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.  The House of Hidden Letters by Izzy Broom - As soon as I read the blurb I knew I had to read this one.  Main character starting over, found family, interesting setting, and a bit of history.  I ended up really enjoying it.  I loved Skye and the rest of the new community and her slow introduction to the small island community.  This was a quick read and with a nice flow.  My only complaint is that I wanted a bit more resolution with the World War II plotline - but I tend to prefer my endings with a nice bow on them.  I did just discover this is the first book in a series so I'm hoping for a bit more resolution in future books.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis - This is the second book in the Animal Magnetism and while each book is completely standalone I'm glad I read the first book so that I understand the world and the relationship between Dell and his brothers.  This was a nice romance with two likable main characters though both with a bit of baggage.  There's a good sprinkling of side characters but not so many that it gets distracting.  There's a bit of spice - definitely not closed door - but the focus is much more on the emotional connection.  As usual, Shalvis brings the characters to life and has great pacing and I love the animal sidekicks.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series and this reminded me of just how much I always enjoy this author's books.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  The House of My Mother by Shari Franke - I was never a fan of 8 Passengers and didn't even really know of its existence until right before the end.  However, I was horrified and couldn't look away when the story broke, and Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested.  I put this book on my audio hold list kind of on a whim but ended up finding it fascinating and compelling.  Shari does an amazing job of telling her story of growing up with a complicated and controlling mom while protecting her siblings completely.  Only her brother, Chad (who was not a minor when everything broke) is mentioned in any detail and even then only as it relates to her experience.  Shari tells a story of finding her strength and her voice after a childhood of constantly being dismissed and belittled.  The way Shari has transitioned away from being the child of a family vlogger is interesting and the way she has used her voice to protect those who have come after her is inspiring.  If you want a tell all about the criminal case watch the documentaries but if you want a story of survival and strength pick up this book.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

4.  Troubles in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand - This is the third book in a trilogy and to be perfectly honest I'm glad to see the back of these characters.  I liked Huck, Irene and Maia pretty well but the rest of the characters annoyed me more and more as the trilogy went along - especially Baker.  The only reason I finished it at all was because I wanted to see how everything with Russ's business played out and by the end I'm not sure if it was worth it.  This is the first series I've read from Hilderbrand and it definitely doesn't have me rushing to pick up any others.  I have a few of her standalones and I'll give them a try but I'm hesitant to pick up any more of her series if this is a true example of how she develops them.  My Rating: Not For Me (1 Star)

5.  The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman - This was a fun concept for a story.  Stella is frozen in place after the death of her father and the end of a relationship that she really thought was going somewhere.  Everyone seems to have an opinion as to what she should do next except for Stella herself.  When in a fit of unhappiness she burns her journal it starts a whole chain of chaos and hopefully helps her find herself.  The magical element was a fun one and I liked that the book primarily takes place in the library.  Unfortunately, this wasn't a total win for me.  The prose was a bit overdone and Stella drove me a crazy.  She seems a bit immature and for the bulk of the book I was pretty sure she just needed intensive therapy and maybe a CT scan.  It was hard to root for her happy ending because it was hard to believe she was ready for it.  I did enjoy the reading experience and would try this author again but I would hope the main character would be a bit more likable than Stella.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

Recipe Thursday - The Best Chicken Marinade

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Today I'm Sharing: The BEST Chicken Marinade for Grilling from Valentina's Corner

Changes: None!  At least none in terms of marinade preparation. My husband is in charge of grilling so he may not have followed her grilling instructions.

Thoughts on the Recipe:  I was a little concerned with how little liquid there is in the recipe and the fact that there's no acid but it came together really well and coated the chicken nicely.

Cook Time:  Marinade took 2 minutes to put together and then I marinated the chicken for close to 2 hours.  

Served With: Macaroni and cheese and baked beans

Results:  Delicious!  This may be my favorite marinade yet and will definitely be one we reuse.  I think it would be good on just about any meat.

Verdict: Survived!  Straight to the keeper binder.

