Lonely for You Only by Monica Murphy (Bibliolifestyle Book Tour)

 

Thank you, Partner @bibliolifestyle @blackstonepublishing for the review copy of Lonely for You Only by Monica Murphy.

Did you have a favorite boy band in your teenage years?  Would you want to meet the lead singer from that band as an adult?

I loved New Kids on the Block as a preteen and young teen.  I loved Joey McIntyre at that time.  I don’t know what I would do if I met him as an adult.  I would probably awkwardly have nothing to say to him.

Heiress Scarlett Lancaster is turning eighteen.  Her father hired a famous singer for her party and is keeping it a surprise until the big day.  Scarlett is hoping for Taylor Swift or Harry Styles, but it turns out to be Tate Ramsey, her young teenage crush from the now defunct band, Five Car Pileup.  Tate’s life as a teen heartthrob had spiraled out of control, but he has successfully been through rehab and has been clean for three years.  Now at twenty-one, he is ready for a comeback.  After a steamy kiss at the party is caught by others and goes viral, Scarlett and Tate decide to start a fake relationship to both get what they want out of life.  Will this fake relationship turn into love?

What I loved about this book:

-        This was a fun and enjoyable story.  I love stories of the rich and famous and this seemed almost ripped from the headlines with a rich heiress and has been boy band member.

-        Fake dating is one of my favorite romantic tropes.  In this book it’s also combined with angsty slow burn with some spice at the end.

-        Tate and Scarlett were a case of opposites attract. I enjoyed it as their relationship developed and they both developed as people.  They both brought out the best in each other.  This was a coming-of-age story for them both.

-        Dual point of view so you were able to get the story from both Scarlett and Tate’s side.

-        I love that Tate wrote Scarlett songs and thought it was very romantic.

-        This story was very light and easy to read during a stressful work week.

-        I think the cover of this novel is beautiful.

-        Fitz Lancaster, Scarlett’s Dad, is a reformed (?) older playboy and he was a very fun character.

-        I did not realize this is part of a series of the Lancaster siblings until I noticed this online.  The book worked so well as a stand alone that I didn’t realize while reading it that it was a part of a series.

Things I didn’t like as much.

-        The foul language used at times could be jarring.

Overall, if you are looking for a fun, light new adult romance with a great premise, I recommend Lonely for You Only.

The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley

 

Have you ever taken a long cross-country trip?  If so, who did you go with?  I’ve gone on various trips, but I have never gone on a true cross-country trip to the Pacific Ocean.

Tanner is twenty-one years old, and her life has stopped.  She was a star soccer player that had won a full ride to college.  A tragic accident ended her soccer career and her scholarship.  Now she is at home living in her parents’ basement with no plan.  Her parents decided that she will help a family friend by staying with her mother, Louise, as she is having a hard time getting around after hip surgery.  Once there, Tanner and Louise are learning to live with each other when Louise needs Tanner to drive her cross country to visit an old friend.   Why did Louise need to make such a quick get away?  What is her history?  Will Tanner be able to move forward with her life?

I really loved this story.  This is destined to be one of my favorite books of 2024.  Things I enjoyed were:

-        An unlikely friendship pairing of an eighty-four-year-old woman and a twenty-one-year-old woman.

-        Both Tanner and Louise learn from each other and grow.

-        Great mystery – I never knew what was going to happen next!

-        Humor was throughout the book and constantly had me chuckling.

-        Road trip!  I always like a good road trip in a novel or movie.

-        The romance between August and Tanner was sweet.

-        I think everyone in our book club loved the green Jaguar that came bursting out of Louise’s shed.  What a car for a road trip!

This was the February selection for the Page-turners Book Club at the Kewaunee Public Library.  We had a great discussion about it today.

Favorite Quotes:

“Though Louise wished it were not a universal truth, there were only a handful of women in this world who could pull of a bare face.  The girl in front of her was not one of them.” – The universal truth made me think of the first line of Pride and Prejudice.

“She grabbed a pillow beside her head, jammed it over her face, and screamed into it – the only recourse she could think of, aside from taking a hammer to the clock and hitting it repeatedly until it splintered into toothpicks, which, of course, was what she really wanted to do.” – I have felt this way about alarms my entire life.

“Regret.  Now that was a feeling Tanner was wildly intimate with.”  - Great discussion of regret in this entire section of the book.

