Friday Fives - Five Short Revews 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.  Dream Lake by Lisa Kleypas - For the most part I absolutely love this book.  I love Zoe and while Alex isn't the typical good guy I can't help but like him and root for him as he struggles to deal with his demons.  And of course there's the ghost.  I do love a good ghost story and this one is a good one.   We don't know his identity until towards the end but I liked him from the start.  This was a couple with serious issues that I couldn't help but root for and I was invested in their story from the beginning.  Also I would not walk or ride a bike in this town - this is the second book where a character gets injured by being hit by a car.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree - I've been enjoying cozy fantasy and this was a fun read.  I love the found family element and all the different characters who make up Viv's ever growing family were really fun to get to know.  The way the coffee shop slowly evolved was also fun to watch happen.   While I enjoyed this and it was a nice fun cozy read I didn't really fall in love with it.  It was a nice read but not standout.  I did enjoy getting another taste of fantasy and I would read more from this author and this series.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas - I had enjoyed meeting Lady Merrit in a previous Ravenel book so I was looking forward to getting to know her a bit better in her own book.  I was overjoyed to get a visit from Lord Westcliffe and Lillian (aka Merrit's parents).  The romance was a little insta-love/lust but given the circumstances it did make some sense.  Kleypas is one of my favorite romance author and this one didn't let me down.  I loved following Kier and Merrit and sorting through the danger that surrounded them.  I saw that there were mentions that Kleypas is working on a book after a hiatus and I am crossing my fingers that that is true and that the book will be about Merrit's younger brother, Luke.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

4.  The House on Biscayne Bay by Chanel Cleeton - This is the second book I've read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  This is a dual timeline mystery centered around a grand estate called Marbrisa that is just outside Miami.  The first story centers around Anna Barnes, the wife of the man who builds Marbrisa, and the second is about Carmen Acosta, a recent orphan and the sister of Carolina who is married to the current owner of Marbrisa.  Nothing is as it seems in either story and I enjoyed the unravelling of life in the grand house.  I really loved how the atmosphere surrounding the house is almost its own character - complete with storms, alligators, and the occasional shrieking peacock.  I wanted a little bit more about the house but overall I enjoyed this one from beginning to end.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams - This is the second book in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society series.  It's been awhile since I read the first book but even though I don't remember much about the plot it didn't keep me from quickly being pulled into this book.  I love the bits of magic woven into the cozy mystery with 4 main characters who have survived and overcome and are perhaps beginning to heal.   Nora is slowly becoming more at home in Miracle Springs and is starting to make friends and become part of the community.  The mystery was intriguing - just who is Abilene and what secrets is she keeping.    There is also a death that looks like suicide and a new business that Nora and the rest of the women have a bit of a funny feeling about.  I really enjoyed this book and it won't be as long before I pick up the third book in the series.  This is a bit cozy mystery, a bit magical realism, all with complex and flawed characters.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)