Dream Lake - Keeper Shelf Review

Dream Lake (Friday Harbor #3) by Lisa Kleypas

Rating: Loved it!

Source: Library

Description:  They say that opposites attract. But what happens when one has been devastated by betrayal and the other is so jaded that his heart is made of stone? Enter the world of Friday Harbor, an enchanting town in the Pacific Northwest where things are not quite as they seem and where true love might just have a ghost of a chance….

Alex Nolan is as bitter and cynical as they come. One of the three Nolan brothers who call Friday harbor home, he's nothing like Sam or Mark. They actually believe in love; they think the risk of pain is worth the chance of happiness. But Alex battles his demons with the help of a whiskey bottle, and he lives in his own private hell. And then a ghost shows up. Only Alex can see him, Has Alex finally crossed over the threshold to insanity?

Zoë Hoffman is as gentle and romantic as they come. When she meets the startling gorgeous Alex Nolan, all her instincts tell her to run. Even Alex tells her to run. But something in him calls to Zoë, and she forces him to take a look at his life with a clear eye and to open his mind to the possibility that love isn’t for the foolish.

The ghost has been existing in the half-light of this world for decades. He doesn’t know who he is, or why he is stuck in the Nolans’ Victorian house. All he knows is that he loved a girl once. And Alex and Zoë hold the key to unlocking a mystery that keeps him trapped here.

Zoë and Alex are oil and water, fire and ice, sunshine and shadow. But sometimes it takes only a glimmer of light to chase away the dark, and sometimes love can reach beyond time, space, and reason to take hold of hearts that yearn for it…

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  

My Impression:  *happy sigh*  This book just makes me happy anytime I read it.  It also tends to make me stay up far too late and then I wake up with puffy eyes due to the lack of sleep and happy tears cried at the end.  I love Zoe and her magic baking and I love the fact that she's aware of it but doesn't want to think too much about it.  Alex is the definition of a tortured hero but it's so lovely to see the sweetness and thoughtfulness that Zoe brings out in him.  I loved how much he encouraged her not to change and to just be herself and that that was enough.   I also loved his relationship with the ghost and how they drove each other crazy at times.  Zoe's relationship with her grandmother was so bittersweet there were more than a few times it brought tears to my eyes.

The book isn't perfect.  The end has a very contrived feel - kind of like it was time to end but she just wasn't quite sure how to do it.  The ghost (while I very much enjoyed him) does seem a little too wise and aware of modern slang and ways of thinking.  But this was one of those books that just clicked with me.  I identified very strongly with Zoe's desire to do the best she could for her grandmother and I love a romance with a bit of a ghost element as well as when a character (Alex in this case) just really wants to do better for someone else as well as for himself.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  Kleypas is one of my go to romance authors in both contemporary and historical romance.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy a touch of ghost story mixed in with your romance I think you'd enjoy this one as well.  You don't need to read the previous books in the series to feel connected to the characters.

Friday Linkups - Queen Anne's Lace

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 overextend yourself with too many reviews because you can't pass up a book in hopes you will get them all done or do you carefully plan and be sure you can fulfill the deadline for all the promised reviews?

My Answer:
A little bit of both.  I'm definitely over extended but I always have my calendar near me and I don't take a book for review unless I can promise a date for review.  I'd like to take on less review books and focus more on books I already own but there's always a bright shiny new book I can't resist!

This week's book is the newest in a long running cozy mystery series.  I remember when the first China Bayles books came out and I'm pretty sure I read them all but then more and more new series showed up and this series got a little buried.  Until now that is Queen Anne's Lace by Susan Wittig Albert has so many of my favorite things - a hidden box with old photographs and handcrafted lace, old mysteries, and the occasional ghost.  My expectations are high and so far I haven't been let down.

The Beginning:  
If Annie Laurie's house could speak it would have said she was a contented woman.

My Thoughts:
I hope this is what my house would say about me!

The 56:
I laughed.  "Haven't you ever heard the old saying?  Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.  You never know what might happen."
I was joking.  But I was right.

My Thoughts:
Oh so true and it sounds like things go rather terribly wrong.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

My Reading Habits

I was digging through my saved posts on Bloglovin' and discovered this Reading Habits Tag that Tina over at Novel Meals had done way back in 2015.  I do love a good tag and this one seems like a lot of fun so I decided it was time to give it a try!

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?

Not really.  I do most of my reading in bed though I do love a long bath with a good book.  In theory I'd love to have a comfy reading chair but I tend to do most of my reading late at night.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?

I have two bookmarks that I always use - 1 Emma made when she was in kindergarten (she'll be 21 this month) and the other the Tornado made last year.  As well, I have a handful of freebies from authors and a set of magnetic bookmarks.

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter/a certain amount of pages?

I prefer to stop at the end of a chapter and to get at least 100 pages in but that doesn't always happen.

Do you eat or drink while reading?

I try not to eat because I tend to not pay attention to what I'm eating while reading and before I know it the entire plate of cookies or bag of chips is gone.  I normally have either my favorite water cup or my favorite mug filled with some kind of herbal tea nearby.

Reading at home or everywhere?

