Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

 I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivein Chien - This is the second book in the Noodle Shop mystery series and I enjoyed this one just as much as the first one.  Lana is still thinking working in her family's noodle shop is a temporary thing but is forced to step it up and take up a management role when her parents have to leave for an extended period of time.  Murder happens and Lana is pulled into the investigation.  I really enjoy all the characters and was fully caught up in the mystery.  This is a solid cozy mystery and a series I'm looking forward to continuing.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Veil of Night by Linda Howard - This was my first book by this author though she's been on my radar for ages.  I enjoyed it.  The plot was good, the pacing was spot on, and I liked the main character.  I also found the wedding industry as a good vehicle for a suspense story as weddings frequently don't bring up the best in people.  My main issue was the male main character.  He's pretty awful and I really feel Jacqueline deserves way better.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis - This was on my read or declutter list for this year.  It's an older series set in a small Idaho community and usually focuses on animals in some capacity.  This was a typical Shalvis romance.  Fun premise, quirky female lead with some baggage, tough guy male lead with a soft heart (and a bit of a baggage).  It was a quick read with characters I really enjoyed and a great conclusion.  I'll definitely read more in this series. My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stories)

4. Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena - Another new to me author and another one that has been on my radar for awhile.  This story grabbed me right from the beginning and I really enjoyed the audio of this one.  I flew through it and had no idea how it was going to end.  Every character was pretty awful but they were all interesting and there was a number of potential motives.  The ending was interesting.  It was a touch open ended but had a heaping serving of clues so I can guess what happened next.  I will definitely pick up more books from this author.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  Flea Market Magic by Bella Falls -  This was a cute paranormal cozy with a family of witches and ghosts and a whole lot of quirky characters.  The author did a good job of building the world without a major info dump.  I don't understand everything about how the world works but I knew enough to enjoy the read.  The characters were a little one note and I never really liked the main character.  I also didn't love that the solution to the mystery was revealed through magic and not investigation.  I would probably pick up the second book in the series if it was on Hoopla or Audible Plus but I wouldn't go out of my way to look for it.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)