The Summer that Changed Everything by Brenda Novak

 

Title:  The Summer that Changed Everything

Author:  Brenda Novak

Narrated by:  Courtney Patterson

Publisher: Harlequin Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 39 minutes

Source: Thank-you to @netgalley for review copy.

Do you have one summer that was more memorable than the rest?  Why?  I’ve had a few the summer I was at college in grad school, the summer I got married, etc.

As a teenager, Lucy Sinclair’s father was tried and convicted of murdering three people that she knew, including a teenage girl that was described as her rival, Aurora, for her boyfriend, Ford.  The town shunned her, and Lucy moved away.  Now fifteen years later, she has returned, and she wants to figure out if her Dad was really guilty or not.  Ford is also back for the summer and sparks fly.  Who killed Aurora and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a Brenda Novak Book Group Read for June, and it was another great book club meeting on Facebook.  I finished it up in early July.

·       The plot for this novel was intriguing.

·       Lucy and Ford had a second chance romance, a trope I usually enjoy.  Ford was expecting a baby with his not quite ex-wife, which threw me off from this romance.

·       I just overall couldn’t get behind the romance.  I don’t like married leads dating people while saying that their spouse just doesn’t get them.  Get divorced, spend some time on your own, and then date. 

·       There was good suspense in the story.

·       I liked the small-town Virginia coastal town setting.

·       The audiobook was interesting to listen to.  It had a good narrator.  She acted out all the parts.  There were multiple POVs including males.  It would have been nice to have additional narrators.

·       The mystery was slow burn.

·       There was a good wrap-up and ending.  I really liked the suspense at the end.

Overall, The Summer That Changed Everything by Brenda Novak was a good romantic suspense novel.  I liked the story and mystery, but I didn’t care for the romance.

Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney

 

Title:  Beautiful Ugly

Author:  Alice Feeney

Narrated by:  Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton

Publisher: MacMillian Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 19 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley and checked out through Libby with the Kewaunee Public Library

Do you prefer reading books with single POV or multiple POV?

Grady Green has just found out that his latest book has made the best sellers list, but his joy is tempered as his wife Abby has not returned home to hear the news.  He receives a mysterious phone call from her and then she disappears.  A year later, Grady’s life has gone off the rails, but he has one last opportunity to get back on the right path.  His publicist has been left a writer’s retreat on a remote Scottish island that another of her famous writers used to use to write his books.  Grady can use it to crank out a book.  Once on the island, he notices that things are odd. Is he seeing his missing wife?  Why does everyone wear the same mysterious ring?  Can he leave the island?

My thoughts on this book:

·       This book had a great first chapter that pulls you in with Abby going missing.

·       I loved Richard Armitage as the main narrator of the audiobook.  There were also sound effects throughout the novel, especially with phone calls.

·       The story was primarily told through Grady’s point of view, but there are some chapters set in the past told through Abby’s point of view.

·       I loved the Scottish island setting of Amberly.  Being cut off from the rest of the world gives the story an eerie feel.

·       This novel had interesting characters.  I felt like I was losing my mind with Grady on the Island. I must admit that my favorite character though was Grady’s dog.

·       I enjoyed this thriller until the end.  There was just one too many twists and it fell into the very unbelievable category for me.  I was disappointed as I had really enjoyed the book until that point.

Favorite quote: “Sometimes I think we are all the unreliable narrators of our own lives.”

Overall, Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney had all the makings of a great thriller, but unfortunately the ending made this an overall disappointing read.

Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Murder is Easy

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Gemma Whelan

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 57 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

How often do you read classics?

Luke Fitzwilliam is on a train when he meets Miss Pinkerton.  She is from a small English village, and she has quite the tale to tell him.  She said that there is murderer loose in her small English village of Wychwood and that she knows who will be murdered next.  Luke is sure Miss Pinkerton may be a bit batty, but after he reads of her death in a hit-and-run accident and that the next person she had stated would die has died mysteriously, he realizes that Miss Pinkerton may have been up to something after all.  He travels to Wychwood to investigate.  Will he be able to solve the crime?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for June was amateurs.  Main character Luke Fitzwilliam is newly retired from overseas police work and is not a seasoned detective. 

·       This mystery also had a love story in it with Luke and Bridget who helps him on his investigation.  Bridget is also engaged to the much older Lord Easterfield.

·       This is a standalone mystery that is not part of the Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot series.  Superintendent Battle shows up at the end of this novel, but I wouldn’t really call it a Superintendent Battle novel.

·       I did guess the ending of this one!  I just had a bad feeling about one of the characters and it proved to be correct.  There were a lot of red herrings as well.

·       I really liked the small English village setting.  Everyone was a suspect, and everyone had different aspects on the murder victims to share.  It was interesting just how easy murder turned out to be in this novel.

