Review: The Restorer

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A new series. Definitely good enough to continue, although I may not go the audio route next time. The narrator kind of drove me nuts--I felt like the accent was forced.

A lot of the book spent time establishing the characters and their backstory, as you would expect. There is foundation built, but questions still remain for future books. We get to understand Amelia. A bit less about Devlin, but since it isn't from his point of view you would expect that. We were left hanging about the two of them, just a taste to get you to pick up the next book in series. I'm ok with that.

I have to admit a couple of the plot twists took me by surprise, but I was listening to the audio so sometimes I miss details in that format. A good dose of paranormal, and a moderate amount of romance. 3 stars.

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Review: Death of a Hussy

Death of a Hussy by M.C. Beaton
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The more things change, the more they stay the same. And Hamish changes least of all.

Hamish and Towser, recently relegated to Strathbane after Lochdubh's police station has been closed due to lack of crime. The people of Lochdubh are crafty and make up a bunch of crimes to get Hamish back. Hurray! He returns home to meet newcomers Maggie and her niece, Allison. Maggie is overbearing, conniving, and a bit awful with an insecure center. Allison is a shrinking violet who falls for Hamish. Hoping to light a bit of a fire under Pricilla, I'll allow it.

Maggie is rich, you see, and lords that money over little orphan Allison and four of her former lovers/honeypots. And she's writing quite the risqué account of her sexcapades. Saucy! Then she ends of dead, of course, and Hamish is on the scent to find the killer. No one believes him, but he gets his man, or woman, in the end. He's lazy, but smart, after all. And he gets 3 stars for continuing to bring me back to Lochdubh.


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Review: If You Find Me

If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ok, I'm a huge baby. This book made me cry. I think it's the mom in me. I need a tissue now.

This book wasn't quite what I expected. I knew it was about a girl who had been kidnapped, but that was about it. I actually liked how it was laid out with the rescue at the beginning and the flashback interwoven into the story afterwards. More of a mystery that way, dropping in the puzzle pieces. My nitpick: it didn't seem like the girls went to therapy or had any professional help outside of the social worker helping test them for school. Really? Maybe I missed a throwaway line or something, but no one on one sessions? No family / group therapy? Kids are resilient, but that missed the mark for me.

I've had this book on my list for a while now. Glad I finally got to it. 3.5 stars, but rounding up because it was a tear-jerker, and I love those kind of books.

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Review: Neanderthal Seeks Human

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely not my usual genre, but I really loved this book. Janie was awkward, and weird, and smart, and funny. Quinn was shockingly a good balance for her. At first I thought she was written way too over the top with the quirkiness--I'm ridiculous and I'm nowhere near as bad as her--and she was WAY too oblivious, but that's ok. By the end, I got what I wanted, the HEA.

I switched back and forth between the audio and eBook, and the narration was solid. 4 surprising stars from me, and I will read the others.

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Review: Firestorm

Firestorm by Nevada Barr
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Anna, Anna, Anna. You continue to surprise me.

On an assignment from Mesa Verde to assist with the firefighters in Northern California, and she uncovers a killer. Don't worry, my boy Fredrick Stanton attempts to ride in on his white horse, but Anna doesn't need that. She's still not sure what she needs. She's a marshmallow inside, sure, but she's walnut hard on the outside.

Anyway, everyone's a suspect and they all seem shady, except Harold Black Elk who just seemed awesome. And Anna solves the case, puts herself in harm's way, and makes it home mostly in one piece. Can't wait to read book 5. Stanton, I'm pulling for your quirky self.

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Review: The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories

The Opposite of Loneliness: Essays and Stories by Marina Keegan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marina Keegan was only 22 when she was died in a car accident. Newly graduated from Yale and ready to continue her budding career as a writer, we are left with a collection of work from her short life. Half of the book is short stories, and the other half essays. You can see glimmers of what she would have potentially grown into as a writer. Her voice, as you would expect, is very young. She's in college; her life has barely started. I liked some of the stories, didn't like some others. These are stories that wouldn't have been published under other circumstances.

Overall, three stars, but I'm having a hard time separating the tragedy of a life cut short from the actual work, so actually 2.5.

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Review: Rushing Amy

Rushing Amy by Julie Brannagh

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Ah, contemporary romance. I keep trying to love you, but we just can't seem to connect. Maybe someday I will find the one that gets me hooked, but this wasn't it.

Amy Hamilton (Emily's younger sister from Blitzing Emily) meets the dashing, successful, and gorgeous Matt Stephens in the bar after her sister's wedding. She holds him at arm's length, he pursues her, and some nonsense happens that could have been avoided, which is my main issue with contemporary romance. But I did not hate both characters, in fact, I rather liked them, so I am giving this 2.5 stars. It's pretty ok, and if contemporary romance is your thing you will probably rate this much much higher.



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