Review: The Husband's Secret (Colby Agency: The Next Generation #5) by Debra Webb

 

Her ex's mysterious death is now theirs to solve.

When Brenda Devers sees her estranged - and recently deceased - husband, Scott, at the airport, she reels in shock. She'd buried him three weeks ago - hadn't she? Only now his business troubles have thrust Brenda and her young daughter into sudden do-or-die jeopardy. Luckily the single mom's new neighbor, Ben Clark, is smart, attractive and seemingly trustworthy when police and the FBI are not. A top Colby private investigator, Ben's been hired to protect Brenda. But as he helps her uncover the truth about Scott, the danger factor amps up - and her worst nightmare might be coming true.

From Harlequin Intrigue: Seek thrills. Solve crimes. Justice served.

Discover more action-packed stories in the Colby Agency: The Next Generation series. All books are stand-alone with uplifting endings but were published in the following order:

Book 1: A Colby Christmas Rescue
Book 2: Alibi for Murder
Book 3: Memory of Murder
Book 4: Witness to Murder
Book 5: The Husband's Secret
Book 6: The Bride's Betrayal
Book 7: The Missing Couple 

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What I thought about The Husband's Secret

The Colby Agency : The Next Generation is a formulaic series that can be entertaining and full of action.  In this case, Brenda Devers sees her husband at the airport with another woman, except she had buried him weeks before after he dies in a suspicious explosion.

Her new next door neighbor, Ben Clark, appears just when Brenda needs help and  his true purpose is revealed a few chapters later.  I did enjoy the interactions and budding relationship between Ben and Brenda, even though it's quick for them to fall for each other in the midst of solving the mystery of Brenda's husband and her missing daughter. 

 Overall, a predictable and entertaining mystery thriller set in the world of The Colby Agency. 

  

 

Review: The Magical Game: The Spirit and History of Baseball's Superstitions, Rituals, and Curses by Addy Baird

 

This is the story of baseball’s rich magical history and the centuries-old culture of superstition in the sport. It is a love letter to the jinxes, curses, rituals and myths of baseball’s past and present ― and to the innate mysticism of the game.

For more than 150 years, a magical culture has been central to the game of At the turn of the 20th century, a battle between two lucky mascots defined early World Series matchups. Soon after, two generational curses spawned decades of heartbreaking losses for the Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. Today, players like Bryce Harper perform at-bat rituals, fans refuse to wash the jerseys of their favorite players, and baseball people everywhere refuse to utter the words “no-hitter” before there’s been a hit.

In The Magical Game, journalist and converted baseball fan Addy Baird turns her reporter’s eye to her favorite sport, investigating the roots of these magical practices and telling the story of baseball’s long history of superstition, rituals, curses, jinxes, hoodoos, and hexes. Spanning three centuries of baseball history and three dozen more of magical history, Baird takes readers through fascinating, forgotten tidbits in the sport, untangles the game’s legends, and considers baseball’s uncertain future. In the face of recent MLB rule changes and the rise of advanced statistics, Baird looks at the many decades of concern about baseball’s declining popularity and the evolution of the sport, as well as why and how a culture of magic has remained strong at the core of the game for so many years.

Funny, poetic, and deeply researched, The Magical Game will make readers fall in love with baseball all over again.

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What I thought about The Magical Game

Baseball is THE sport in my household, so I was intrigued to read this title.  I was hoping for some new information and there were tiny nuggets in this book. But for the most part, there isn't a lot of new information on this topic -- if you've followed sports at all, superstitions and rituals are just part of the game.  

The book was well-researched and offered background on the topics in general. The author gets personal with her stories of baseball superstitions and her direct interaction with them, and that was interesting.  

Overall, this is a good book to read if you want to learn more about sports, especially baseball and the superstitions that drive the players. 
  

 

Review: 5 stars for Pot Shot by Laura Piper Lee

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER

To open her cannabis dispensary, a chronically ill woman must defeat the surly doctor next door in this hilarious and steamy romantic comedy.   