·       Gemma Whelan narrated this novel and did a great job.  It was a fun audiobook to listen to!

Overall, Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie is an enjoyable classic English mystery set in a small village.

A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Where would you like to vacation this summer?  We are touring my second child around to colleges this year so that is our vacation.  We recently camped in the Duluth, Minnesota area and visited a college.  A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder is set in Paris, which is a place I have always wanted to visit.

Frances and George are relaxing and spending time in Paris when Frances meets with an old frenemy, Alice.  Frances’s first husband died in bed with Alice, so Frances and Alice have a strained relationship.  Regardless, Alice seeks Frances out to ask for her help investigating her daughter’s love interest.  His first wife was murdered, and Alice wants to know if he had anything to do with it. An incriminating piece of evidence is found with Sarah Bernhardt.  Could America’s sweetheart be a murderer?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the eighth novel in the Countell of Harleigh Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone novel.  I’ve only read the seventh novel in the series, and I enjoyed this addition.  I do need to go back and start this series from the beginning.

·       I love George and Frances.  They are both wonderful characters and such a great couple.  I love their relationship.  I also love that they are such great sleuths that the French police ask for their help in this book. Frances definitely took the lead on the investigation in this novel.

·       This was a delightful cozy mystery that kept me guessing.  I did not see the ending coming!

·       I loved the addition of actress Sarah Bernhardt as a suspect.

·       This novel had great female characters and empowerment in this novel. 

·       Frances’s sister Lily has just had a baby and I felt for her in this novel.  Her portrayal of a tired young mother really spoke to me.

·       I thought it was interesting that the plot included the second Olympics in Paris as well as the Paris theatre scene.  It was fun!

Overall, A Daughter’s Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman is a delightful historical cozy mystery starring my favorite couple and crime solving duo, Frances and George.

Book Source:  Thank-you to @diannefreemanwrites @kensingtonbooks @austenprose for the review copy as a part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Which fictional character makes you feel safe and happy?

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney would like to take their relationship to the next level, but their families would like them to forget about each other and find a more appropriate love. Unbeknownst to their families, they have both been sent to London to experience the season. After a murder occurs, they are once again on the case. Will they be able to find the killer and convince their families that they should be together?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I LOVE this series.

·       Jonathan and Juliet are great characters and I love their romance.  Jonathan is neurodivergent and Juliet understands him.

·       I loved that this was a continuation of the Mansfield Park story.  Maria reappears with a child and Mr. Rushworth is thinking about remarrying her, but Henry Crawford is still on the scene.

·       Fanny has the heartbreak of losing a child and being told she can never have a child.  She feels jealous over the fact that Maria has had a child.

·       I still love that Catherine Tilney is an authoress and that she feels comfortable traveling to London to do her own business.

·       This was a clean read and a cozy mystery.

·       The Rushworth Family Plot is the fourth book in the series.  It is best to read the entire series in order.

·       Jonathan and Juliet have both a slow burn and a friends to lovers’ romance.  They had a few romantic moments in this novel. The former Caroline Bingley is back on the scene to try to split them apart.  I admit, at this point, it is feeling contrived to keep them apart.  I think they should just be together engaged or married and solving mysteries.

·       Austen’s characters feel like Austen’s characters in this book.  Author Claudia Gray writes them perfectly.

·       I did not guess the murderer in this book, and I thought the mystery had a satisfying ending.

Overall, The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray is a terrific addition to the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery Series with an intriguing mystery and great characters. I cannot wait for the next book!

Book Source:  Thank-you to @claudia_gray @ireadvintage @austenprose for the review copy as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

 

Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

 

Title:  Murder on Black Swan Lane

Author:  Andrea Penrose

Narrated by:  James Cameron Stewart

Publisher: HighBridge, a Division of Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 11 hours and 50 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible

What is the weirdest thing you have used as a bookmark?

The Earl of Wrexford is a scientist with a sharp mind.  Reverand Josiah Holwarthy publicly accused him of debauchery, and which started a feud between them.  Satirical cartoonist A.J. Quill makes the most of this feud to increase their audience.  When the Reverand Holwarthy is found dead, Wexford is the main suspect.  Who murdered the reverend and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I read this book in May for the JASNA Northwoods book club.  We met in early June, and everyone seemed to enjoy this novel.

·       This is the 1^st book in the Wrexford and Sloane historical mystery series.  I want to read more in this series.

·       The audiobook narrator had good accents for all the different characters.  It was an entertaining audiobook.

·       I enjoyed the Regency era setting.

·       I loved how chemistry and science was involved in this story.

·       I appreciated that A.J. Quill was actually a woman.  Charlotte is a widow and artist that has had to take over after his death to make ends meet.  She was a smart and strong character.

·       Wrexford and Charlotte become an unlikely investigative duo.  They worked well together.  They had a good friendship and there was no romance between them.

