Love Blooms on Main Street - Review and Release Week Blitz

Rating: Good
Source: Publisher

Description:  Florist Ivy Birch fantasizes about the day a man will surprise her with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  Especially if that man happens to be Brett Hastings.  One stolen kiss at her best friend's wedding and Ivy can't get the sexy ER doctor out of her head.  In the small town of Briar Creek, you can't avoid anyone for very long.  Not that Brett has been trying to avoid Ivy.  He just can't afford to let anything distract him from his work - not again.  So when a hospital fundraiser throws them together, love is the last thing on his mind.  But with her quick wit and sweet laugh, soon the one woman he's tried to keep at arm's length is capturing his heart...

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a few books in this series and have really enjoyed them all.

My Impression:  When I start an Olivia Miles book I know I'm not getting a simple story and this newest addition to the Briar Creek series is no exception.   There are complications, histories, secrets, and all kinds of matchmaking mothers!

 Ivy and Brett are complicated people with more than their share of baggage and neither really want to be in a serious committed relationship despite the fact that they are seriously attracted to each other.  There are a lot of side characters involved as well who have their own hang ups which adds so much to the small town feel but never crosses over into confusing.  We see Ivy's relationship with her brother, her brother's fiance, and a number of friends all of whom she's known practically since birth and I really enjoyed seeing that side to her.  In the same way you could feel the distance Brett kept from his family, friends and home town.  He has his own demons caused by his father abandoning him and struggles with it regularly.  He really really doesn't want to be attracted to Ivy despite the fact that he really really is.  I think because of this distance it took me awhile to warm up to Brett but as the book went on I did come to understand him more and was able to root for a happy ending.  Ivy keeps her distance with her friends by keeping a very large secret which in some ways didn't make sense to me but I could see her side of things.  I did think she needed to take up yoga or something to help her deal with her attraction to Brett!  For awhile I didn't see how either would deal with their baggage enough to have a healthy relationship but I was very pleased with how it turned out!

Briar Creek is full of interesting characters that feel like real people.  They have their damage but they also have their successes.  Often in small town books a lot of side characters mean I'm going to be confused and distracted from the main couple but that was not the case in this book.  If anything the side characters made it easier for me to engage with Ivy and Brett.  There are a number of characters that we've met in previous books but if you're new to the series have no fear.  I haven't read all of the books and it's been awhile since I read the last one but I had problem keeping track of who was who and all that.

Overall, this is an entertaining book with characters who I liked even if they drove me crazy sometimes!  This isn't a fluffy light romance but it doesn't go over into too angst-y either.  A great pick for when you're in the mood for contemporary but want a little more heart and grit.

Buy Here:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

iBooks

IndieBound

Google Play

Kobo

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?:  Absolutely.  I haven't read one book in this series and I'm looking forward to going back and reading it and then seeing what comes next.

Would I Recommend this Book?: If you like contemporary romances I think you would enjoy this book and the series overall.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want to Do or Learn About

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want to Learn or Do After Reading Them.  I love when a book has me googling something because I just have to know more and usually that means that the book has really connected with me on some level!

Things I Want to Learn About

1. French History
Book: Finding Fontainebleau: An American Boy in France by Thad Carhart
I found this book which mixed in the history of France through a look at Fontainebleau with the story of an American family in France in the 1950s absolutely fascinating.  It also showed me just how little I know about French history and I really want to fix that!

2.  The History of Guernsey especially during World War II
Book: The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Before this book I had heard of the Channel Islands but didn't know much about them and basically nothing about Guernsey itself.  I fell in love with the book itself (the audio version is AMAZING) and became fascinated by the little island itself

3.  The history and the meaning of roses
Book: Vanish with the Rose by Barbara Michaels
Before I was bitten by the gardening bug this book had me wanting to learn all about roses - the history, the variety and the people involved with making sure they survived.

4.  Tiffany Girls
Book: Brooklyn Graves by Triss Stein
I'm familiar with Tiffany but had never heard about the women he had working for him in the early 20th century.  I loved reading the letters and diaries that Stein's main character discovers and it made me want to learn more about the women.

5.  Stonehenge and similar structures in England
Book: The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths and The Language of Bees by Laurie R. King
I've of course heard of Stonehenge and have seen it in countless pictures, TV shows and movies but I've never been particularly interested in it or really knew that there were others like it scattered about.  I read both books pretty close together and they both talk a lot about the different sites and I've really become fascinated by what's known about them.

