Friday Fives - Five Books I've Recently DNF'd

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  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.   Today I'm talking about 5 books I DNF'd recently.  I'm not much of a DNFer but it's a habit I'm trying to get better as since it does me no good to unhappily trudge through a book.

1.  Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks - I was so excited about this one.  It's set in Ireland, has a character that is getting on their feet, and sounds a bit quirky.  Unfortunately, after a few weeks with zero interest in picking it back up I finally had to admit it wasn't working for me.  I liked Callum and Lark but never connected with them and couldn't make myself root for them one way or another.  Part of the problem for me was there was just too much going on.  There's the generally awkward characters with the added awkwardness of the funeral home, there's figuring out how an asexual character can function best in a relationship, there's a tragic past, there's work issues, and there's the pressure of a needed fake marriage.  It just felt a bit too much and at about 20% I finally had to admit that I just didn't care.  DNF'd at 21%

2.  Drop Dead by Lily Chu - I gave this a try when I was trying to finish off all the books I had put in my library before I cancelled Audible Plus.  I love the premise of two rival journalists working together to figure out a famous author's life story.  However, when it came to actually listening to after the first few hopeful attempts, I just couldn't make myself restart it.  I didn't care about the characters, how they got along or the premise itself.  Both characters came across as stunningly immature and I realized I'd rather listen to anything other than this book.  DNF'd at 18%

3.   Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams - I usually enjoy Williams' books so I was excited to pick this one up.  I tried the audio twice on it and absolutely could not get into the story.  The characters felt a bit flat and ultimately I decided I just didn't care enough to try and push through.  DNF'd at 11%

4.  Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse by Lee Goldberg - I normally don't gravitate to books based on TV shows but I've had good luck with the Murder, She Wrote series so I figured I'd give this one a try.  Unfortunately, while Monk is quirky and endearing (and at times annoying or heartbreaking) on the show I found him mostly tedious in the book.  As well, this mystery involves the murder of a dog which just isn't a plot I enjoy - especially in my cozies.  DNF'd at 20%

5.  Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo - I pulled this off my overdue review shelf because I love family secrets and dual timelines and pretty much everything that was in the premise.  Unfortunately, not every book is for everyone and this was the case with this one. I never connected to any of the characters and I found the story to be so overwrought and grim that I dreaded picking it up.   DNF'd at 29%

Books from the Backlog - Don't Let Him In

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Blurb:  He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.
Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I thoroughly enjoy Lisa Jewell's books and this one sounds interesting.   I've seen some mixed reviews for this one and have kind of held off reading it but I need to give it a try and make up my own mind.

The Pie and Mash Detective Agency - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Pie and Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth

Rating:  Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Who is Nellie Thorne and why does she keep disappearing? Jane Pye and Simon Mash are on the case in this cosy crime mystery novel.

Dev Hooper arrives home from work to find his girlfriend, Nellie Thorne, has vanished.

But she's not the first Nellie Thorne to disappear. In fact, she's the fifth in fifty years.

Enter Jane Pye and Simon - a millennial couple who signed up for a private detective night class on a whim. When they're assigned Dev's case for their coursework, they quickly realise they've bitten off more than they can chew.

Armed with just six weeks of notes, matching trench coats, and a lot of enthusiasm, they set out to solve a case that has baffled Kent’s police for decades.

What connects the missing Nellies? Why do locals whisper about a ghostly presence? Only the Pie & Mash Detective Agency can uncover the truth behind this eerie urban legend.

Is it an open and shut case? Not on your Nellie…

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  The premise looked fun and I liked the idea of a fresh take on a cozy mystery.

My Impression:  This book had a bit of a rough start.  It was definitely quirky and young but for the first half or so of the book Jane and Simon read like school children on a massive sugar high and incredibly overstimulated.  Their actions were all over the place and the banter had a bit of a frantic feel to it.  There's also some timeline jumping between modern day and 1997 that took me a bit to really understand.

The book settles quite a bit in the second half.  While still a bit erratic, Jane and Simon have a bit more strategy and the plot starts building a bit better.  Through it all the mystery was fascinating.  How did Nellie Thorne disappear multiple times over the years and why was the description always the same?  I was hooked and couldn't wait for the reveal.  I flew through the last quarter fascinated as it all played out.  

This book is a bit uneven but it was always a fun read.  The characters grew on me once they had a chance to settle into the story.  If this becomes a series I would definitely continue with it.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would.  Overall, I enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to seeing what this author does next.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, with reservations.  The story is a lot of fun but the beginning is a bit of a fever dream.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books on My TBR with Numbers in the Title

 

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers which is where the number defines the book's place in the series.  However, after much looking around the only books that I could find that meet that requirement are the Janet Evanovich Stephanie Plum series which is one I stopped reading back before she hit number 15.  Because of that I'm just going to go with books with numbers in the title in general.  I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone else's lists to see what series/books I missed!

1.  One Foot in the Grave by Kelly Lane - This cozy mystery series has been on my TBR for ages and looks really fun.

2.  The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benedict - I have loved everything I've read by this author and I'm looking forward to this one.

3.  Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews - I love this cozy mystery series and the Christmas ones are always so much fun.

4.  Seven Girls Gone by Allison Brennan - This author is on my Must Read list for this year and this looks like such a good mystery.

5.  Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill - I really enjoyed another book by this author and I'm looking forward to reading this one.

