Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas, by Lynn Cahoon

Have a Holly, Haunted Christmas by Lynn Cahoon 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

This is a novella length story in the newish series.

Ms. Cahoon seems to be fond of novellas, (Three in this series so far, with only two full length books), but in most cases I find they're too short to do the characters justice. There was a lot of decorating for Christmas but not a lot of story. It was an okay blurb, but I'd like to have had more. Mia and her grandmother are fun characters in the full length stories, so I will just have to sit back and wait for the next one to come out to really show them off.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Carried to the Grave and Other Stories, by Leslie Budewitz

Carried to the Grave and Other Stories by Leslie Budewitz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

A collection of shorter stories, with the title story being previously published on the author's website. All are tied to the author's Food Lover's Village series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Each story was another glimpse into life in Jewel Bay, from the founding of the Mercantile to present day.

The title story actually combines past and present, weaving the two together quite skillfully as Erin uncovers another family's long kept secret. I'd originally read it when the author provided the link in her monthly newsletter ages ago, and enjoyed it again on re-read. This one left me a little sad, both times, and especially sad that the family continued to feel the need to hide the truth in this day and age. (sorry to be so vague, but trying not to give any spoilers!).

I especially enjoyed An Unholy Death, with its glimpse at the founding couple of the Merc. I loved Kate with her big heart and Paddy's obvious love and devotion. I am really hoping we get another story with Kate, Paddy and Grace.

The entire book was a nice, quick read, that I didn't want to end.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Chili Cauldron Curse, by Lynn Cahoon

 

Chili Cauldron Curse by Lynn Cahoon 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay, but too short to really judge.

A short, quick introduction to the new series. This book really was just a quick intro that didn't have a lot of depth and moved quite fast. Mostly a glimpse of what the series may be.

I'm looking forward to the first full length book to hopefully answer questions and fill things in.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novella provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley.*



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Mother's Day Mayhem, by Lynn Cahoon

Mother's Day Mayhem by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't like this one.

Yet another novella in the Tourist Trap series.

Truthfully, I'm over them. And considering how short this is, that it failed to hold my interest long enough to finish is really a sad thing. I did finish it, but days later and I still felt "meh" about it.

We haven't had a full length story in this series since July 2017, so I guess this is the new normal for the series. Meanwhile, the author left us with a cliff hanger in the last full length book, that still has not been addressed.

As much as I once loved this series, the novellas just aren't enough to keep me reading.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given to me by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Corned Beef and Casualties, by Lynn Cahoon

Corned Beef and Casualties by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Another holiday novella in the Tourist Trap series and another quick visit to South Cove.

I like these quick check ins, but I will admit that the timeline bothers me. All of these novellas are set earlier in the series, and I want to know what's going on NOW. We were left with a bit of a mystery about Aunt Jackie at the end of A Killer Party, and I want an explanation.

This one seemed a bit sad to me, and I wasn't a fan of the abrupt ending. It felt rushed.

I am waiting very impatiently for more than a novella in this series.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given to me by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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A Deadly Brew, by Lynn Cahoon

A Deadly Brew by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Novella in the series.

This was a short, fast, read that I enjoyed. I do like Jill and Greg and South Cove. The series is well-developed and well written. This is just a a quick pre-Halloween visit to South Cove as Jill and friends spend a weekend in a supposedly haunted house. Spooky happenings cause them to try to figure out the mysterious history of the house, about to be torn down.

I like this series a lot, and I highly recommend starting with the first book in the series. This short can be read as a stand alone, but why deny yourself the pleasure of the whole series?

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley*

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Rocket's Dead Glare, by Lynn Cahoon

Rockets' Dead Glare by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

I love this series. This is a short and sweet entry in the series, with a bit of a twist. All of my favorite characters make an appearance. My only complaint is that this claims to be book 9.25, but really the events and relationships have to happen earlier than that.

Still, it's always a pleasure to visit South Cove and I am looking forward to many more.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley*

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Lost Souls, by Kelley Armstrong

Lost Souls by Kelley Armstrong
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was a bit of a fish out of water in this story, at least for a bit, since I've not read any of the novels in this series (though that's about to change, I now have books one and two). Probably not the best place to start the series. This apparently occurs between books three and four, so you might want to read 1-3 before this novella.

The characters are interesting, though Gabriel is a little tough to like at times. I did like it enough that I want to know more, especially about Patrick.

Edited to add: I have now read books 1-3, although read is an understatement, I pretty much devoured them in the last few days. I like Gabriel a lot more now, and Patrick a lot less, haha. But I strongly suggest reading the whole series before reading this novella. You won't be sorry you did!

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this story received from the publisher, via NetGalley*

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The Purloined Poodle, by Kevin Hearne

The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Novella in the Iron Druid series.

Thank Oberon! Pure praise for the Purloined Poodle's perspective! This book was all Iron Druid and sidekick. Or maybe Atticus was the sidekick this time around, but who cares! Clever Girl made only a very small appearance and Owen is only briefly spoken of.

I adored the puns, Oberon's silly dog sense of humor, Doctor Who Wibbly Wobbley Timey Wimey quotes, and even a reference to Seanan McGuire's Tybalt, King of Cats. Even the other dogs' names made me giggle.

Honestly, the last two full length Iron Druid books have been packed with so many other characters and differing points of view that it was lovely to see just the man and his dog again, solving a light mystery and not running for their lives like the majority of the series has been.

And I totally want to see more of Starbuck, haha.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

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Practice Makes Perfect, by Sarah Title

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Title
My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

This was a short and sweet novella about research librarian turned erotic romance author, Helen, and her co-worker/best friend, historian Henry.

Helen finally gets a rejection letter with a reason for the rejection, and a suggestion for fixing her novel. Turns out Helen's story is great, except her sex scenes are boring. So she decides to do what she does best and research writing a good sex scene.

She's so into her research she doesn't notice Henry reading over her shoulder. Then Henry offers to help Helen with some one on one research.

It was quite short, and I wish it had been fleshed (no pun intended) out a bit more. The characters moved so quickly and suddenly I was 95% through the book and I never really felt like I got to know them. Henry's side-plot felt a little bit shoe-horned in there, just to give the story a conflict that the characters have to overcome. Despite that, it was a fun read and I found myself amused a lot.

Even though the main character was trying to write erotic romance, there was very little detail into her "research" with Henry, making it the cleanest "erotic romance" I have ever read, haha.

*I was provided with an ARC of this story by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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