Mostly at home though I do read most days in carline while I'm waiting to pick up the Tornado.  I try to read in waiting rooms and anywhere possible but I have mixed results.

Reading out loud or silently in your head?

Unless I'm reading a bedtime story to the Tornado I read silently.

Do you read ahead or even skip pages?

Usually not though if I'm reading a thriller and there's an animal or small child that seems vulnerable I have been known to peek at the end to make sure they survive.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?

In between.  I'm not vigilant about keeping my books like new but I also try to take care of my books.

Do you write in your books?
No never.  I wrote in a cookbook one time and it made me feel like I'd done something horribly wrong so if I need to make a note in a book I use a post-it note but that's usually only for cookbooks.

What are your reading habits?

Why Kill the Innocent - Historical Mystery Review

Why Kill the Innocent (Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery #13) by C.S. Harris

Rating: Very Good

Source: Publisher

Description:  In the newest mystery from the national bestselling author of Where the Dead Lie, a brutal murder draws Sebastian St. Cyr into the web of the royal court, where intrigue abounds and betrayal awaits.

London, 1814. As a cruel winter holds the city in its icy grip, the bloody body of a beautiful young musician is found half-buried in a snowdrift. Jane Ambrose's ties to Princess Charlotte, the only child of the Prince Regent and heir presumptive to the throne, panic the palace, which moves quickly to shut down any investigation into the death of the talented pianist. But Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and his wife Hero refuse to allow Jane's murderer to escape justice.

Untangling the secrets of Jane's world leads Sebastian into a maze of dangerous treachery where each player has his or her own unsavory agenda and no one can be trusted. As the Thames freezes over and the people of London pour onto the ice for a Frost Fair, Sebastian and Hero find their investigation circling back to the palace and building to a chilling crescendo of deceit and death . . .

Genre: Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I love a historical mystery and this one with ties to Princess Charlotte sounded intriguing.

My Impression:  How have I not read any books in this series yet???  I do remember when the first couple came out thinking that they were tied to Caleb Carr's The Alienist.  I think the covers might have been similar?  Who knows.  For whatever reason I never picked up any books in this series and the only thing that keeps me from being disappointed in myself is that I now have the pleasure of catching up with the previous 12 books.

The mystery is complicated but never convoluted as the plot is intricately developed.  I enjoyed the development of the character of Jane Ambrose just as much as I enjoyed the hunt to solve her murder and the politics that surrounds the investigation. The book alternated between Sebastian and Hero and both characters bring a slightly different perspective to the investigation and I loved that they each valued the other's thoughts and view point.

I really enjoyed all the political tidbits surrounding Princess Charlotte and her father, the Prince Regent.  It was fascinating and made me realize just how little I knew about the British monarchy pre-Victoria.  I always feel that a historical mystery or fiction has been a success when I find myself wanting to dig into the nonfiction facts and that was definitely the case here.

This was a thoroughly entertaining historical mystery with a wonderfully done investigative team and a fascinating mystery.  While this is book 13 in the series I didn't have any trouble understanding what was going on though I suspect I might have felt a deeper connection to Hero and Sebastian though this in now way impacted my enjoyment.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm really excited to catch up on the series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I think fans of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell series will really enjoy this one.

Too Close to Breathe - Mystery Review

Too Close to Breathe (Frankie Sheehan #1) by Olivia Kiernan

Rating: Good

Source: Publisher

Description:  TOO SOON TO SEE

Polished. Professional. Perfect. Dead. Respected scientist Dr Eleanor Costello is found hanging in her immaculate home: the scene the very picture of a suicide.

TOO LATE TO HIDE

DCS Frankie Sheehan is handed the case, and almost immediately spots foul play. Sheehan, a trained profiler, is seeking a murderer with a talent for death.

TOO CLOSE TO BREATHE

As Frankie strives to paint a picture of the killer, and their victim, she starts to sense they are part of a larger, darker canvas, on which the lines between the two blur.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I love a police procedural and haven't found too many that take place in Ireland.

My Impression:  Well this was a twisted bit of crazy!  This book really brought home just what I love about a strong police procedural.  I've been reading a lot of cozy mysteries lately and while I love the warm quirky community, the humor and the general coziness of the read I sometimes miss just a straight up gritty mystery and this book delivered that in spades.  The book opens with DCS Frankie Sheehan observing an autopsy of what appears at first glance to be a suicide but at second glance not so much.  It's clear that Sheehan has been on leave for something traumatic and is still trying to find her way back to the way she was before though it does take some time for what exactly happened to be revealed.  Normally the slow hints would drive me crazy but since it has nothing to do with the actual investigation and more with the character development of Sheehan it worked for me. 

I really enjoyed just how this mystery developed.  It starts out looking incredibly simple and slowly becomes more and more complicated.  Nothing is as it appears.  The pacing was solid throughout and I never felt that the detectives were just spinning their wheels.  The progress may have been slow at times but there was always progress.  Not only did the book take place through Frankie's eyes but I felt like I was really inside her mind.  I liked seeing how she thought things out and seeing not only how she fit things together but also her coping techniques and she struggles to deal with some pretty gruesome stuff but also a traumatic past incident.