Things I Want to Do:

1.  Play Bridge
Book: Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
The entire plot of this book revolves around bridge playing and I have no idea how the game works.  After reading this book I tried to look into the rules but didn't get very far and then J and I were watching a show where a group was playing bridge and it essentially looked like 4 people were sitting around a table holding cards and saying different random words and then getting sad or excited.

2.  Knit
Book: Miss Silver Comes to Stay by Patricia Wentworth (and so many more - all the Miss Marple books by Agatha Christie as well)
I don't sit still very well so I love the idea of having something productive to do while watching TV or chatting.  Plus I love sweaters, socks and scarves.  As an added benefit it seems like you can't knit for more than 5 minutes at a time without someone showing up and confessing a murder so that could be entertaining.

3.  Collect old and beautiful books
Book: Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle and The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett
If you love art theft books and haven't read The Man Who Loved Books Too Much you must go find a copy immediately.  It's fascinating and well written and immediately made me want to start searching out first editions and unusual copies.  It's hard to believe it's a true story!  Homicide in Hardcover is the first in one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  The main character is a book restorer and the descriptions of the books she working with just about make my mouth water!

4.  Visit Cornwall
Book: The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Ever since I discovered The Shell Seekers as a teenager I've wanted to visit Cornwall and see the place Penelope loved so much.  It sounds so beautiful and so rich in history.

5.  Make peace with my local library
Book: Free for All: Oddballs, Geeks, and Gangstas in the Public Library by Don Borchert
A few years ago the library and I were not on speaking terms.  It started with a bag of library books left at a hotel hours away from home (the moral of the story is don't leave the youngest child in charge of the bag containing stuff that MUST come back home) and the fines that accumulated because of that.  Then there were some other fines that accumulated because I forgot to get to the library when I had a whole bunch of DVDs checked out.  So we broke up and I thought it was for good.  After being inspired by this book to get back to the library and discovering a branch that is just a few minutes away from my house I'm pleased to say I'm a library regular again!

What have books made you want to learn or do?

Death at the Day Lily Cafe - Review

Death at the Day Lily Cafe by Wendy Sand Eckel
Rating: Good
Source: Publisher

Description:  Rosalie Hart has finally opened the cafe of her dreams.  Decked out with delicious organic fare, the Day Lily Cafe is everything Rosalie could have hoped for.  But not five minutes into the grand opening, Doris Bird, a dear and trusted friend, cashes in on a favor - to help clear her little sister Lori of a first degree murder charge.  With the help of her best friend and head waiter Glenn, Rosalie is on the case.  But it's not going to be easy.  Unlikable and provocative, murder victim Carl James Fiddler seems to have insulated nearly everyone in town, and the suspect list grows daily.  And when Rosalie's daughter gets caught in the crossfire, the search for the killer becomes personal in this charming cozy perfect for fans of Diane Mott Davidson and Joanne Fluke.  (from Goodreads)


Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  Food and murder are 2 of my favorite things to read about plus I had heard really good things about Wend Sand Eckel's last book - Murder at Barclay Meadow - which I own but for some reason haven't read yet.

My Impression:  
Characters:
Right off the bat Rosalie is an easy character to like and relate too.  She's still trying to get completely used to life after her divorce but things are definitely looking up.  She's realized a dream with the opening of the cafe and is working hard to make sure that dream stays alive.  I thought the employees of the cafe - Glenn, Crystal, and Custer - added a lot of personality to the book as they are all very different and have very distinct personalities but prove able to work together without too much conflict.  Custer is especially intriguing as a young man who has many shadows in his past but is obviously trying so hard to stay on the right path.  I like that he isn't an open book about everything and draws clear lines between work and his personal life.  Glenn is a fantastic side kick and I enjoyed how he and Rosalie worked together.  Rosalie's relationship with her daughter Annie was interesting and rang true as a mother and young adult daughter trying to figure out how that relationship works when the child has become an adult but is still dependent.  That's a situation that I'm very familiar with and it really rang true here.  There's a lot of townspeople and Cafe regulars that add a bit of depth and character to the town and the story.  It feels like a real town but without so many people that it gets confusing.

