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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2605 KP) rated Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine in Books
Oct 1, 2025 (Updated Oct 1, 2025)
Who Penned a Real Poisonous Valentine?
It’s a few days before Valentine’s Day, and April Claus is getting ready for her best friend’s wedding. Claire, a friend from Oregon, is marrying Jake Frost. But as the bridal party is at a dress fitting, someone leaves them a note with a threatening Valentine in it. April isn’t quite sure how seriously to take it. That is, until someone dies the next day at the next dress fitting. Can April figure out who the killer is? Or will the mayhem destroy Claire and Jake’s special day?
This series is a favorite of mine, and this book is no exception. There is so much going on here that I was never bored, even though I figured things out a little early. It was great to spend time with the returning characters, and the new characters fit right into this world. And what a world it is. There is a fantasy element to it, but the mystery is still center stage. The author has done such a great job of world building. It is very sweet and clever and each new detail makes me think “How else would things be?” And yes, I am still laughing and chuckling as I read with a grin on my face the entire way. Don’t miss this series. If you are already a fan, you’ll love this entry.
This series is a favorite of mine, and this book is no exception. There is so much going on here that I was never bored, even though I figured things out a little early. It was great to spend time with the returning characters, and the new characters fit right into this world. And what a world it is. There is a fantasy element to it, but the mystery is still center stage. The author has done such a great job of world building. It is very sweet and clever and each new detail makes me think “How else would things be?” And yes, I am still laughing and chuckling as I read with a grin on my face the entire way. Don’t miss this series. If you are already a fan, you’ll love this entry.
ClareR (6253 KP) rated Three Days in June in Books
May 28, 2026
I think of Anne Tyler books as being in my ‘Chatty’ genre. Three Days in June is like your friend telling you about how they’re getting on - and Gail isn’t having the best of days at the start. It looks as though she’s losing her job. And all at the beginning of the weekend where her daughter will be getting married. Or will she? Because it looks as though the wedding is hanging in the balance.
Gail and her ex-husband, Max, are staying together in Gail’s house, along with Max’s foster cat. A lot of the 165 pages are flashbacks to the early days of their marriage, their daughter’s childhood and the reason for the end of their marriage.
Nothing exciting happens. The story jogs along with us, the readers, getting the inside story of their lives and thoughts. I love this kind of book. Yes, I love an exciting Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Historical Fiction, but sometimes I just really like a story to be like real life should be - largely unexciting, with people who care about one another.
If that doesn’t sell this book, then I have no idea what will! The world is a crazy place at the moment, and it’s nice to think that there might be people just going about their daily lives, not thinking about the huge, scary things. Just normal, everyday drama is what I need sometimes, and Anne Tyler delivers so skilfully on that.
Gail and her ex-husband, Max, are staying together in Gail’s house, along with Max’s foster cat. A lot of the 165 pages are flashbacks to the early days of their marriage, their daughter’s childhood and the reason for the end of their marriage.
Nothing exciting happens. The story jogs along with us, the readers, getting the inside story of their lives and thoughts. I love this kind of book. Yes, I love an exciting Sci-Fi, Fantasy or Historical Fiction, but sometimes I just really like a story to be like real life should be - largely unexciting, with people who care about one another.
If that doesn’t sell this book, then I have no idea what will! The world is a crazy place at the moment, and it’s nice to think that there might be people just going about their daily lives, not thinking about the huge, scary things. Just normal, everyday drama is what I need sometimes, and Anne Tyler delivers so skilfully on that.
Welcome to Cozy Town
10.0
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A comedic mystery short for lovers of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuths. If you've ever read a...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen in Books
Nov 10, 2021
186 of 250
Book
Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen ( Six Tudor Queens book 3)
By Alison Weir
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
THE WOMAN HAUNTED BY THE FATE OF HER PREDECESSOR.
Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King.
She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.
This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and Anne. In doing so, can she expose a gentler side to the brutal King?
I went into this not knowing very little of Jane Seymour and I found the book enchanting. She was a pure soul and in Alisons words she was portrayed so well. You felt the love she had for Katherine and the love she had for Henry and of course the shared dislike for Anne! I actually cried reading the last two chapters it was a very unjust end for a woman who had just become a mother to a son that was craved so much! I absolutely love this period and I find Alisons books just a brilliant outlook on the events. After i read Anne Boleyn I was just angry with the ending of this I’m saddened. Highly recommend such a beautiful tale of a short lived queen.
Book
Jane Seymour: The Haunted Queen ( Six Tudor Queens book 3)
By Alison Weir
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
THE WOMAN HAUNTED BY THE FATE OF HER PREDECESSOR.
Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King.
She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.
This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and Anne. In doing so, can she expose a gentler side to the brutal King?
I went into this not knowing very little of Jane Seymour and I found the book enchanting. She was a pure soul and in Alisons words she was portrayed so well. You felt the love she had for Katherine and the love she had for Henry and of course the shared dislike for Anne! I actually cried reading the last two chapters it was a very unjust end for a woman who had just become a mother to a son that was craved so much! I absolutely love this period and I find Alisons books just a brilliant outlook on the events. After i read Anne Boleyn I was just angry with the ending of this I’m saddened. Highly recommend such a beautiful tale of a short lived queen.
Claiming His Cowgirl (Crawley Creek #3)
8.0
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In a small town in North Dakota there resides a family of misfits on the Crawley Creek Ranch....
Contemporary Western Adult Romance
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2605 KP) rated Curds of Prey in Books
Apr 22, 2023 (Updated Apr 22, 2023)
Who Stabbed the Groom?
