Top Ten Tuesday - Books I'm Going To Buy Next

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 about 2023 Debut books but I have discovered I'm not very good at keeping up with debut books.  I am very good at buying books though so here are 10 books I want to buy next.

1.  The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis - I read the most recent Sunrise Cove book back in January and really enjoyed it so I want to read more in the series.

2.  The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges - I love anything involving miniatures and this sounds like such an interesting read.

3.  The Sandcastle Hurricane by Carolyn Brown - I've never read anything from this author but have wanted to and I love the look of this premise.

4.  The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs - This sounded good but I was really excited when I saw it was listed as Bella Vista #3.  I loved the earlier two books in the Bella Vista series am am really curious to see how this connects.

5.  One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan - I absolutely loved the Christmas book Sarah Morgan published last year and really want to read more from her.  This one sounds perfect.

6.  With Love from London by Sarah Jio - I've enjoyed the books I've read by Jio and this looks really wonderful.

7.  Murder at the Mill by M.B. Shaw - This has been sitting on my TBR since it came out because the premise really caught my attention.  

8.  The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan - I've read one book by this author and loved it and this looks really good.

9.  Miss Morton and the English House Party Murder by Catherine Lloyd - I love the cover and the blurb gave me Agatha Christie feels so I want to give this one a try.

10. Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose - I have seen so many great reviews for this book and it sounds so much like something I'd enjoy so I can't wait to read it.

What books are you wanting to buy/check out from the library/get your hands on in some way next?

Wined and Died in New Orleans - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Wined and Died in New Orleans (A Vintage Cookbook Mystery #2) by Ellen Byron

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

Description:  It’s hurricane season in New Orleans and vintage cookbook fan Ricki James-Diaz is trying to shelve her weather-related fears and focus on her business, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop, housed in the magnificent Bon Vee Culinary House Museum.

Repairs on the property unearth crates of very old, very valuable French wine, buried by the home’s builder, Jean-Louis Charbonnet. Ricki, who’s been struggling to attract more customers to Miss Vee’s, is thrilled when her post about the discovery of this long-buried treasure goes viral. She’s less thrilled when the post brings distant Charbonnet family members out of the woodwork, all clamoring for a cut of the wine’s sale.

When a dead body turns up in Bon Vee’s cheery fall decorations, the NOPD zeroes in on Eugenia Charbonnet Felice as the prime suspect, figuring that as head of the Charbonnet family, she has the most to gain. Ricki is determined to uncover the real culprit, but she can’t help noticing that Eugenia is acting strangely. Ricki wonders what kind of secret her mentor has bottled up, and fears what might happen if she uncorks it.

In the second Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Ricki has to help solve a murder, untangle family secrets, and grow her business, all while living under the threat of a hurricane that could wipe out everything from her home to Bon Vee.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy 

Why I Picked This Book:  I liked this first book in the series and was curious to see how the series developed.

My Impression: I went in to this book with somewhat mixed expectations.  In the previous book I loved the setting and the side characters but Ricki drove me absolutely bonkers.  I was so glad to see that Ricki has adjusted a bit more to her new home (though still doesn't have the local general nonchalance about hurricanes) and is really starting to find her feet running her store.  In addition to the entertaining and varied group of side characters we met in the first book the author added in Iris, the overly enthusiastic tour guide, Olivia, Miss Eugenia's very teenage granddaughter, and a whole host of Charbonnet family members of varying degrees of eccentricity and nefarious schemes.  Add in the complication of one gorgeous but not so nice Charbonnet relative just happens to be the assistant to Ricki's massive crush and co-dog parent Virgil, and Ricki has a lot going on.  And that's before she has to start collecting other suspects to keep Eugenia from being the prime suspect in a murder.

This was a fun read.  The author clearly knows her way around New Orleans and I enjoyed being able to really visualize the places that Ricki explored.   I had a good time trying to guess which New Orleans institution Charbonnet's was based on (my guess in Antoine's as Brennan's has ridden changes in times a bit better) as well as trying to guess just what chaos was going on within the Charbonnet clan.  The mystery kept me guessing and reading and I loved that we got some new information into the mystery of Ricki's backstory.  

If you're looking for an entertaining read with a great setting and a likable cast of side characters you can't go wrong with this book - though I do recommend reading the first book first so you know all the whos whos.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I really loved her Bayou series and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Definitely!  And if you were a bit meh on the first book I recommend you give the series another try.

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

Life With No More Leukemia - February 5

 

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:

Primer and Punishment by Diane Kelly

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey

Currently:

Reading:  Playing Dead by Peggy Rothschild and Unearthing the Secret Garden by Marta McDowell

Listening:  Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower

This was our first week in our "new normal".  It's been fantastic to not have to dish out chemo pills every day and I think Will's energy is a bit higher and more stable now that he's off chemo.  Other than appreciating that it was a pretty quiet week of school and dog classes.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

Reading Recap - January 2023

Monthly Total: 20

Monthly Breakdown: 

Print: 7

Ebook: 6

Audio:  7

Mystery:  13

Fiction:  4

Nonfiction: 2

Romance: 1

Favorite Book of the Month:

Sleep No More by Jayne Ann Krentz - This wasn't a 5 star read for me but it was one of those hit the spot kind of books and I really enjoyed it.

