April 2022

Month

Never a Duke (Rogues to Riches #7) by Grace Burrowes

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

This is a good historical fiction romance mystery book. I haven’t read many books with these components and it was a nice change of pace. This is book seven in the series. I haven’t read any of the previous books but since this is a stand alone story it isn’t necessary to read the others. There is also plenty of exposition that explains a lot of the backstory of the characters, so I didn’t feel lost.

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April 28, 2022 0

Free: Two Years, Six Lives, and the Long Journey Home by Lauren Kessler

This is a very good non-fiction book that takes an in-depth look at the difficulties people released from prison face once they are released. The author focuses on six individuals that were incarcerated as minors and follows their journeys as they are released and attempt to integrate back into a society that most of them barely recognize.

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April 25, 2022 0

Dream Town (Archer #3) by David Baldacci

This is a really good historical fiction mystery/thriller. I must admit, I read the first book in this series One Good Deed and did not enjoy it very much. In fact, I couldn’t even finish it! This really surprised me, because I normally really enjoy David Baldacci’s books. I’m so glad that I revisited the series because this book was so good.

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April 21, 2022 0

The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon

This is a cute and funny contemporary book about the self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village desperately trying to save his hometown no matter the cost. Signor Speranza is told by the water commissioner’s office that unless he can come up with 70,000 Euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water will be shut off and all of the town’s 212 inhabitants will be forced to disperse. So what’s an informal Mayor to do? Why, spread a false rumor that a famous heartthrob actor is shooting his new movie in the village, of course! His hope is that tourists will flock to the town and the revenue for the pipes will be raised.

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April 13, 2022 0

Or Else by Joe Hart

This is a good contemporary mystery/thriller. Novelist Andy Drake returns home to care for his sick father. He re-connects with Rachel, a childhood friend, starting an affair that gives her a break from her emotionally abusive husband. After several months, Andy receives an anonymous note telling him to break it off with Rachel, or else.

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April 10, 2022 0

To Marry and to Meddle (The Regency Vows #3) by Martha Waters

This is a fun and flirty “marriage of convenience” trope regency romance set in England in 1817. It’s a quick and easy read that I read in one sitting. The characters pop off the page and the banter between the two actually made me laugh out loud at certain points. I haven’t read the two previous books, but that didn’t deter me from enjoying this one. The supporting characters rounded out the story well, so I definitely plan to go back and read To Have and to Hoax and To Love and To Loathe.

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April 9, 2022 0

Spine of the Dragon (Wake the Dragon #1) by Kevin J. Anderson

This is a very good first book in a new fantasy series. It has it all – Kings and Queens, swords and fire, fighting, court intrigue, heroes, villains, dragons, magic, ancient beings, and a fickle god. C’mon, what more could you want in an epic fantasy?

Book Blurb

Two continents at war, the Three Kingdoms and Ishara, are divided by past bloodshed. When an outside threat arises—the reawakening of a powerful ancient race that wants to remake the world—the two warring nations must somehow set aside generational hatreds and form an alliance to fight their true enemy.

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April 1, 2022 1