The Inn at Rose Harbor by Debbie Macomber

(Posted for Ann Roberts)

This is undoubtedly among the worst books I have ever read; the plot mundane, the characters insipid and unappealing. The story is about Jo Marie Rose, a widow, who has just arrived in Cedar Cove to run a bed and breakfast. Her first guests are Joshua Weaver and Abby Kincaid. Joshua has come to collect a few family mementos from his dying stepfather, a cruel man him who drove Josh out of his home in high school. Joshua is angry and bitter and wants nothing more than get his stuff and run.

Abby, who has not been home for 20 years, has returned for her brother's wedding. She is dealing with painful memories of a friend who was killed in an automobile accident, which happened while Abby was driving. She, too, only wants to do what she has to do and then get out of town. However, they both meet the loves of their life and live happily ever after.  My reading this book is further testimony to my reading compulsion. What’s worse is this author has millions of books in print. Which made me think, if I were to pen some similar drivel, could I get her publisher to publish me? I’m thinking there’s a retirement plan there!

 Paperback, 330 pages

Being Dead by Jim Crace

(Posted for Ann Roberts)

More wonderful writing from Jim Crace. In the sand dunes of Baritone Bay, the middle-aged Celice and Joseph, returning to the seacoast where they met as students of zoology, lie half-naked, undiscovered and rotting for a week, prey to sand crabs, flies, and gulls. But as Crace so beautifully writes: 

"Their bodies had expired, but anyone could tell—just look at them—that Joseph and Celice were still devoted. For while his hand was touching her, curved round her shin, the couple seemed to have achieved that peace the world denies, a period of grace, defying even murder. Anyone who found them there, so wickedly disfigured, would nevertheless be bound to see that something of their love had survived the death of cells. The corpses were surrendered to the weather and the earth, but they were still a man and wife, quietly resting; flesh on flesh; dead, but not departed yet."

The story line moves back in forth in time, between their courtship and their final journey to the place where they fell in love. As the narrative moves backward, we see Celice and Joseph as young lovers, as parents, as academics, and finally as they make the small decisions about their day that will lead them towards their own deaths. It is six days before their bodies are found. Crace describes in detail their gradual return to the land that they loved with the help of crabs, birds, and insects.

Hardback, 210 pages

Shadow of Doubt by Jonnie Jacobs

When Kali O'Brien returns to her hometown she quickly finds herself dealing with more than her father's estate.  She also discovers that her close childhood friend has been accused of murder. Despite her doubts, Kali looks into the crime and winds up becoming a target for the murderer as well.  I had a hard time believing that lawyer Kali wouldn't go to the police with some of the incidents she experienced and evidence she uncovered. Rather a ho-hum book. It didn't help that the digital edition had missing sentences, misspellings and other editorial problems. Kali O'Brien series, book 1.  308 pages.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver

I don't know about you, but I sometimes have trouble finding the proper balance between being a do-er (a Martha) and being a worshiper (a Mary). This book takes the Bible stories involving sisters Mary and Martha and looks at them from a fresh perspective. Can you be both a do-er and a worshiper? The answer is a resounding, "YES!" The important part is to figure out when you should be doing which piece - and sometimes they can  be simultaneous. This book can help you discover how to center your life (and work) in a worshipful way. It includes a study guide that should prove helpful for individuals and in group settings. 256 pages.

"Exclusively Yours (Kowalski Family #1)" by Shannon Stacey

Keri Daniels and Joe Kowalski were high school sweethearts nearly 20 years ago.  They had plans to attend the University of New Hampshire and be together forever . . . until Keri got cold feet and left for California, where she's been ever since.  She's a successful writer for a Hollywood magazine, but she wants to be an editor.  Unfortunately, the only way her boss will promote her is to get the juicy details on the life of Joe Kowalski, the reclusive, best-selling author of horror novels.  Surprisingly, he agrees on several conditions, one of which is to spend two weeks with the Kowalski family on their annual camping vacation.

I very much enjoyed this author's voice.  We must be close to the same age because of the cultural references made when Keri and Joe were in high school.  I also laughed out loud and smiled many times at her descriptions of city girl Keri trying to hold on to her dignity, her professionalism, and her heart in the mud and mosquitoes of rural NH.  Good stuff and it was a free download to boot!  322 pages (Kindle edition).

Blood Trail by C.J. Box

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Decades old rape case involving five prominent men of the town.  The governor is looking for the killer of hunters and to find this very skilled person, he must release two men from prison.  One doesn’t return to prison and the other takes the long walk.

Audio:  9 hrs. 10 min.
Print:  320 pages.

Below Zero by C.J. Box

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Joe seeks to find his adopted daughter, who was thought to have been killed.  She is now in the company of a dying Chicago gangster.  From Chicago to Wyoming, there is murder and suspense. 

Audio:  10 hrs. 20 min.

Print:  336 pages.