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson - This was so much fun to read and gave me more than a few laughs.

Least Favorite Book of the Month:

The Art of Arranging Flowers by Lynne Branard - Normally my least favorite book of the month is one I liked okay but just not as much as the other reads.  This is not the case for this one.  This was my first one star book of the month.

My Bookish Armchair Traveling For the Month:

I had a busy month!

In the US I visited -

Alaska

California (twice)

Illinois

Massachusetts

Michigan

New York

Ohio

Pennsylvania

Utah

Vermont

Washington (twice)

And I had some international travel too!

I went to England three times and in a weird twist of bookish choices I went to Northern Ireland twice.  I'm not sure I've ever visited Northern Ireland fictionally so it was a bit surprising to go there twice in one month.

How was your reading in January?  Where did your books take you?

Friday Five - February TBR

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.  Since this is the first Friday in February I'm picking 5 books I hope to read this month.

1.  Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron - This is the second book in the Vintage Cookbook series and I'm really looking forward to it!

2.  Project Duchess by Sabrina Jeffries - Jeffries is one of my favorite historical romance authors and this one has been sitting on my overdue NetGalley shelf for far too long.

3.  Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts - This book has been sitting on my shelf for years and I haven't read it because it was a bit more paranormal than my usual preferences.  However, I just finished her Dragon's Heart Legacy trilogy and really loved it so I thought I'd give this a try.

4.  This Old Homicide by Kate Carlisle - I have really enjoyed the later books in this series and enjoyed the first book so I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.

5.  Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas - Devil in Winter is one of my very favorite romances and I've been really enjoying the Ravenel series.  I'm focusing on romances this month so this fits perfectly.

What are you hoping to read in February?

Books from the Backlog - The Family You Make

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:  The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis

Blurb:  During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane. After strong winds hurl the gondola in front of them into the ground, Levi calls his parents to prepare them for the worst...but can't bring himself to say goodbye. Instead, wanting to fulfill his mother's lifelong wish, he impulsively tells her he's happily settled and Jane is his girlfriend--right before his phone dies.
But Levi and Jane do not.

Now Levi's family is desperate to meet "The One." Though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend for just one dinner, she's nervous. After a traumatic childhood, Jane isn't sure she knows how to be around a tight-knit family that cherishes one another. She's terrified, and a little jealous. But an unexpected series of events and a host of new friends soon show Jane that perhaps this is the life she was always meant to have.

As Jane and Levi spend more time together, pretend feelings quickly turn into real ones. Now all Jane has to do is admit to herself she can't live without the man she's fallen in love with and the family she has always dreamed of.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I just read the latest book in this series and really enjoyed it so I want to catch up with some of the other residents of Sunlight Cove.

Six Sweets Under - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Six Sweets Under (True Confections #1) by Sarah Fox

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

Description:  Former actress Becca Ransom lived her dream in Hollywood for seven years before returning to her hometown of Larch Haven, Vermont. Known as the Venice of North America, Larch Haven has canals instead of roads, gondolas instead of cars, and charming cottages that look like they were plucked from the pages of a fairy tale. It’s also where Becca is pursuing her newest passion as a chocolatier at True Confections, the chocolate shop owned by her grandparents, Lolly and Pops.

While Becca’s testing new flavors and reconnecting with old friends, the town is gearing up for the annual Gondola Races, popular with both residents and tourists, with one exception. Local curmudgeon Archie Smith wants nothing more than to keep tourists away from Larch Haven. He’s determined to derail this year’s event and does his best to stir up trouble for the organizers, including Becca’s grandfather.

Following a heated argument with Pops, Archie is found floating face-down in the canal, and Pops finds himself in hot water as one of the top suspects. Becca’s determined to clear her grandfather’s name, but when the case heats up, she could be facing a sticky end.

Genre:  Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This is an author I've really been wanting to try and when I saw this was the first book in a new series (and one involving chocolate!) I couldn't resist.

My Impression:  This was such a fun book.  I love the idea of a town on canals and modeled after Venice.  Larch Haven is definitely on my fictional travel list.  

Becca was an interesting main character.  After a successful acting career which has gained her some fame she is home and working as a chocolatier (there is a mention of training, etc).  The mentions of chocolate were mouthwatering and I would love to try a truffle or two - and definitely a chocolate gondola.  Her relationships with her grandparents was really lovely and I really loved her best friend Dizzy - and of course Becca's cats.  

The mystery was interesting.  The victim has lots of people who are not sad to see him dead but who hates him enough to actually make it happen?  There are lots of candidates but Becca's focus is making sure the primary suspect isn't her grandfather.  This was a fun virtual visit to the Venice of North America with a likable main character and a great community of characters.  I'm looking forward to seeing how the series develops.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  I enjoyed this book and will definitely read more from this author.  

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and are looking for a light read this is a great choice.

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