The wedding of Summer Harrington, daughter of the richest family in Yarrow Glen, and Nelson Trumbull, the nephew of the town’s mayor, is fast approaching. Willa Bauer is thrilled that several local businesses are involved in the shower, including Curds & Whey. Willa is busy setting up the cheese bar she will be offering, but it gives her a front row seat to a fight between the supposedly happy couple that leads Summer to call off the shower. However, things take a turn when Willa finds Nelson stabbed to death in the stable a little while later. Unfortunately, Willa’s almost boyfriend, Roman, looks to be the prime suspects. Can Willa prove Roman is innocent?
It was wonderful to be visiting Willa and the rest of her friends again. I like how a sub-plot brought in events from the previous book, making it seems like these are real people and not just characters. I’m interested in seeing where some of the storylines go from here. The plot starts quickly, and Willa has some interesting dynamics to deal with as she tries to get to the truth. The climax logically wrapped everything up and kept me turning pages. If you are left craving cheese, you’ll be interested in the three recipes at the end of the book. This story left me hungry for the next entry in the series.
It was wonderful to be visiting Willa and the rest of her friends again. I like how a sub-plot brought in events from the previous book, making it seems like these are real people and not just characters. I’m interested in seeing where some of the storylines go from here. The plot starts quickly, and Willa has some interesting dynamics to deal with as she tries to get to the truth. The climax logically wrapped everything up and kept me turning pages. If you are left craving cheese, you’ll be interested in the three recipes at the end of the book. This story left me hungry for the next entry in the series.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Mermaid Fins , Winds & Rolling Pins ( Spells & Caramels 3) in Books
Apr 26, 2023
49 of 235
Kindle
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins (Spells & caramels 3)
By Erin Johnson
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Scheming pirates. Reveling mermaids. When murder crashes the party, can one witch dredge up the killer?
Imogen's personal spellcraft lessons with Prince Hank have sparked a different type of magic between them. So when she's invited to bake for the mermaid queen's lavish wedding, she hopes the underwater ceremony will help cool off their growing attraction. But between the temptations of the sea-cave nightlife and the discovery of a murdered royal court member, her emotions are rising higher than the tide.
When one of her signature treats is found in the dead mermaid's gills, she'll have to stow her feelings and wade through the clues to clear her name. But surrounded by hard-partying revelers, a scandalous royal court, and a shipload of pirates, the twisted truth may be more elusive than sunken treasure.
With rough waters closing in, can Imogen catch the real killer before she has to walk the plank?
I enjoyed most of this book and really this should be a 2.5 stars but went for the 3 as 2 would have been to low. This is the weakest so for for me and all down to the way the mermaids and pirates were written it got on my nerves. Other than that it was a good read I just can’t get past that annoying queen mermaid and her dumb pirate!
Kindle
Mermaid Fins, Winds & Rolling Pins (Spells & caramels 3)
By Erin Johnson
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Scheming pirates. Reveling mermaids. When murder crashes the party, can one witch dredge up the killer?
Imogen's personal spellcraft lessons with Prince Hank have sparked a different type of magic between them. So when she's invited to bake for the mermaid queen's lavish wedding, she hopes the underwater ceremony will help cool off their growing attraction. But between the temptations of the sea-cave nightlife and the discovery of a murdered royal court member, her emotions are rising higher than the tide.
When one of her signature treats is found in the dead mermaid's gills, she'll have to stow her feelings and wade through the clues to clear her name. But surrounded by hard-partying revelers, a scandalous royal court, and a shipload of pirates, the twisted truth may be more elusive than sunken treasure.
With rough waters closing in, can Imogen catch the real killer before she has to walk the plank?
I enjoyed most of this book and really this should be a 2.5 stars but went for the 3 as 2 would have been to low. This is the weakest so for for me and all down to the way the mermaids and pirates were written it got on my nerves. Other than that it was a good read I just can’t get past that annoying queen mermaid and her dumb pirate!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post
Aug 28, 2022
The Shadow of Memory
10.0
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In Connie Berry’s fourth Kate Hamilton mystery, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton uncovers a...
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2605 KP) rated Crimes and Covers in Books
Jan 28, 2022
Christmas Wedding Complicated by Crime
Bookshop owner Violet Waverly is thrilled to be marrying police chief David Rainwater in just a few days. She’s distracted, however, when a woman comes into Charming Books wanting to sell an autographed mint condition first edition of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Violet doesn’t feel comfortable with the transaction, so the woman leaves in a huff. A few days later, the woman’s body is found floating in the river. Violet can’t help but wonder what happened to the book. Is that the reason the mystery woman is dead?
I don’t tend to read supernatural tinged cozies, but I’ve made an exception for this. Honestly, what reader can resist a magical bookstore? Between that and Violet’s pets, there is plenty to charm fans once again here. Likewise, the characters are strong, and it is great to spend time with them again. Christmas gets a light touch in this book, but I enjoyed getting to indulge my love of Christmas just a bit longer. It’s the plot where this book really struggles. I was willing to forgive the slow start given everything else happening early in the book. Once it got going, I definitely got caught up in it even though I figured out the big brushstrokes early on. However, the climax left me with a couple of rather big questions that really should have been resolved. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but I do wish this visit had been stronger.
I don’t tend to read supernatural tinged cozies, but I’ve made an exception for this. Honestly, what reader can resist a magical bookstore? Between that and Violet’s pets, there is plenty to charm fans once again here. Likewise, the characters are strong, and it is great to spend time with them again. Christmas gets a light touch in this book, but I enjoyed getting to indulge my love of Christmas just a bit longer. It’s the plot where this book really struggles. I was willing to forgive the slow start given everything else happening early in the book. Once it got going, I definitely got caught up in it even though I figured out the big brushstrokes early on. However, the climax left me with a couple of rather big questions that really should have been resolved. Fans of the series will enjoy it, but I do wish this visit had been stronger.