The Enchanted Music Box: Reevaluating Her Life (4.5 Stars)

The Enchanted Music Box by Cindy Kirk is a good magical realism story. I don’t like fantasy novels that feel too unrealistic, but this was a good blend of realistic features mixed with magical elements. Quick Plot Description Lorraine is about thirty. She’s a CPA who is dating another CPA, Brent. Lorraine is all about…… Continue reading The Enchanted Music Box: Reevaluating Her Life (4.5 Stars)

The Wife You Know: Secrets and Lies? (4.5 Stars)

Last week, I finished reading The Wife You Know by Chad Zunker. The basic plot is that Ashley saves several children from a daycare center fire. The whole brave rescue is caught on video and shared across social media. When Ashley finds out, she freaks out and disappears with her young daughter that night. Her…… Continue reading The Wife You Know: Secrets and Lies? (4.5 Stars)

The Spy Coast: Just Five Old CIA Agents (4.5 Stars)

If a spy novel with slightly older characters sounds like your kind of book, you may want to check out The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen. This book includes five former CIA operatives who have all retired to the same Maine community. Basic Plot Maggie Bird is a retired CIA spy. She’s moved to a…… Continue reading The Spy Coast: Just Five Old CIA Agents (4.5 Stars)

Who’s Killing the Old (and mostly adorable) Mystery Writers?-(4 Stars)

If you like funny murder mysteries, you might want to check out Who’s Killing the Old (and mostly adorable) Mystery Writers? by Jon Spoelstra. I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway late last year. Getting the Mystery Writers Together This book is the fifth book in a series. I haven’t read the previous books. There’s…… Continue reading Who’s Killing the Old (and mostly adorable) Mystery Writers?-(4 Stars)

The Diamond Escape: Characters and Details Overload (2 Stars)

Several months ago, I won The Diamond Escape by Sheila Bitts in a Goodreads Giveaway. Earlier this month, I finished reading it. This book has a lot of characters and is confusing in places. Do We Really Need to Know the Characters’ Heights? The idea of this book sounded good, but it just really didn’t…… Continue reading The Diamond Escape: Characters and Details Overload (2 Stars)

One Tuesday, Early: Confusing, Odd Alternating Chapters (3 Stars)

I recently read an ARC of One Tuesday, Early by Annalisa Crawford. This book, which comes out on May 14, was odd and confusing at times. If you like paranormal books, you may like it, though. What You Should Know This story is told in alternating chapters. Lexi wakes up one Tuesday, and everyone has…… Continue reading One Tuesday, Early: Confusing, Odd Alternating Chapters (3 Stars)

Deadly Secrets from Pond Island: Small Town Murder (4 Stars)

I recently finished reading Deadly Secrets from Pond Island by Olivia Raymond. This story is full of small-town secrets and a potentially huge cover-up from 30 years ago. It’s the beginning of a series, but it’s the only published book in the series so far. Story Outline Vanessa Hutchins was a successful lawyer in a…… Continue reading Deadly Secrets from Pond Island: Small Town Murder (4 Stars)

Diamonds on the Nile: Accidently Stolen Diamonds (3.5 Stars)

I recently finished reading Diamonds on the Nile by Jude Randazzo. I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway a few months ago. It wasn’t quite the book I’d expected, so I was disappointed. The Basic Premise In 1979, Tess Kincaid goes on vacation to Egypt with her parents and her boyfriend, Eddie. Through a…… Continue reading Diamonds on the Nile: Accidently Stolen Diamonds (3.5 Stars)

The Not So Haunted House: First Sentence Writing Prompt

I’ve recently started teaching a student online in a first-sentence writing prompts class. Each week, there’s a genre. Then I have a list of 100 first sentences, which may or may not easily apply to that genre. The student picks a number, and that’s the prompt that we go with for the class. Then we…… Continue reading The Not So Haunted House: First Sentence Writing Prompt

Murder at the Serpentine Bridge: Regency Mystery (4 Stars)

Yesterday, I finished reading Murder at the Serpentine Bridge by Andrea. I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway back in August. This is a Regency murder mystery book. It’s also the sixth book in a series. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, and I think that made a difference in my reading…… Continue reading Murder at the Serpentine Bridge: Regency Mystery (4 Stars)