Books I'm Excited to Read - The Reef + Death by Dumpling

 

Goodreads:  The Reef by Nora Roberts

Blurb:  Tate Beaumont has a passion for treasure-hunting. Over the years, she and her father have uncovered many fabulous riches, but one treasure has always eluded them: Angelique’s Curse—a jeweled amulet heavy with history, dark with legend, and tainted with blood. In order to find this precious artifact, the Beaumonts reluctantly form a partnership with salvagers Buck and Matthew Lassiter.
As the Beaumonts and Lassiters pool their resources to locate Angelique’s Curse, the Caribbean waters darken with shadowy deceptions and hidden threats. Their partnership is placed in jeopardy when Matthew refuses to share information—including the truth behind his father’s mysterious death. For now, Tate and Matthew continue their uneasy alliance—until danger and desire begin to rise to the surface…

My Thoughts:  This was an enjoyable light romantic suspense read that was perfect for summer reading - or wishing it was summer reading.  There is a typical Roberts' villain who has a whole bunch of money and an equal helping of madness as well as a fairly common treasure hunting plot.  However, the marine archeology was a bit unique and thoroughly enjoyable as was the history of the wrecks and the treasure.  I liked Tate and Matthew as well as Buck Lassister and the Beaumonts.  There was a character that threw me for a loop and I wasn't quite sure what to think for a little bit which was fun.  I loved that the setting is mostly at sea and despite the book being an older Roberts book it really didn't feel too dated.  This is a fun read if you're looking for a suspense title with a bit of romance and a dash of adventure.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)  

Goodreads:  Death by Dumpling (Noodle Shop Mystery #1) by Vivien Chien

Blurb:  The last place Lana Lee thought she would ever end up is back at her family’s restaurant. But after a brutal break-up and a dramatic workplace walk-out, she figures that a return to the Cleveland area to help wait tables is her best option for putting her life back together. Even if that means having to put up with her mother, who is dead-set on finding her a husband.
Lana’s love life soon becomes yesterday’s news once the restaurant’s property manager, Mr. Feng, turns up dead―after a delivery of shrimp dumplings from Ho-Lee. But how could this have happened when everyone on staff knew about Mr. Feng’s severe, life-threatening shellfish allergy? Now, with the whole restaurant under suspicion for murder and the local media in a feeding frenzy―to say nothing of the gorgeous police detective who keeps turning up for take-out―it’s up to Lana to find out who is behind Feng’s killer order. . . before her own number is up.

My Thoughts:  I have heard raves about this series for ages and have been so wanting to pick up this series so I was so excited to finally read the first book.  And it didn't let me down.  Lana is not super thrilled to be back working at her family's restaurant but the need to pay rent and her dog's food makes that her only option.  She's getting back in the swing of things when an order delivery ends in a suspicious death.  Most of the shop owners around the restaurant have a history together and the possibility for motives abound - and more than a few people are acting suspicious.  Lana was a fun main character.  She's smart but more than a bit impulsive and when paired with her roommate Meghan they are very likely to get in over their heads.  I did kind of guess the who but not the why and I enjoyed following along with Lana's investigation from the first page to the last.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)