Reading What I Love - The Lost Book of First Loves

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

Blurb:  Raised by her literary icon father Carson Wells, Allison Wells always felt loved, even though her mother died when she was a teen. But when she takes a DNA test on a whim and discovers she has a sister that she’s never heard about before, it’s clear there are things her father never told her before he died. Determined to meet Juniper—her half sister—and unravel the truth of what happened all those years ago, Ali finds herself taking a job as Juniper’s intern. She’ll eventually figure out a way to tell Juniper the truth of their relationship. But she never could have imagined what would happen next…
Juniper Connolly has always been incredibly healthy…until she wakes up in the hospital after experiencing cardiac arrest, with her new—and recently fired—intern to thank for saving her life. It’s clear June needs to de-stress her life a little, so when Ali offers her the use of her family’s cabin in a small Wyoming town, June has no reason not to go. But when she arrives in the small town, her life will never be the same.

Under the wide-open spaces of the Wyoming summer sun, Ali and June will untangle the secrets and lies their lives were built on to discover who they really are and what family really means. But even more than that, they'll build a real relationship with one another and finally become sisters.

Why I Think I'll Love This One:  So many reasons!  This is an author I usually really enjoy and I love the long lost sisters plot - and books about sisters in general.  

My Thoughts:  This was a nice read with nice characters set in a beautiful area. I liked Allison and June right away and enjoyed watching them get to know each other - and themselves.   I loved the Wyoming setting and the outdoor descriptions.  I liked how June handled information - she didn't blow up or dismiss it but instead retreated a bit and considered context.  I also really liked Allison.  She's grieving and a little lost but a genuinely kind person.  I would have liked more.  There was a storyline with Allison and old crush that I would have liked to have seen explored more and I would have liked to see more of Allison and June together.  This was a nice light read by an author I always enjoy and this was no exception.  I would have liked a bit more depth to the story but I enjoyed the read.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars) 

This Week in Reading - March 15

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:

Dungeons and Danger by Elizabeth Penney - I really enjoyed the first book in the series and I've enjoyed the other books I've read by this author so I'm really excited about this book.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly and Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen

Slow Read:  A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Listening:  Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern

Watching:  The Formula 1 season has started so my TV time has mostly been taken up with that.  It's been a crazy start to the season and while I have some issues with the new regulations it's still been fun to watch.

Not much to report.  I'm reading a decent amount, teaching dog training classes, and training my dog.  Will's school is taking up a lot of my time.  He's homeschooled but we have been trying this new group this semester.  I don't love their focus (heavy on the AI even for art) but dealing with people you don't agree with is a necessary skill and I like the class interactions.  We use it as a supplement and discussion points but not for his real curriculum.   They're making some changes I don't really like or feel will benefit him for next school year so I've been doing a lot of research on replacements.  I'm also trying to make sure he's prepped for the SAT and ACT and getting his transcript for dual enrollment ready.  It's crazy to believe we are at this point!

I'm finally getting adjusted to the time change.  I hate the spring change even though I do like the extra daylight.  I'd rather have my hour back!  

Have a great week and happy reading!

The Blind Side - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth

Rating: Really Liked It!  (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased
 
Description:  “Anybody could have told you what Ross was like.” “They did tell me,” said Mavis tearfully. “ That’s why I did it.” Ross Craddock was just the type to be murdered. The new landlord of Craddock house, he begins by giving eviction notice to his aunt Lucy. He threatens the doorman with dismissal. He makes a violent and unwelcome pass to his cousin Mavis. He is vindictive and spiteful and ends up dead. The suspects include Lee who may have walked in her sleep and killed him out of unconscious fear. Or Peter who may have found Ross’ advances to Mavis unbearable. Or aunt Lucy who unexpectedly came back. Or possibly Bobby who was still in love with Mavis and furious that she was seen with Ross. The answer will be yet another Wentworth twist.

 

Genre:  Mystery - Classic 

Why I Picked This Book:  Now that I've finished Wentworth's Miss Silver books I'm reading through her standalones and Ernest Lamb books.

My Impression:  This is the first book featuring Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Ernest Lamb who is a frequently reoccurring character on his own and in the Miss Silver books.  As usual, he is paired with his sergeant and frequent source of aggravation, Frank Abbott.  I love Lamb's character.  He frequently comes off as a bit dull-witted and unsympathetic, but it hides a quick mind, a wry sense of humor and a fatherly air.

The victim in this one is an incredibly unlikable and has a wide variety of people who are not sad to see him gone.  There's a variety of family members around as well as some staff who make up for a pretty wide cast of characters that aren't always easy to keep track of.  That said the mystery is a good one that kept me engaged and reading.  This was a quick read with a fun classic feel and a solid mystery.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I'm looking forward to reading more from her though I am running out of Wentworth books that I haven't read.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would - especially if you're a fan of Patricia Wentworth or just classic mysteries in general.  

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?