A Hodge Podge of Reviews - What I've Been Reading #2

Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts - This was published in 1994 and while there was a few tells for the most part this was just as entertaining as if it had been written much more recently.  Dora owns an antique/junk shop and is from a theatrical family that adds a lot of fun to the book.  Jed is recovering from his dysfunctional family having a rather epic blowup and his story is sad - with the exception of his grandmother who is fantastic.  The suspense was entertaining and balanced with the romance well though it did have a somewhat typical evil Roberts villain.  I loved this one when I read it years ago when I was just discovering Roberts and I enjoyed it just as much this time around.  Rating: Very Good

False Mermaid by Erin Hart - I read the first two books in this series about American pathologist who spends most of her time in Ireland dealing with bog bodies.  This time she's in the US dealing with the murder of her sister several years earlier and a more recently discovered body.  I can't say I enjoyed this one.   Every character was incredibly unhappy and there was not enough action to keep the book from just feeling overly grim and depressing.  The coincidences stacked up a bit excessively and I was not sorry to see this mystery end.  I did really enjoy the previous two books and if I remember correctly there was a lot about her sister in those books so I'm hoping the rest of the series will be more straight forward mysteries.  I will read the next book in the series but if it isn't significantly better I won't be continuing after that.  Rating:  Just Okay

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio - The previous I read by Sarah Jio was Goodnight June which was seriously feel good.  This was feel good but it took awhile to get there. Both Flora and Addison have giant secrets and both love gardening with a passion.  Both are in a spooky old house and both are looking for a very special camellia.  Both are scared and in impossible situations.  This wasn't the most fast paced read but it was a quick one and one that kept me entertained even though I got frustrated with Addison for not just telling her husband (who seemed genuinely in love with her, open minded and supportive) the truth.  The end was a bit contrived but was enjoyable and I'll be looking for more books by Sarah Jio.  Rating: Good

Untraceable by Laura Griffin - I've really enjoyed more recent books in this series so I figured I needed to go back to the beginning.  I enjoyed the mystery and liked Nathan pretty well but Alex drove me crazy.  For someone who is supposed to have worked as a PI for years her knowledge of the law was shockingly nonexistent and her anger with Nathan not unquestioningly believing her suspicion which was supported by zero evidence.  And it wasn't like he completely dismissed her suspicions.  He took her seriously and investigated a decorated and respected cop simply on the word of Alex and her not particularly reliable client.  And he backed her up put his own career in jeopardy to help her.  I don't know if you can tell but she really annoyed me.   With all of that it kept me entertained and I enjoyed Griffin's writing.  I'll be reading more early books though I'm hoping the heroines are a lot more sensible in future books.  Rating: Good