"Seeing Stars" by Vanessa Grant

Claire Welland is an astronomer who lives on a mountain in Arizona but goes back to Port Townsend, WA, for her 15 year high school reunion.  She's dreading it since she felt like she was too nerdy and never fit in well, but her friend talks her into going to see how her bad boy crush turned out.  And it turns out that Blake McKenzie is still single, attractive, and doing well in his little hometown.  When he sees Claire he can't believe how attractive and confident she's become, and when she asks him for a no-strings-attached, week-long affair, he gladly accepts.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book with the once nerdy girl getting a chance at her bad boy crush, but then she seems to lose her perspective and good sense and does a few things that seem completely out of character, so much so that it ruined the story for me.  I was also annoyed that the author did not seem to pay close attention to the ages of Claire and Blake.  She turned 31 during the story, and he's 35.  That means she graduated from high school when she was just under 16 and he was 20!  Neither of these unusual bits of information were mentioned in the book at all.  Please, authors, synchronize your characters' ages to match what is happening in your stories!  256 pages (Kindle edition).

"Reckless for Cowboy" by Daire St. Denis

Stampede week is ending in Calgary and so is Brooke's waitress job at Cattleman's Saloon.  She will soon be starting work at a law firm for a few months before beginning law school.  She knows better than to flirt too much with the cowboys who are temporarily in town, but she'd never counted on meeting Cooper Hays, a handsome saddle bronc rider.  This was a cute story told from Brooke's point of view, but it seemed to me that they got involved with each other way too quickly.  117 pages (Kindle edition).

"Vampire for Christmas" by Felicity Heaton

Shannon is a demon hunter with a secretive agency.  Rafe has been her partner for the last two years and has fallen in love with her.  However, she won't allow herself to even be friends with him because he's a vampire, and something in her past has caused her to be very weary of them.  Now that they're on their final mission together, can Rafe break through her walls and convince her that they should be partners in a more permanent way?

I've become a fan of Felicity Heaton, and this was another well-written novella that kept me interested and curious about the characters through to the end.  78 pages (Kindle edition).

"Venice Vampyr (Venice Vampyr Novella #1)" by Tina Folsom

Isabella Tenderini is a wealthy widow living in Venice in the early 1800s.  As she and her gondolier are weaving their way through the canals one night, she recognizes the sound of a body hitting the water close by.  They are able to save the man before he drowns, a fate her husband did not escape.  But Raphael di Santori is no ordinary man; he's a vampire who falls for her upon waking.  She is also drawn to him but cannot risk her reputation by being caught with a man not her relative.  Raphael is determined to discover who gave him the near fatal push into the canal, as vampires cannot swim.  Could it be a member of the Guardians, a secret society sworn to rid the world of his kind?

This was a quick, well-written, and enjoyable read that I downloaded for free.  I hope to read more in the series.  116 pages  (Kindle edition).

"Her Dark Angel (Her Angel Series #1)" by Felicity Heaton

Apollyon is an angel in Hell who guards the Devil and cannot leave until he suddenly hears a woman calling to him.  Serenity is a witch who was casting a vengeance spell on her former boyfriend when a dark angel appears before her offering to obey her.  He looks like a regular man to everyone else, but Serenity can see Apollyon's black wings and warrior's armor.  Will she let him take revenge on her ex, and once she does, can she let him go?  I really enjoyed this story and the chemistry between the two leads.  I'm looking forward to more in the series.  96 pages (Kindle edition).

Darkness & Light by John Harvey

This mystery novel is part of Frank Elder series, set in modern day England.  This is the first one I've read, but several have preceded this one.  In this story, Frank, now retired, is called on by his ex-wife to help look into the disappearance of a friend's sister.  Of course, it turns out to be murder, and with connections to an unsolved case from Frank's past.  Stylishly written, there are enough plot twists to keep it moving briskly along, but the conclusion is not all that surprising.  The parts about Frank coming to terms with reconnecting with his family are less successful, but I think I'll try to find some of the earlier books in the series. 350 pages

Free Fire by C.J. Box

(Posted for Paul Mathews)

Lawyer Clay McCann is a murderer whose last statement in life was you’ll be a murderer as bad as me, but this statement could not save his life. Another murder mystery with many paths to the end.

Audio:  10 hrs. 53 min.

Print:  352 pages.

Glory Be! by Ron and Janet Benrey

It appears that a foolish prank intended to heighten awareness about the traditional and contemporary worship conflict at Glory Community Church has accidentally turned deadly. But on further examination, could the love of money be the root of all evil? Bed-and-breakfast owner Emma McCall and deputy chief Rafe Neilson investigate the crime to ensure the murderer atones for his/her sins. 

I didn't have high expectations for the book. I chose it just because it was billed as a cozy and available on Overdrive. I was hoping for engaging characters or a captivating plot. What I experienced were cardboard characters and a ho-hum plot. Oh, well, it was light and quick, making it an okay read.  I won't go out of my way to read the rest of the series, though. 256 pages.

"Awakened" by Brenda K. Davies

This is book one in the Vampire Awakenings series, and I won't be reading any others.  While the story of college student vampires had promise, there were so many problems that they overwhelmed any chance of it succeeding.  Underdeveloped characters, simplistic dialog, and a massive amount of grammatical and punctuation errors ruined it for me.  It almost seemed as if it were written by a high school student with a good imagination but no skills for executing the story.  It didn't appear to have any basic editing, and that's totally unacceptable.  This was a free download, and that's what it's worth.  Not recommended.  385 pages (Kindle edition).