“In life there were two kinds of friends:  friends who would wish you well on you journey to battle, and friends who would jump in the trenches with you.” – Isn’t that the truth!

Overall, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise was a fun, unique novel that kept me guessing and entertained throughout.

Book Source:  Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

 

Are you a day or a night person?  I am a night person that is forced to live a daytime existence.

Katherine Schneider works as a dentist in 1913 at Painless Parker Dentistry in Times Square, New York City.  Her work shift ends at midnight and for the past two years, the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch from the police force has been there to walk her safely to the subway.  She lives in the Martha Washington, a hotel with apartments that serves only professional women.  Katherine and Jonathan seem to have feelings for each other, but their relationship has not progressed.  Jonathan harbors secrets from his past and he is not willing to open up to another. 

When one of Katherine’s patients spills secrets while he is under the influence of laughing gas, Katherine soon realizes that the secrets seem to align with bombings that are taking place around the City.  With the help of Jonathan, the two investigate the crime. Will they be able to solve it before the criminals silence Katherine forever?

I greatly enjoyed this historical mystery.  As soon as I started reading this story, I was riveted and could not put it down.

What I liked about this book:

-        Great romantic tension between the two lead characters.

-        Riveting history as part of the setting in 1913 New York City.

-        Strong female character living an independent life as a professional dentist.

-        Strong male lead who must come to terms with his past in order to move on with his future.

-        Diverse characters who are professionals that are able to help other people in the City.

-        Engaging mystery story that kept me guessing.

-        Great historical notes and discussion questions at the end of the novel.

-        Also, at the end of the novel, a first glimpse at the next book in this Women of Midtown series.  I will be reading it when it comes out in 2025!

I also must add that there was one section of the book that was my very favorite.  This is a Christian book.  Most Christian books don’t really have any Christian themes in them but are just clean reads.  This book has a section in the first part of the novel where Katherine and Jonathan have a great discussion about forgiveness.  Here is a snippet of the discussion:

“’I know they’re bad men, but I’d like to think they can be redeemed.’

He slanted her a look, but she kept staring through the window, the outline of her profile as pure and refined as the statues of the saints he saw in church each Sunday.  ‘Do you really believe that?’

‘Of course,’ she said automatically.  ‘If someone gives themselves over to Christ, all things are possible.’

He smothered a cynical laugh.  Her innocence was delightful but a bit naïve.  ‘What about Nero?  Judas?  John Wilkes Booth?’

She shrugged.  ‘No person is so lost they can’t be forgiven.’

‘Let me get this straight,’ he said.  ‘If John Wilkes Booth, the man who shot Lincoln and derailed the reunification of our nation, managed to choke out an apology on his deathbed, you would say it’s okay. . . . that all is forgiven?’

She lifted her chin.  ‘God would. Jesus would.’”

I loved this entire conversation and there is even more to it in the book.  It’s a great plot point as Jonathan and his family are not perfect either.  I feel like this is the start of him thinking about, can he and his family be forgiven for things they have done in the past?  Or does the stain of their sins make it so that he cannot be forgiven and move on with his life?

Overall, While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden was a captivating and engaging historical mystery novel. It is one of my favorite books this year so far.

Book Source:  Review copy from author Bethany House Publishing as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you!  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

QUICK FACTS

·       Title: While the City Sleeps

·       Series: The Women of Midtown (Book 1)

·       Author: Elizabeth Camden

·       Genre: Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Gilded Age Fiction

·       Publisher: Bethany House Publishers (February 13, 2024)

·       Length: (352) pages

·       Format: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook, & Audiobook 

·       ISBN: ‎978-0764241710

·       Tour Dates: February 12 – 26, 2024

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Amid the hushed city, two hearts must navigate danger and deception, bound by a love that outshines the stars.

Katherine Schneider's life as a dentist in 1913 New York is upended when a patient reveals details of a deadly plot while under the influence of laughing gas. As she is plunged into danger, she seeks help from the dashing Lieutenant Jonathan Birch, a police officer she has long admired from afar.

Jonathan has harbored powerful feelings toward Katherine for years but never acted on them, knowing his dark history is something she could never abide. Now, with her safety on the line, he works alongside her through the nights as they unravel the criminal conspiracy that threatens her . . . even as he keeps his deepest secrets hidden at all costs.