The book isn't flawless.  At times I felt I was a bit too much in Frankie's head and while for the most part I enjoyed it there were times the internal monologues went on a bit too long.   As well, the story was told in present tense which always takes me a bit of time to get used too reading but that's purely a personal issue.

Overall, I enjoyed this dark and twisty police procedural.  I enjoyed the Dublin setting, the way the mystery came together, and am really looking forward to what investigation Frankie lands in next.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely.  This a series I will definitely be looking out for.

Would I Recommend this Book?  This felt a bit of a mix of Tana French and Deborah Crombie.  If you enjoy either of those two mystery authors (or darker police procedurals in general) I think you'll enjoy this one.

Reviews from the Children's Section - I Capture the Castle

One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction. This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday.  While a lot of my picks this year are classics I am trying to branch out a little bit and read new or at least recent releases.  This month's book is one I've heard of but never really known much about.

I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

This book is actually 6 months of diary entries written by 17 year old Cassandra Mortmain in 1934.  Cassandra lives with her family in the ruins of a castle as they take genteel poverty to whole new levels.

On the cover of my copy there's a quote from J.K. Rowling pronouncing Cassandra Mortmain the most charismatic narrator she's ever met.  Needless to say my hopes were high.  And it didn't take to long for them to be dashed.  Within about 10 pages almost all the characters were annoying me (except Topaz - I rather liked her) and I wanted to shriek at them.  Why?  They're in a terrible situation that is heading towards even worse and none of them feel particularly inclined to do anything about it.  James Mortmain wrote a brilliant book years and years ago and has yet to do anything sense then.  And I don't mean has yet to write another book.  I mean he's done absolutely nothing for years except read a handful of detective stories over and over again while his children go to bed hungry.  At one point he casually states "I don't know what will become of you girls" and I wanted to kick him.  As well the focus on marrying off Rose is so constant and so blatantly about money that I think it would have made Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennett blush.  

That said, while this book did make me rant-y there was quite a lot I enjoyed.  I'm not sure I agree with Rowling's assessment but I did find the writing style bright and entertaining which is something to be said given the high amount of dreariness that flows through the book.   Even when I wanted to scream at the characters I still wanted to keep reading and I did enjoy the reading experience.  As well I absolutely love the premise.  The idea of living in a ruined castle can't help but awaken the imagination.

I'm honestly not sure how this book would go over with children.  I can see girls in the preteen set enjoying the castle concept and identifying with Cassandra.  But at the same time the idea that marriage is the only way out of their poverty is so prevalent that I think it may feel incredibly dated.

While I didn't particularly love this book I did really enjoy the writing style and am looking forward to trying more books from Dodie Smith - especially The Hundred and One Dalmations! 

This Week in Reading - April 1

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:

Dreams of Falling by Karen White - I'm so excited about this one.  Not only is this an author I've been wanting to try for years but I love the sound of the plot.  I love a dual timeline and I love a mystery with lots of hidden secrets and this sounds like it's got a bit of both.  (Publisher)

The Bookshop of Yesterdays by Amy Meyerson - I know nothing about this author but I can never resist a book with the world "Bookshop" in the title.  Plus this involves a scavenger hunt type mystery and secrets.  (NetGalley)

Currently:

Reading:  False Mermaid by Erin Hart and Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton

Listening:  I just started The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny.  I haven't gotten very far but I'm enjoying it.

Watching:  I've binging Disappeared on Investigation Discovery which I'm enjoying though it's making me a bit jumpy.  We also watched Apollo 13 the other night.  I've seen it close to 100 times but I hold my breath and tear up in the same place every time!

Off the Blog:

How is it April already?  This year is flying and I need to figure out some way to focus more so I don't feel like I'm losing time.  Our Easter is pretty low key.  We're just staying home, hiding eggs for the Tornado and probably eating far too much candy.

This week was spring break and we hung out at home and played a lot of video games and board games.  On Friday we went up to Nashville to go to the children's museum there.  We'd never been but honestly I've was a bit underwhelmed.  It was really flashy looking but we weren't sure what a lot of the exhibits were actually trying to show.  I think the museums in Birmingham and Chattanooga are better.

This week is going to be mostly catchup.  I'm way behind on my reading and I need to focus on that a bit.  I'm not in a slump but I'm having a hard time actually making myself read and when I do sit down with a book I'm drifting off to sleep or am distracted in a matter of minutes.  I'm hoping I can get that fixed this week.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  The Secret of Flirting - Historical Romance Review

Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday - Books That Take Place in Another Country

Wednesday:  A Reisling to Die - Cozy Mystery Review

Thursday:  Beyond the Books - What's in My Purse

Friday:  Friday Linkups - False Mermaid

Saturday:  2018 First Quarter Check In

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Reviews from the Children's Section - I Captured the Castle

Tuesday:  To Close to Breathe - Mystery Review

Wednesday:  Why Kill the Innocent - Historical Mystery Review

Thursday:  TBD

Friday:  Friday Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: TBD

What are your plans this week?  What are you reading?