The Mystery:
The actual mystery reminded me a little bit of Agatha Christie's Mrs. McGinty's Dead, where the accused is doing absolutely nothing to help himself (well herself in the case of this book) but the people around the accused are determined to figure out what really happened.  Lori isn't as unlikable as the accused in the Agatha Christie book but she doesn't always make the smartest decisions.  The Sheriff also has his hangups when it comes to this investigation.  He isn't completely incompetent but he lets his personal hangups and his own preconceptions heavily influence the way he investigates.  Because of all that and because of Rosalie's friend Doris requesting her help it make perfect sense why Rosalie got involved.
The mystery itself was well done.  There are lots of little clues and not overdone red herrings through out the book and there are several side mysteries that may or may not be related.  Rosalie does make a few jumps in logic but there was logic behind the jumps so it made sense.  She also has a TSTL moment at the end but she does take precautions and given her past history with the Sheriff I'm willing to let that pass!  I think I'd have done the same in her shoes.

Overall:
I think I might have appreciated this a little bit more if I had read the first book because I would have understood the relationships a little bit better - especially with Rosalie's business partner Tyler.   However, I had no problem getting to know Rosalie and understanding her place in the town and keeping track of the side characters.
This was an entertaining and well done mystery.  While it is most definitely a cozy with an amateur detective and low levels of blood and gore I think it would be a good "starter cozy" for those who are new to the genre as the cutesy aspects are at a minimum.  Above all, do NOT read this book on an empty stomach.  There's lots of food discussions and it all sounds fantastic.  I don't even like asparagus but I'd take a big bowl of that soup!  Luckily there are some recipes in the back!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Yes!  I have the first book in the series and I'll definitely be reading it as well as looking for the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  Absolutely!  If you enjoy a good mystery I'd definitely recommend Wendy Sand Eckel.

This Week in Reading - July 24

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz - I requested this though I really had no expectation of getting it.  I figured that the worst thing that could happen was a denial.  I was fully expecting the denied email so I just about fell off my chair when the email said approved.  I'm so excited!  (NetGalley)

All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris - So right after I had picked myself off the floor after getting the last book this one came through and I was right back down!  I really loved this series by Charlaine Harris and is definitely more of a straight up mystery than a lot of her others.  Can't wait to get the next chapter in Aurora Teagarden's story! (NetGalley)

Sun, Sand, Murder by John Keyse-Walker - There is one thing I love more than a missing persons case and that is a case with a very real body and identity that doesn't belong to them.  Add in a setting in the British Virgin Islands and I couldn't resist this one! (NetGalley)

A Killer Closet by Paula Paul - A cozy mystery that involves a vintage consignment store.  (NetGalley)

A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon - Cahoon's South Cove series is one of my current favorites so I couldn't resist this first book in her new series involving a writer's retreat hosted in a big blue Victorian bed and breakfast!  (NetGalley)

Michelangelo's Ghost by Gigi Pandian - a ghost story, art theft and murder and an Italian Renaissance masterpiece.  Yes please!  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading: Silk Stalkings by Dianne Vallere and Hometown Girl by Mariah Stewart (I put this down when I got Roberts' The Obsession but now that I've finished that I'm back)

Listening: Still podcasts though I'm sorting through my audio books to pick my first one for the school year.  I've really been enjoying True Crime Garage.  The beginning is kind of weird but I love how in depth they get with mysteries - some solved some cold.  And of course my usual loves especially Super Serials podcast (loving the camp books they're talking about this month) and Stuff You Missed in History Class

Watching: We've finished the first season of Northern Exposure and absolutely loved it.  It's so quirky and different and other than some wardrobe choices it doesn't feel dated at all.  I just picked up season 2 from the library and we're looking forward to diving in.  In the meantime we're watching Major Crimes on TNT which has been an old favorite though I did burn out on the Rusty subplot.  He's kind of whiny but we discovered we like the show way better if we just fast forward through his angst-ing!

Off the Blog:

First off, if you follow me on Pinterest let my just apologize for the huge dump of clothing pins (and if you don't follow me on Pinterest you should - link is to the right and I'm almost done with all the clothes pinning).  I just set up my Stitch Fix account and have become obsessed with my clothes pin board.  My first fix will be here on the 28 and I can't wait!