Join award-winning author Elizabeth Camden for a sweeping and romantic adventure of dangerous secrets and wounded hearts, fighting to overcome the darkness while the rest of the city sleeps.

PRAISE FOR WHILE THE CITY SLEEPS

• "History, mystery, and romance set against the backdrop of New York City at night--a must-read!"— Gabrielle Meyer, bestselling author of When the Day Comes, and In This Moment
• "Elizabeth Camden brings the bustling metropolis to living color like no one else. . . A novel that will keep readers up late into the night."— Jocelyn Green, Christy Award-winning author of The Metropolitan Affair
• “I loved the historical details that make the story feel authentic.”— Kim Prudhoe, All the Lovely Pages

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | PUBLISHER | BOOKSHOP | BOOKBUB |    GOODREADS

AUTHOR BIO

Elizabeth Camden is best known for her historical novels set in gilded age America featuring clever heroines and richly layered storylines. Before she was a writer, she was an academic librarian at some of the largest and smallest libraries in America, but her favorite is the continually growing library in her own home. Her novels have won the RITA and Christy Award, and she lives in Florida with her husband who graciously tolerates her intimidating stockpile of books.

 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | BOOKBUB | GOODREADS

 

 

The Night Island by Jayne Ann Krentz

 

Title:  The Night Island:  The Lost Night Files, Book 2

Author:  Jayne Ann Krentz

Narrated by:  Eva Kaminsky

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 23 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

What is your favorite island to visit?  While I dream of visiting a tropical island, I’d say my favorite island to visit is Mackinac Island in Michigan.  I love the Victorian charm, the history, and that there are no motorized vehicles on the island.  It’s like stepping back in time.

The Night Island is a paranormal romantic mystery.   Talia March, Pallas Llewellyn, and Amelia Rivers host a podcast that investigates cold cases.  They all have psychic abilities and believe that a shared experience from months ago that they cannot remember gave them these abilities.  When a fan, Phoebe, calls with a lead, Talia goes to meet her.  She does not find Phoebe, but does find Luke Rand, a man with psychic abilities also looking for answers.  The two of them follow clues to find Phoebe and end up on Night Island.  Night Island is the location of a remote retreat in the Pacific Northwest that advertises an unplugged experience.  It turns out that Phoebe is not the first guest to disappear on the island, and she will not be the last.  Will Talia and Luke be able to solve the mystery and leave the island alive?

Night Island is very creepy and has glowing, carnivorous plants.  I liked the suspense, and quick moving story.  I also liked the romantic tension between Talia and Luke.  This paranormal novel reminded me of the X-Men with Wolverine searching for his past and trying to determine what had happened to him. 

This is the second book in the Lost Night Files.  I did not realize that until I started reading the book.  The book did well as a standalone novel, but I would like to go back and read the first book in the series. 

I read this audiobook in January for the 2024 Brenda Novak Book Group Reading Challenge.  I enjoyed Eva Kaminsky’s narration of the audiobook.

#Crimetime by Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne

 

Title: #Crimetime – An Audio Original

Author:  Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne

Narrated by:  Abelardo Campuzano, Jennifer Damiano, Phil Thron, Gary Tiedemann, Peter Berkrot, P.J. Ochlan, Nancy Linari, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Piper Goodeve, Kevin R. Free, Samantha Desz

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster Audio.  Thank you @simonandschuster #BookClubFavorites for the free books!

What is the audiobook that you have most enjoyed?

#Crimetime is an audiobook original with a full cast and great sound effects.  This was a very enjoyable audiobook.

Nadiya is a highly successful author of crime novels that enjoys living alone.  When her previously unknown to her half-brother, Chase, comes to town, he stays at her place while he gets his life figured out.  He wants to be TikTok star and loves to overshare everything much to Nadiya’s dismay.  When Nadiya’s upstairs neighbor’s apartment is burglarized, Chase films some incriminating footage and puts it on TikTok. Unfortunately, the footage goes viral and the two must run for their lives from the criminals who have also seen it.  Will they be able to solve the crime and save their own lives?