Nomi Wyeth, former valedictorian and current pothead, has her heart set on opening her own boutique cannabis dispensary in charming downtown Sparrow Nook, New Jersey. Cannabis changed Nomi’s life, giving her relief from Crohn’s disease when nothing else could, and it’s her dream to help others find the same peace and comfort she has. 

But Nomi’s plans are rudely interrupted when Dr. Julian D’Angelo, former salutatorian and current asshole, returns to Sparrow Nook with a chip on his shoulder, a probation to serve at the medical practice next door, and a lifelong vendetta against weed.   

When an unfortunate shaving accident lands Nomi onto Julian’s exam table, Julian is appalled to discover that his high school nemesis is still inconveniently gorgeous, still hates his guts, and worst of all, that she’s planning on opening an amoral weed bordello next to his clinic. War is the only answer and definitely not an excuse to keep running into witty, free-spirited Nomi.   

As they battle each other all over Sparrow Nook, from “pot luck” fundraisers to public debates at City Council meetings, their fraught pasts and feelings for each other become harder and harder to ignore. It’s tough to say what will change first—their minds or their hearts—but one thing’s for sure: they’re not going down without a fight.

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What I thought about Pot Shot

Entrepreneur Nomi Wyeth has done all the work she needs to open her own medical marijuana dispensary. She's ready to get the best location in the small town of Sparrow Nook for her store, until her childhood crush, now doctor, decides to do everything to stop the dispensary from opening.  Sounds tense, doesn't it?  Pot Shot takes the concept to a whole different level, with banter that will make you laugh and a romantic setup that will have you rooting for Nomi and Dr. Julian.

This worked so well as a romance. The feelings between these two are palpable from the start.  Julian has a big character arc to accomplish, as he needs to learn how to work with people. His journey, while comical at times, was nicely done.

I really liked this story. It kept my interest from start to finish, and it's an easy read that you can tackle in a day or two. I especially liked how it handled the education of Dr. Julian in the medicinal properties of marijuana. I just liked everything about this story.  

If you are looking for a cute, humorous take on romance that will leave you smiling, Pot Shot might be for you.   

Review: Scarlett Undone by Tasha Gold

A riveting book club novel of secrets, redemption, and unexpected connection. Perfect for fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kristin Hannah, and Jojo Moyes.

Her father died in prison. She’s hidden her identity for most of her life. Until now.

Scarlett vowed she’d never step foot in Brackson prison again. Yet here she is, back in her hometown, dragging disgruntled dogs into the hell her father once called home.

The Pups in Prison rehabilitation program is her uncle’s passion, but his recent heart attack means he’s laid up and she’s filling in. She’s surrounded by inked necks and barbed wire…and awful memories she can’t shake. She knows she’s the reason her marriage is falling apart. She’s been running from that knowledge like she runs from the surname that links her to her father’s crimes.

She didn’t expect to find solace in an unexpected prisoner.

Emery is intense yet kind. Strangely intuitive. She shouldn’t look forward to their dog-training sessions, even if this alluring inmate shines a light on parts of herself she thought she hated.

But when she discovers why he was incarcerated and violence hits too close to home, Scarlett’s forced to face that forgiveness is more than spoken words and that coming undone is the first step to stitching yourself back together.

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What I thought about Scarlett Undone 

 Scarlett Undone is a story that can connect with others. What do you do when you reach the end of your rope? When all of the past traumas build to the point of breaking? How do you go on?

Scarlett's father is a criminal, her mother is absent, and her marriage is in jeopardy, At thirty years old, Scarlett doesn't want to deal with any of it. So she runs away to an uncle she hasn't seen in years and puts herself right in the clutches of an environment she is trying to forget. That doesn't work of course. 

This story is very much about this quest for self and at the same time, community.  Even though Scarlett's traumas are significant, this story is more about how she goes about recovering her life from her past to position herself for the future.  If you think that is deep, it is. There''s a lot to unpack and discuss in this story and that is why it is promoted as a book club book. This is the kind of book you want to read with a friend so you can discuss.  

Overall, this was a solid story from this author.  

 

Review: The Drowning Season by Debra Webb

To find two missing women, a detective must dive into the secrets of her past in a blood-freezing novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb.