·       I loved the street urchins, Raven and Hawk, that Charlotte takes in. 

·       Wrexford was a moody and intelligent man and intriguing hero.  I didn’t feel like I really knew him by the end of the novel.  I hope he is more fleshed out in future novels.

·       The mystery was interesting and included what happened to Charlotte’s husband and how it was related to a mysterious club.

Overall, Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose was an interesting historical mystery.  I look forward to reading the rest of this series.

Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Title:  Where Secrets Lie

Author:  Colleen Coble and Rick Acker

Narrated by:  Karen Peakes

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 16 minutes

Source: Thank-you NetGalley for the Audiobook Review Copy and Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @tnzfiction for the physical book copy as part of the Bibliolifestyle Book Tour.

What is your favorite book series?

Savannah Webster and her ex-husband Hez are trying to give their love a second chance.  They had previously been married, but their marriage broke when they lost their child and Hez turned to alcohol. Things look bright until Savannah finds an empty wine bottle in Hez’s garbage.  Has he turned back to alcohol?  Savannah takes on a new role as the president of her beloved Tupelo Grove University and Hez starts a new legal clinic.  Together they discover many problems with finances at the university including someone at the university using it as a front for a smuggling ring.  Will they be able to save the university?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the second book in the Tupelo Grove series.  I enjoyed the settings, characters, and suspense in the first book and was excited to read more in the series.  I would definitely recommend reading both books in order in this series. 

·       There is a theme of forgiveness throughout the novel paired together with the desire for revenge.

·       This novel also showed that the path of love is not always simple and takes work. 

·       This was a great family drama that was action packed and showed the importance of family.

·       It was a clean read.

·       I really enjoyed the audiobook narration.  The narrator did different voices for each character and even had a British accent for Savannah’s nephew, Simon.

·       There were faith elements throughout the novel relative to forgiveness and a character’s death.

·       Colleen Coble and Rick Acker are a great writing team.  Colleen is an experienced writer and Rick knows the legal ins and outs.

·       The novel had a fantastic ending with a mic drop moment.  I can’t wait to see what happens next and look forward to the third book in the series.

·       I also like the authors note at the end which included interesting information about artifact smuggling.

Overall, Where Secrets Lie by Colleen Coble and Rick Acker is a great Southern romantic suspense novel.  I highly recommend this enjoyable series.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

 

Title:  Cards on the Table

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 0 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment.

What is your favorite card game?  Mine is Euchre although it’s been long time since I’ve played.

Mr. Shaitana has a gathering at his London home.  He has invited four detectives as well as four other people of whom he has secret information about.  The four non detectives play bridge all night, but by the end of the night, Mr. Shaitana is dead.  Who killed him and why?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       I am participating in the #ReadChristie2025 Challenge.  The challenge this year is exploring Agatha Christie’s works through her characters and their careers.  The theme for May was detectives.  This novel featured four detectives with Hercule Poirot, Colone Race, Superintendent Battle, and Ariadne Oliver all at the party and on the case. 

·       Wow!  This was one of my favorites Agatha Christie novels.  It was a great mystery with great characters and a great story.  The ending caught me totally off guard.

·       There was a lot about the game of Bridge in this story.  I have never played this game but have fond memories of my great grandparents hosting bridge parties.  Have you ever played bridge?

·       On the challenge website, it stated that Agatha Christie was not allowed to play cards on Sunday as a child so it it always felt slightly wicked when she did as an adult.

·       Hugh Fraser is a wonderful narrator of the Hercule Poirot novels, and I enjoyed listening to him again on this one.

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie was a wonderful mystery with complicated characters and a great story.  I loved how many favorite past characters came together to solve the mystery.

Verity by Colleen Hoover

 

Title:  Verity

Author:  Colleen Hover

Narrated by:  Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon

Publisher: Audible Studios

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 10 minutes

Source: Audiobook from Amazon Music monthly allotment and physical book from the Kewaunee Public Library.

What is your favorite novel with an unreliable narrator?

Lowen Ashley has been caring for her mother who was dying of cancer.  She put her career as an author on hold and now that her mother has passed away, she finds herself in financial ruin.  She is offered a job to finish the remaining books in a wildly successful series by Verity Crawford.  Verity has been in an accident and has also recently lost her two daughters.  Lowen goes to Verity’s home to go through her notes to make an outline to finish eh series.  While there, she discovers Verity’s shocking autobiography. She also finds herself attracted to Verity’s husband, Jeremy.  Is Verity all that she seems to be?  What will Lowen do with the information that she has?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was the Page-turners Book Club selection for May at the Kewaunee Public Library.  Sadly, I had to miss the meeting due to a luncheon.  Happily, the luncheon was for my oldest son who won a scholarship.