This week has been busy but really mostly for the Tornado.  He had the last week of summer camp and also VBS.  Both had a Star Wars theme so he was absolutely delighted and had such a great time with them both.  His new school posted the teacher list so I'm having to come to terms with him starting a new school with a longer day and bigger classes.  Next week will be school supply shopping and the week after school starts!  I can't believe how fast summer flew by!

We've had some bad news in that Paul is coming home soon on medical discharge.  From what we've heard he's okay but we haven't heard all that much.  Everyone will be very glad to see him though!  After that is just figuring out what happens next but I have complete faith that it will all work out.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: Ramblings from the Stacks - Magic Words in Book Blurbs
Tuesday: Top Ten Books Set Outside the US and UK
Wednesday: An Address to Die For - Cozy Mystery Review
Thursday: Better Get to Livin' - Fiction Review
Friday: Friday Linkups featuring teasers from The Obsession
Saturday: My Foodie TBR

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Death at the Day Lily Cafe - Mystery Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Things Books Have Made Me Want to Learn About or Do

Wednesday: Love Blooms on Main Street - Blog Tour Contemporary Romance Review

Thursday: Silk Stalkings - A Cozy Mystery Review

Friday: Linkups with current book

Saturday: 52 Pins in 52 Weeks - July Edition

Have a great week and happy reading!

My Foodie TBR

It's not really a secret that two of my favorite activities are cooking and reading so when I find a book that combines the two it's automatically going to end up on my TBR.  The problem is that there are a LOT of books that combine the two which has my shelves overloaded and books shoved into corners.  To keep books I really want to read from getting lost in the piles I try and rummage through every once in awhile and pull out a few that I really want to read soon.  This time I ended up with 4 nonfiction and 6 cozy mysteries.  Some have been out ages and a few are new releases.  Almost all of them feature recipes which makes me super happy!

1.  The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks by Kathleen Finn - Kathleen Finn is an author I've been wanting to read since pre-blogging days and this was the first book I got.  I've managed to read (and love) 2 other books by her but somehow this one has been sitting on my shelf untouched for years.

2.  American Pie: Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads by Pascale Le Draoulec - Not only does this involve food and books but it also has a road trip!  Plus lots of pie recipes.  I know nothing about this one other than the title and blurb but I'm looking forward to it!

3.  The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection by Michael Ruhlman - I've seen Ruhlman's name as a co-author on a number of cookbooks plus he's worked with Michael Symons who is one of my favorite chefs!

4.  Consuming Passions: A Food-Obsessed Life by Michael Lee West - I remember absolutely nothing about this or why I got it which means I have had it for far too long without actually reading it!

5.  Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery #1) by Ellery Adams - Ellery Adams is a cozy mystery author I really haven't read which is weird because she has tons of books in multiple really great sounding series.  This one has pies!  And recipes for pies!

6.  Death by the Dozen (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #3) by Jenn McKinlay - Murder and cupcakes - what more could I want?  Other than a cupcake to eat while I'm reading about cupcake bakers solving murders.

7.  Irish Stewed (Ethnic Eats Mystery #1) by Kylie Logan - I'm so excited about this one!  I love the idea of exploring different cuisines with a good dash of murder.  I peeked at the recipe for Irish Stew in the back of this book and it sounds amazing!

8.  Death al Dente (Food Lovers' Village Mystery #1) by Leslie Budewitz - Budewitz has a series set in a spice shop that is really calling my name but I was able to get my hands on this one first.  This takes place in an old general store turned boutique market during a pasta festival!

9.  Death Eat Street (Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery #1) by J.J. Cook - Food trucks!  I love food trucks and just the title of the series has me wanting biscuits.

10. Murder on the Rocks (Mack's Bar Mystery #1) by Allyson K. Abbott - So this one is more drink than food but there are plenty of times where a good cocktail is as neccesary as a good meal so I'm saying this one counts!

Any foodie books coming up for you?

I'm linkup up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Friday Linkups: The Obsession

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
Do you always put a book cover in a post when you are mentioning a book or just text?

My Answer:
It depends.  If I'm just mentioning a book I usually don't but if a large chunk of the post focuses on the book (like this one!) I do.  Covers tend to be one of the major things that grabs my attention so I like to show them off!