Can't Wait Wednesday - The Undercover Bookshop

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.  It's hosted by Tessa over at Wishful Endings and you can find out more here.

Goodreads:  The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay

Blurb:  During the winter of 1950 in the small Cotswold village of Great Rollright, amateur sleuth Gemma Brown starts to suspect that the town’s best baker, Ursula Beurton, is a Soviet spy, tumbling her headlong into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that ends with a decision that will lead her to the Undercover Bookshop and change her life forever.
Recently moved to the English Cotswolds, Gemma Brown desperately wants to create the kind of idyllic life she’s read about in her favorite mystery novels, with herself as the leading lady. But fitting in proves difficult as Gemma is more adept at solving mysteries and setting up the village’s first bookstore than she is at baking cakes or grasping social niceties. Nevertheless, she finds a friend in Peggy, a young woman recently moved to town herself, and Ursula Beurton, who is not only the village’s best baker but an enigmatic figure who sparks controversy in the small-town gossip network.

As Gemma spends more time with Ursula, she begins to suspect all those novels are affecting her thinking. The oddities she starts to notice must be her imagination because, if not, they point to something far more dangerous than winning the local baking contest or being placed on the church committee. Could her neighbor be a real spy?

Following her instincts and a few skills learned through fiction, Gemma soon becomes embroiled in an international intrigue involving the village’s mysterious benefactor, Lady Marchmont, MI5, and the KGB. In an unexpected twist, however, Ursula asks Gemma for a favor which may endanger all their lives as their next chapter unfolds in Gemma’s new venture, the Undercover Bookshop.

Why Can't Wait For This One:  I've had really good luck with this author and this looks interesting - plus I love the cover.

Top Ten Tuesday - Fall TBR

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 Fall TBR.  I love making seasonal TBRs!  Am I best about sticking to them? Not in the slightest but I like pretending I will.  It will be a few more months before it actually feels like fall but maybe these books can help me pretend that it is!

1.  The Haunted Librarian by Auralee Wallace - I've had good luck with this author and I'm excited about this one.  Looks perfect for spooky season.

2.  The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton - I've had good luck with this author and this looks really interesting.

3.  To Crown it All by Rhys Bowen - I have loved the most recent books in this series (now that Queenie has much less page time) and am really looking forward to this one.

4.  The Queen of Roses by Julia Kelly - Another author I've really enjoyed and I'm really looking forward to reading this latest.  

5.  The Key to a Killer by Oliva Blacke - This is such a fun series and I can't wait for the next one to see what Cordelia and Ruby are up to next.

6.  The Magic of Chamomile Cottage by Heather Webber - Another favorite author and this one looks absolutely gorgeous.

7.  Birth of a Witch by Nora Roberts - I really enjoy this author's last trilogy so I'm looking forward to picking this one up.

8.  The Third to Die by Allison Brennan - Brennan is on my authors to read list and this is the first of one of her series.  I'm really looking forward to trying this one.

9.  The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell - This has been on my TBR for ages and this is the time to read it!

10. The Gabriel Hounds by Mary Stewart  - This is on my classics list for this year and I'm looking forward to it.

What are you hoping to read this fall?

Murder on the Sacred River - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder on the Sacred River (A Lady Emily Mystery #20) by Tasha Alexander

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source: Publisher

Description: 1908: Lady Emily and her husband Colin Hargreaves, along with an eccentric group of English tourists, are vacationing in India at Ahilya Fort, the old home to the Maharaja’s family, when a man is found shot along the Narmada River. Emily and Colin jump into action, but their suspect list is large, including a wonderful spinster and her not-so-wonderful companion; a local doctor; a widow who lives nearby; an English explorer; and an Englishman who now runs a tea plantation near Darjeeling.