Detective Adeline Cooper swore she’d never return to Mississippi, where her corrupt family rules through fear and her career was upended by betrayal. But then she receives a photograph of a local woman who has gone missing, along with a cryptic, chilling Pretty, pretty princess. See her smile…see her die.

Soon after Adeline arrives in her hometown, a second woman is kidnapped, and there are disturbing connections between the two victims and the detective. Both women bear an eerie resemblance to Adeline and share her fear of water. A new message makes the kidnapper’s game terrifyingly You’re next.

When past and present collide at the river’s edge, Adeline will finally understand why she’s been dreaming of drowning her whole life.

Revised Previously published as Anywhere She Runs, this edition of The Drowning Season includes editorial revisions. 

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What I thought about The Drowning Season

Two women are missing and a third receives a threat, forcing Adeline to return home to Mississippi after being run out of town in disgrace.  When she receives evidence in the crime and becomes part of the current investigation, she faces old enemies and secrets that are deeply hidden.

I liked this mystery.  Adeline is one tough cop and she doesn't put up with much from the people who ran her out of town, including an old boyfriend that betrayed her. She's at risk from the kidnapper too.

Things move along quickly and the book is easy to read. There are some romantic elements which helped to put a focus on something other than the case. Adeline is a strong woman and is interesting to see what she gets into and how she gets out of it, too.  I did not find the story predictable and didn't anticipate the resolution at all, which made for an exciting reading experience.

5 stars for A Curse of Beasts and Magic by Jeaniene Frost

 

New York Times bestselling author of The Night Huntress series Jeaniene Frost returns with a brand-new series! It’s Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher in this dark fantastical retelling, except Beauty IS the Beast, and he’s the Warden keeping mythical beings in check in our world and beyond.

Raine Stone was the sole survivor of a horrific creature while camping. Her account of the attack was attributed to shock, but Raine knows all too well that her story is true because now she carries that same Beast inside her!

She’s been restraining its violent urges by letting it 'feed' on the pain and chaos she’s exposed to as an ER nurse, and by playing vigilante against would-be muggers at night. But when Raine uses the Beast’s energy to heal a frail elderly gentleman from a seemingly random attack, she opens herself to a new world of danger—literally.

Remington “Remy” Byrne knows that the wall between a realm of deadly mythic creatures and our own world is very thin; he’s the Warden who guards the gateways between them. He also rules the supernatural creatures living in secret among us. Raine’s Beast makes her an intruder on Remy’s territory, but the elderly gentleman she saved is Remy’s grandfather, and her Beast contains power that could tip the scales in a sinister plot against Remy’s rule—if Raine allies with him.

Will they be friends or foes…or will the dangerous attraction between them turn into something else? And can our world be saved by their explosive alliance?

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What I thought about A Curse of Beasts and Magic

The author crafts a sexy duo in Raine and Remy along with a fantastical world of creatures in A Curse of Beasts and Magic. There are terrific descriptions of the magical world and Raine and Remy maintain their humanity even though they are far from human.

Remy has lots of secrets for Raine to learn, and he has his own reasons for keeping her, including the fact there is plenty of attraction between them. She's a strong character after living with her "beast".

Romantic, steamy, action packed with great characters. I need more! 

Review: The Shippers by Katherine Center

She wants him to help her woo someone else.
Genius. Foolproof. Can't go wrong.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Armed with pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly divorced wedding guest). Determined to woo him for closure, she ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, as her wingman. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but showed up anyway. Cooper: who moved to London without a word four years ago. Cooper: who broke her heart.

Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything. 

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What I thought about The Shippers 

JoJo Burton is looking for true love and hasn't found it. When planning her sister's wedding, they come up with a plan to hook JoJo up with childhood crush Finn, the guy who kissed her first. The wedding takes place on a cruise and also along for the ride is JoJo's best friend Cooper.

But things don't work out like they planned and JoJo has to learn the true value of her friendship with Cooper before she knows what love is all about.

There aren't any surprises here. Romance readers will catch on to this plot early on. It takes JoJo an entire book of cute banter to figure out what love is all about.

It's a cute story. Very predictable and low conflict. 4 stars