Every year Nora Roberts comes out with a new stand alone romantic suspense title and every year I know I won't be able to resist picking it up.  This year's book - The Obsession is no exception.  I've actually been in line for the library's e-copy for ages but when I saw the print copy sitting on the new releases shelf I couldn't resist snapping it up.  I'm not very far in yet but so far I'm really enjoying it.  It's fast paced and twisty and everything I've come to expect from one of Roberts' stand alones.

The Beginning:
She didn't know what woke her, and no matter how many times she relived that night, no matter where the nightmare chased her, she never would.

My Thoughts:
Well that's an ominous beginning!  It definitely sets the mood for what happens next.

The 56:
"And when he'd finished with her, he'd have gotten another.  Who knows how many he'd have killed."

My Thoughts:
I've read and watched enough serial killer books/shows that this is a familiar sentence.  This is basically the sentence the entire Criminal Minds franchise is based around - not that I'm complaining, I love that show!

So what do you think?  Keep reading?  Is there an author you can't resist if you see their newest on the shelf?

Better Get to Livin' - Review

Better Get to Livin' by Sally Kilpatrick

Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Presley Cline has put aside dreams of Hollywood stardom and come back to Ellery, Tennessee to work in a beauty shop.  In truth, the dreams in question were more her mother's than her own.  Presley may have the face and body of a movie icon, but she lacks the stomach for it.  Yet a loving relationship and normal home life seem almost as unattainable as an Oscar.  Being able to see and speak to dead people certainly isn't helping.  Presley's first job, beautifying "clients" at the Anderson Funeral Home, is quite a change from working on a movie sest.  The place is home to dozens of hosts all hoping that Presley can help them move on - and also one very much alive owner, Declan Anderson. Like Presley, Declan is caught between following family expectations and his own aspirations.  But with a little meddling from loved ones and locals - both living and dead - Presley is starting to see that life is too short not to be who you want to be, and the most rewarding journeys involve some unexpected detours... (from Goodreads)

Genre: Fiction/Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  To be honest I have no idea.  I think I was in a NetGalley requesting fog and didn't realize what I was doing.  I do like ghosts so maybe that had something to do with it?

My Impression: Going in I had no expectations about this story.  I haven't read anything by Sally Kilpatrick before,  I hadn't seen many reviews for it, so I was kind of expecting your typical small town romance with maybe an extra dash of quirk.

Turns out there is so much more!  For one thing I have a hard time classifying this as a straight up romance.  There is a romance but it doesn't take up much of the book - especially in the first 2/3.  For starters this isn't your regular fictional small town with streets lined with cute little shops and friendly people.  This is an actual small town with financial struggles, people with old grudges (though there are plenty of nice people too), and warring funeral homes (okay this isn't so ordinary - or at least I don't think it is).  Declan, the reluctant director of one of the funeral homes, is relatively respected but hasn't quite lived down his high school nickname of "Cold Fingers" which is seriously killing his dating chances in Ellery.  But that doesn't bother him too much until Presley Cline blows back into town.  Presley has more than enough baggage of her own.  She's living someone else's dreams, dealing with a very public humiliation, and trying to come to terms with hoer own hangups and identity.  Throw in the being able to see and communicate with ghosts and a self-destructive mother and Presley is hanging on to her sanity for dear life.

After natural and man made disasters throw Presley and Declan together the story really gets going but the book focuses more on the two of them finding their way to who they want to be than on romance though we do discover pretty early on that they've know each other for years and each had a crush on the other.  The side characters are wonderful.  There are a number that would have been so easy to cast as a straight up villain but at no time does Kilpatrick take that route.  With one exception the characters are fully fleshed out, sometimes selfish, sometimes incredibly kind people.  I loved the feel of family in the funeral home even though the Andersons' didn't always realize how much they leaned on each other.

The structure is interesting as Declan and Presley share the narration in alternating chapters.  Their POVs and voices are so different that I never had any trouble telling who was who and I enjoyed being able to get to know them equally.  I was split on the ending - some stuff I had figured out, some stuff left me with my mouth hanging open but I enjoyed it all.

This was my first book by Sally Kilpatrick but I don't see it being my last.  She brings a unique voice and unusual well drawn characters to a pretty typical setting and it comes out refreshing and completely entertaining.

Would I Read More From this Author/Series?:  Definitely!  This is the 3rd book set in Ellery, Tennessee and I definitely plan on picking those up and can't wait to see what comes out next.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes!  There's so much going on here that I think even readers who don't typically reach for romance would find something to enjoy in this one!