This was a fun mystery thriller that also had me laughing a lot.  This was a light story that did not take itself too seriously.  This audiobook is definitely for fans of Only Murders in the Building or the Stephanie Plum series.  Chase was annoying with his obsession with his TikTok and #Chasers as he called his fans, but it made it all the more funny in contrast to his straight laced sister Nadiya.  I loved the family secrets that were exposed and the building of relationships.

The audiobook ended with a perfect bridge to hopefully a sequel.  I will be listening!

Soldier: The Life of Colin Powell by Karen DeYoung

 

Title:  Soldier:  The Life of Colin Powell

Author:  Karen DeYoung

Narrated by:  Coleen Marlo

Publisher: Random House Audio

Length: Approximately 23 hours and 12 minutes

Source: Checked out with Libby through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

What modern day political or military figure would you like to learn more about?  I was in middle school during the Gulf War when I first heard of Colin Powell.  I admired him and his career after that, but I realized when he passed away that I did not know that much about his life. 

Solider:  The Life of Colin Powell tells the story of Colin’s life from his birth through his role as Secretary of State in the George W. Bush administration.  I learned a lot from this book.  I thought it was very interesting that Powell’s parents were Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx and that very much shaped his personality and ethics. He had very different views on race because of his parent’s heritage.   He joined the ROTC while earning his geology degree in college and joined the Army after graduating.  He loved serving his country and found that he was able to rise up the ranks in the army through his abilities.  He eventually became a four-star General, the National Security Advisor, the Joint Chief of Staff Chairman, and finally the Secretary of State.  He served in Vietnam and successfully lead the military through Desert Storm in the early nineties.

Listening to this audiobook was a good review of modern U.S. history.  Powell was a very popular person in the United States and was an independent before becoming Republican in 1995.  He considered running for President and I know my Dad always regretted that he didn’t as he really wanted to vote for him.   Powell had a very successful career which only seemed to have a downside when he became the Secretary of State.  The George W. Bush administration had a lot of internal problems that hampered Powell.  After Powell gave his speech to the United Nations calling for war in Iraq, he faced a lot of political fall-out when no weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.  It was a very unfortunate end to his otherwise great career.  It was also very un-Powell like as he had always stressed being prepared for such action and making sure the United States was successful and had an exit strategy.  He was a good soldier overall and always followed the direction of his commander in chief.

I enjoyed that author Karen DeYoung interviewed a wide swath of people for this book and was able to put together a riveting biography.

I enjoyed listening to this on audiobook, except for one item.  The audiobook was obviously originally on CD as it kept saying, “end of Disc X” all of the way through the audio.  I thought this was very annoying.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

 Title:  The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Author:  Agatha Christie

Narrated by:  Hugh Fraser

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 5 hours and 57 minutes 

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library.  Thank-you!

Do you participate in any reading challenges?  I discovered the Read Christie Challenge a few years ago and I have been having a wonderful time discovering all of Christie’s works for the first time.  #ReadChristie2024 has a theme this year of through the decades.  (See Challenge Card Below).  January – March are books written by Agatha Christie in the 1920’s.  

If you’d like to join this challenge, you can do the following:

1. Go to https://www.agathachristie.com/news/2024/read-christie-2024 to see the reads for each month of 2024.

2. Print a Challenge Postcard, pick out your book for the month, and start reading.

3. If you post on social media, use #ReadChristie2024 on Instagram for your chance to be featured in monthly reading round-ups.  

4. You can also join an end of the month book club at the link above.

5. Have fun reading and seeing what others are reading for this challenge.

For January, I read The Mysterious Affair at Styles which was published in 1920.  This novel introduced her most famous detective, Hercule Poirot.  Captain Arthur Hastings has just returned from the Great War and is recuperating at Styles Court as the guest of the Cavendish family. While there, the family matriarch and owner of the estate, Emily Inglethorpe, mysteriously dies.  She appears to have been poisoned, but by who and why?  Hastings enlists his old friend Hercule Poirot to help solve the case.

This was an excellent first novel by Agatha Christie.  I love that Hercule Poirot was introduced as a Belgian refugee from World War I who is also a retired famous detective.  Series regulars Inspector Japp and Hastings first appear.  Hastings is still not great at putting clues together without Poirot’s help.  He is also helpless when it comes to a pretty face, just like he is in the follow-up novel, Murder on the Links.  Poirot uses his little grey cells and many of his mannerisms and characteristics first appear here that will continue over the many novels in which he is featured.  I find it interesting that he is already retired and supposedly old in this first novel.  

