just don't add up about it all.

I'll admit I wasn't the least bit suspicious about this person until very near the end so it was cleverly done and well thought out.

And as for the romance in this... I was never fully Team Joe, and after reading my review of the previous book it seems I liked Mason more then too.

I never really liked how Rose let everyone bully her into things and in this she actually started to stand up for herself more, so I did a little cheer about that.

This is definitely going to be the last of this series that I read, mainly because I don't read this subgenre anymore.
  
TR
Triggered Response
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
An explosion in a secret defense lab changes the lives of three men forever...
His brain was on fire, and he fought going back to the raging inferno of his private hell. Despite the power he now possessed, he couldn’t even remember his name. According to the news, he was Brayden Sloane, former security expert at Cranesbrook Labs, now wanted for murder and kidnapping. He couldn’t remember that, nor the woman who claimed to be his wife. Claire Fanshaw needed Bray to find her friend who'd disappeared following the explosion. Until Bray regained his memory, she'd stick to him like glue. But what would he do when he realized the woman in his bed was a stranger? And what would she do if the cops were right about Bray?

This story is excellent with mystery, twists and turns, and romance with a little ‘what if’ fantasy thrown in. Even if you have not read the previous two novels you can read this one as enough information is filtered back through the story so you won't feel lost.
The author has done a great job for the final book in the series. Well constructed plot and wonderful developed characters
Three authors made it work and leaves you wanting more. Very hard to put down.

I received this ARC from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.
  
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ClareR (5603 KP) rated Love After Love in Books

Apr 17, 2020  
Love After Love
Love After Love
Ingrid Persaud | 2020 | Contemporary, Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I absolutely loved Love After Love, but I will start this review with a warning. The first chapter goes in to graphic detail about the domestic abuse that one of the main characters, Betty Ramin, suffers at the hands of her husband. It does set the scene well, and explains not only why she is such a strong character and her motivations, but also the cultural attitudes behind domestic abuse.

I really liked the characters in this novel (other than Betty’s husband, of course), particularly Betty and Mr Chetan. Mr Chetan is the glue joining Betty and her son Solo together for a time, until Solo learns a terrible secret about his mother. After this, Solo goes to live with his paternal uncle in New York. I expected to not like his uncle, but he turned out to be another lovely character, who treated Solo like his own son. Solo becomes increasingly lonely, and struggles with his mental health.

The end of this book broke my heart completely. It was so sad and unjust and again, highlighted cultural attitudes.

I loved the way this was written, and became immersed in the Trinidadian turns of phrase, made all the more immersive by the author recording themselves reading the first chapter so that we on The Pigeonhole app could hear them.

It’s a beautiful book, and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.