6.  I Saw Three Ships by Elizabeth Goudge - I want to read this one around Christmas time this year.  

7.  The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware - I've loved some of the books I've read by this author and I'm so curious about this one.

8.  The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand - I could use a Five Star Weekend and I've really enjoyed what I've read by her.

9.  Between Two Strangers by Kate White - This looks like a good and creepy thriller.

10. One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan - I have really been loving Sarah Morgan's fiction and I'm really looking forward to reading this one.

Do you know of any series that use ordinal numbers in the title?  

Death at a Firefly Tea - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  As fireflies dazzle like tiny glowing lanterns, tea maven Theodosia hosts an elegant evening tea on the patio of the Tangled Rose B and B. But in this gentle darkness an intruder has made their way in and slipped deadly drugs into the baked Alaska of Mrs. Van Courtland, one of Charleston’s local grande dames. Shocked by this brazen act, urged on by Mrs. V’s grieving son, Theodosia begins her own shadow investigation. Soon, she finds herself at odds with a greedy developer, the questionable residents of Honey Badger House, a vengeful ex-daughter-in-law, ne’er do well relatives, and a housekeeper who knows all the secrets. As Theodosia hosts a Moulin Rouge Tea and a Queen Victoria Tea, her tea sommelier Drayton is assaulted by a masked stranger and the fiancé of Mrs. V’s son is kidnapped. It’s only at the Starry Starry Night black tie ball that Theodosia stumbles upon the killer and gets pulled into a dramatic life and death chase.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a number of books in this series and always enjoy a trip to Charleston - plus the cover really caught my eye.

My Impression:  I've been reading this series for years and while I have missed a number of them it is always easy to immediately slip into Theodosia's world for a visit to Charleston, South Carolina.  This was a fun read with an unlikely victim - and yet with somehow a decent number of suspects.  

The mystery is an intriguing one and disasters keep befalling the Van Courtland family - as well as Theodosia and her staff - as the book goes on.  The real star of this series is Charleston and Theodosia's tea shop.  I love the descriptions of the themed teas, the food, and Drayton's special blends.  I'm not the biggest tea drinker but the descriptions always have me wishing that they really existed as they sound delicious.  As well, Childs does a good job of making Charleston feel like a character with the feel and look of the city beautifully described.

This isn't my favorite series as Theodosia is just a bit too perfect and too nosy but the books always provide a fun read.  This book might be my favorite yet.  I enjoyed the twist and all the tea mentions.  If you're looking for a light cozy mystery to enjoy and a virtual trip to Charleston this is a great series to pick.  There are a decent number of characters which can make just jumping in a tiny bit confusing but for the most part this is an easily standalone series.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would. This isn't the top of my list of cozy mystery series but I enjoy the mysteries everytime I read them.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy light cozy mysteries I would recommend this book and this series as a whole.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Reading Recap - What I Read in February 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 20 - This total really surprised me but I've really been enjoying my reading so I'm hoping this is a good sign for a great reading year.

Type:

Print: 8

Ebook: 5 

Audio: 7

Genre:

Mystery - 16 

Fiction - 3

Romance - 1 

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Homefront Sleuths Mystery by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - I really wanted to finish this series by the end of the month so I could cancel my Audible subscription without having to pay for another month.  I'm typically not a series binge reader.  I tend to start getting annoyed with characters or writing styles after a couple of books by the same author in the same series close together.  This was absolutely not the case with this series.  I loved the characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how they worked together.  If there's another book in the series I would buy it full price without hesitation.  

The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst - Audiobooks were definitely the star of February though I did like the bulk of what I read this month.  This was probably my favorite of all the print/ebooks that I read.  While it does have love letters in the title it isn't really a romance but instead focuses much more on the sisters and their relationships - both with each other and themselves.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rereads:  

I'm trying to make sure I get some rereads in this year as I always enjoy it and I was in the habit of not letting myself pick up some old favorites.  Here is what I reread in February:

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Mathews - This was the first book in the quartet I read and I really wanted to revisit it after reading the first book.  I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading book 3.

Mrs. McGinty's Dead by Agatha Christie - This was the February pick for the Read Christie challenge and it was a delight.  This is one of Christie's books that I always forget about but always enjoy.

Armchair Travels for February

Domestic Travel:  I visited Wyoming, Connecticut, New York, Oregon, and Georgia for the first time this year.  All domestic travel was to new states for the year which is fun.

International Travel:  I visited England 10 times - half of which was during the 1940s, Canada, early 1990s Jordan, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.

How was your reading in February?  Where did your reading take you?

Friday Fives - March TBR

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. Since this is the first Friday in March, I'm planning my January TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in March. 

1.  The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly - This has been such a fun cozy mystery series and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind structure Whitney and her cousin are flipping this time and what kind of mystery they're going to stumble into.  

2.  The Secret of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur - I had never heard of this series until I read a series by Gigi Pandian where she talked about this book and it sounded so fun.  I'm looking forward to reading it!

3.  Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - I love this cozy mystery series but I didn't love the previous book so I'm hoping this one is better.

4.  A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson - I read a book by this author last year and loved it.  This one looks fantastic and I've been really wanting to read it.  This is the month!

5.  A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry - This series has been on my radar for years.  It looks kind of bizarre but lots of fun.  I've been collecting the books but I need to read the first book to make sure that I really want to continue with this series.

What are you hoping to read in March?