The mystery was good with lots of red herrings that fooled me as usual.  I liked the conclusion of the novel.  I also loved that Christie used her job experiences during World War I in a hospital dispensary to write about poison.  She even had a character in this novel that had the same job she did during World War I.  

Hugh Fraser is a good narrator of Agatha Christie’s novels.  I was very entertained by this audiobook.

Sugar Plum Poisoned by Jenn McKinlay

 

Title:  Sugar Plum Poisoned:  Cupcake Bakery Mystery, Book 15

Author:  Jenn McKinlay

Narrated by:  Susan Boyce

Publisher: Dreamscape Media

Length: Approximately 7 hours and 14 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley

 

Cupcakes or cake?  I love them both.

In Sugar Plum Poisoned, Mel and Angie run a bakery in town.  As they prepare for the holidays, Angie’s old friend, the now famous singer Shelby, has arrived back in town to give a Christmas concert.  The friends enjoy being together again, but when Shelby’s manager is found murdered, will they be able to solve the crime?

Sugar Plum Poisoned was a cozy Christmas mystery that I enjoyed.  I loved the friendships, the baked goods, and trying to solve the mystery.  I did guess who the murderer was before the end, but I enjoyed the journey getting there.  I did feel stressed out for Mel when both sides of her family wanted her to host a very specific holiday celebration when she was already busy with her bakery and solving a crime.

I did not realize this was book 15 in the series when I read it.  It worked well as a standalone novel, but I would love to learn the history of the characters.  I may need to check out the other books in this series.

Susan Boyce was a good narrator for this audiobook.

The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories by Danny Pellegrino

 

Title:  The Jolliest Bunch: Unhinged Holiday Stories

Author:  Danny Pellegrino

Narrated by:  Danny Pellegrino

Publisher: Recorded Books

Length: Approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes

Source: Review Copy from NetGalley

 

Are you a fan of the movie Christmas Vacation?  It is one of my favorite Christmas movies and I relate more to it the older I get.  When I saw the title of this audiobook and how it referenced Christmas Vacation, I knew that I needed to read it.

Danny Pellegrino narrates this audiobook himself, which I thought was delightful.  His delivery of the stories made them even more fun.  This is a group of essays about Danny’s true holiday experiences including Christmas and other holidays.  It includes memories, as well as experiences working at Borders, taking road trips, fictional tales, etc.

My favorite story was how his mother had a perfectly put together Christmas but would have a meltdown at the very end of putting it all together before the rest of the family arrived.  Then she would act perfectly fine when guests arrived.  It was relatable as were most of his stories about his youthful holidays.  There was also a crazy story about Danny going on a cross country trip with an unhinged co-worker.   I loved the stories but didn’t like them as much when he veered into writing Mrs. Claus fan fiction.  That bit went on a little too long.  The audiobook overall made me interested in checking out his podcast and hoping that he will have another audiobook in the future.

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson

 

Title:  The Christmas Guest

Author:  Peter Swanson

Narrated by:  Esther Wane

Publisher: HarperAudio

Length: Approximately 2 hours and 48 minutes

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Do you like to read novellas or short stories?  I do, especially during the busy holiday season.  I have enjoyed Peter Swanson’s thrillers in the past and was excited to see what he would craft with a Christmas story.

Ashley Smith is an American Art student studying in London in the 1980s.  She is excited to be invited to spend the Christmas season with a fellow student Emma Chapman at her family’s country estate.  Ashley is intrigued and smitten by Emma’s brother Adam.  There is also a sinister stranger lurking in the woods between the manor house and the local pub the young people like to hang out at.  Has Ashley stumbled into a romance, a gothic story, or something else at this picturesque estate over the Christmas season?

I don’t want to get too much more into the story as I appreciated all the twists and turns.  As with other Peter Swanson novels, things are not what they seem at first glance and the characters are much more than they first appear.  I liked how this story was told through Ashley’s diary entries from the 1980’s and the second half was Ashley filling in the rest of the story in the present day.  This is definitely NOT a Hallmark Christmas story, but I loved the English manor atmosphere, the mystery, and the psychological thriller aspect.  It was a good Christmas story and definitely had me thinking at the end.

Esther Wane was a good narrator and was the voice of Ashley through the novel for me.