1740: Fifteen-year-old Ahilyabai has been married to the son of Malharrao Holkar, the Lord of the Malwa territory, for seven years. Now the time has finally come to produce an heir. But though Ahilya’s in-laws have shown her nothing but kindness, her notoriously-drunken husband remains a mystery to her, having rarely spoken to Ahilya since their wedding as children. Faced with this tortured and distant man, Ahilya’s sense of loyalty is tested as she attempts to balance fulfilling her duty with forging her own destiny. Her decisions will have ripple effects across time—including Lady Emily’s investigation almost two hundred years later.

Lady Emily’s case takes a dramatic turn when a shocking new person arrives at the fort—and when the killer strikes again shortly afterwards, she and Colin must race to uncover the villain’s identity before it’s too late.

Genre: Mystery - Historical 

Why I Picked This Book: I've read the first two books in the series as well as the most recent book and enjoyed all three of them so I wanted to see the latest Lady Emily adventure.

My Impression: I enjoy this series.  It suffers a bit from Lady Emily and her husband Colin being very perfect but not so much that the story itself is ruined.  I loved the setting and the mix of locals and Britishers.  As well I also really enjoyed Lady Emily and Colin's fellow travelers - especially Imogen and Edith.  

The mystery is an intriguing one with constantly changing directions.  I didn't guess how it was going to play out until right before Lady Emily did and the moment of the reveal kept me turning pages.  The end was a nice little treat after everything that had happened.  

My main issue with this book and what kept it from being a total win for me is the same issue that I had with the previous book - the past POV just went on too long.  I did enjoy getting to know Ahilyabi and her story was fascinating, but it felt a bit too long and drawn out - especially in the middle.  After a while it felt like it interrupted the flow of the mystery and I found myself skimming her part of the story.  

While this is a very long running series I've only read three books in it and have no problem keeping track of who is who.  It helps that they travel quite a bit so there aren't too many multi-book storylines.  This was an interesting mystery in a series I don't see too often.  It has definitely made me want to get back to reading the earlier books in the series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  I'm looking forward to picking up the third book in the series and will be keeping an eye out for the next book.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy historical mysteries this is a great series and this is an interesting read.  

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

Friday Fives - Five Middle Grade Books on My 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.  I've realized I have been seriously missing middle grade books and here are 5 middle grade books on my TBR.

1.  Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell - This looks gorgeous and is the start of a series.  I'm iffy on fantasy usually but I love middle grade fantasy.

2.  The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertram - I liked the first book in this series and I really should continue it.  

3.  The Labyrinth of Lost and Found by Jordan Lees - This looks really good and is the start of a series that looks like a fun adventure.

4.  Marabel and the Book of Fate by Tracy Barrett - A bit of fantasy and adventure which is kind of my favorite thing in a middle grade book.

5.  Tilly and the Lost Fairytales by Anna James - I absolutely loved the first book in this series and am really quite annoyed with myself that I have revisited it.

What middle grade books are on your TBR?

Road Trip Thursday - Books Set in Washington

Every year I track the states and countries that I visit in my reading.  I'm trying to visit a few more states and countries so I'm looking for places I haven't visited yet this year.  Last month was Florida which I visit in real life a good bit but somehow haven't read any books set in there yet this year.  Now I'm taking a look I usually visit fictionally quite a bit but haven't been this year - Washington.  

1.  Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt - I had zero interest when this first came out but I've heard such good reviews that it's moved way up my TBR. 

2.  Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - Kristin Hannah has been on my TBR for ages.  I read one of her books not that long ago and enjoyed it though it was devastating.  I've heard her earlier books aren't quite as gut wrenching, so I want to give this a try.

3.  Violets of March by Sarah Jio - I've enjoyed this author and this looks like a good read and has been on my TBR for years.

4.  Smoke in Mirrors by Jayne Ann Krentz - I read this years and years ago and remember enjoying it though it was a bit of a fever dream.  I'd like to revisit it and Krentz is always a fun read.

5.  The Crepes of Wrath by Sarah Fox - I can't have a list without a cozy and this series has been on my TBR for awhile.  I didn't realize it is set in Washington and I absolutely love the title.

Next month I'm going to be back to a state that is close to home with another neighbor.  This time - Mississippi.  Do you have any favorites that are set in Washington?