·       The audiobook had great narrators, but I really didn’t like listening to an audiobook that was filled with constant F bombs.  That’s not how I talk in my everyday life, and I don’t really care to hear it.  There was also a LOT of sex scenes which were also awkward to listen to on an audiobook.

·       This was a hard book to read, there were scenes of violence against unborn children and babies.  It was really hard to imagine a mother that is obsessed with her husband and hates her own children.

·       There was a gothic Jane Eyre type vibe to this book.  Verity is the “wife in the attic” while Lowen is the young new author working downstairs.

·       Positives about this book:

o   The story moved along, and I wanted to know what would happen.  It was an engaging plot.

o   It reminded me of a soap opera with lots of drama.

o   It had an open ending – what was the truth?

·       Negatives about this book:

o   Violence against children. I could hardly read it – I was horrified.

o   Graphic, constant sex scenes.

o   Cheating.

o   Repetitive and not well written.

o   There were a lot of plot holes, and the ending wasn’t plausible.

Overall, I didn’t really care for Verity by Colleen Hoover. This is my first Colleen Hoover novel and I’m not sure that I want to read more.  Are all of her other books like this?

Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer (Austenprose PR Tour)

 

What book did you read over the weekend?  I read Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer while camping this weekend and I couldn’t put this book down!

Kathryn lives in two worlds.  In 1888, she is a Victorian lady from a rich and socially prominent  family while in 1938 she is a museum curator putting together an exhibit for the British Museum on Jack the Ripper.  She lives a day in one world, goes to sleep, and then wakes up in the other.  She has until the age of 25 to pick the timeline that she would like to live in forever.  As she goes through the material for the museum exhibit in 1938, she realizes that her beloved sister in 1888 is Jack the Ripper’s last victim.  How can she save her sister in 1888, but not impact history?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This is the fifth book in the timeless series.  I seem to love each book even more than the last book.  This book can be read as a standalone, but it’s fun to see returning characters from other books and know their back stories.

·       I really liked how Kathryn was able to use both timelines to put together the clues to solve the mystery of her sister’s exile from her family, and to solve the ultimate mystery of who was Jack the Ripper.  It definitely kept me riveted!!  I have always been fascinated by Jack the Ripper and I though author Gabrielle Meyer really put the facts together in an engaging way while also putting together an interesting theory of who the Ripper was and why he committed his crimes.

·       The love between Kathryn and Austen in 1888 was palpable and alive.  I greatly enjoyed their romance.  It was very poignant in the future timeline when she saw old Austen from afar and he would not come to her.

·       This is a clean read.  There is some kissing.  Jack the Ripper and his crimes are discussed, but they happen off screen and the story doesn’t go into detail on the gruesomeness of the crimes.

·       There were lots of goodies at the end of this novel including an author’s note, historical note, a chapter from the next novel, and discussion questions.  I can’t wait for November and the next novel in this series – Through Each Tomorrow.  One setting is Fredericksburg, Virginia.  I have visited that beautiful city a few times in my life.

Overall, Every Hour Until Then is a captivating time travel historical romance with plenty of mystery and suspense and great characters.  I highly recommend it and this entire series!

Book Source: Thank-you to @gabrielle_meyer @bethanyhousefiction @austenprose for the review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Tour

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 

Are you reading any books this month for a book club?  If so, what book?  Do you like it or dislike it?

In a retirement community in England, four friends (Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron) have a weekly meeting whether they work on solving cold cases from the past.  When a murder takes place in their community, will they be able to catch the killer before they strike again?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Thursday Murder Club was my pick for the Rogue Book Club in May.  Only one person had finished the book, so we unfortunately were not able to have a good discussion about it.  There were great questions at the end of my copy of the book which would be good to use at a future book club.  Some book club members found it too slow with too many characters.  The book club member who had finished it had read it on audiobook and greatly recommended it.  I usually always finish my book club books but didn’t quite made it this time.  I finished it two days after book club!

·       This book was more about character building than even the mystery itself.  I loved the quirky and likeable characters.  I loved all the different characters in the senior community.  They felt like friends, and I can’t wait to read the next book.

·       The characters do face the realities of aging in both positive ways (experiences, contacts, etc.) and negative ways (dementia, health, etc.)

·       Joyce has recently moved to the community and is the newest member of the club.

·       PC Donna has recently moved to the area from London and is happy to be working on the murder case.

·       This novel has short chapters that keep the story moving.  I also enjoyed the humor.

·       The book is told through many point of views.  Joyce is the only first-person point of view.

·        I really enjoyed the ending of this mystery.  A lot of loose ends were tied up.

·       The next book in this series is The Man Who Died Twice and I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is a great cozy character driven mystery.  I look forward to the movie later this year.  I’m glad I finally read this and can’t wait to continue with the series.

Book Source:  This was a gift from a dear friend.