FRIDAY: The Scoop by Fern Michaels

This is the first book in Fern Michaels' Godmothers series. I received a review copy from the publisher. This was a series I had read about but have never tried.

Summary
Toots has buried her last husband. She is done getting married. She wants to do something with her life, her experience and her money to make a difference. She starts with her three best friends - one whose abusive husband is dying, one who has munched and snacked through her grief, and one who is so painfully OCD, she can barely leave the house. Once Toots starts making some inroads with her friends' lives, the four of them turn their attention to Toots' daughter who lives in LA and works at a failing tabloid. Toots thinks she can secretly buy the paper and salvage her daughter's career. But things don't go as smoothly as Toots would like.

Review
There were elements of the story that reminded me of a Carol Higgins Clark mystery - where the reader gets glimpses of the "bad guys" away from the main action of the story and bit by bit the pieces start coming together. This was a long story for the first in the series where the actual story, about the tabloid, is just coming together by the end. A lot of time is invested in the godmothers character development as set up for the rest of the series.

3 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: Fans of Fern Michaels' other work, fans of contemporary romance stories (although the romance is hinted at and not fully developed yet in this first book)

Cautions: some language

FRIDAY: Timeless by Gail Carriger

Summary
Alexa is juggling her life in the city, her unusual housing situation, her toddler daughter, her daughter's guardian, and all the "usual" paranormal business in her life. Then she is summoned by a vampire queen to Egypt where mysteries abound. Final book in the Alexia Tarabotti series.


Review
I was sad to read this would be the last book in the series, but I have found out that the author is working on two new series related to this world that will come out in 2013. I love the dynamics in this book that are brought about by Alexa's daughter, Prudence. I think she really brings a freshness to the series. The rest of the regulars are present and continue to be fun to spend a few hours with. You can read about the rest of the books in the series here. I have really enjoyed this take on the paranormal fervor that has taken over much of the publisher world in the last few years. The steampunk elements make for another fun and unusual twist compared to most of the books I read.


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: sci-fi/fantasy/steampunk fans, fans of the previous books in the series, romance fans who want paranormal elements in their stories. 


Cautions: romantic relationships and alternate lifestyles

FRIDAY: Comfort Books

I had grand plans to read non-stop over the long holiday weekend. I really needed to dig into some adult fiction for new blog material. But then I got sick. I only wanted to lay in bed and watch tv. I didn't have the energy to dig into new books. So I revered to my comfort books - Gini Koch's Alien series.


No new review today - just a link to reviews of these old favorites. They were perfect comfort books for my weekend of feeling puny.

FRIDAY: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

Summary

[1996] Josh and Emma used to be best friends. But Emma rejected Josh when he thought they were becoming more than friends, and they started pulling away from one another. When Emma uploads an AOL disc from Josh's mom on her new computer, she finds a strange file called "Facebook." Clicking on it takes her to a weird-looking internet page where there are pictures and notes about a woman with Emma's name and birthday - Emma, 15 years in the future. She calls Josh, and Facebook becomes their secret. They peek into their futures. Josh finds that he is married to the hottest girl at school. Emma's married, too, but she starts to wonder if her older self is really happy with her future. How far will Emma in 1996 go to tweak her life to build a future Facebook page she likes? And how might she change Josh's future in the process?

Review

What a fantastic premise! So clever! Emma and Josh are well-developed characters. Their family dynamics as well as the tensions between the two characters are so realistically done. Supporting characters are great, too, but Emma's desperation to build a happy future is the core of the story.

4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: older teens (9th grade+), young adults, and adults who were teens in the 80s and 90s.

Cautions: language, mature relationship issues

FRIDAY: Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett

Summary
Tricia Miles is fed up with her uninvited-can't-take-a-hint-check-forging-business-ruining houseguest, Pammy Fredericks. Sure, they had been college roommates once upon a time, but they weren't really friends and Pammy is a freeloading pain in the neck. Tricia starts feeling pretty good about life again after she finally tells Pammy to leave and not come back - but that was before she found Pammy's body sticking out of a dumpster. While she knows she shouldn't, Tricia feels somewhat responsible for Pammy, so she starts investigating what Pammy was up to before she died. When bullets start flying, Tricia knows Pammy was digging where she didn't belong. Tricia will need to get to the truth before someone else ends up dead.


Review
This was a good mystery. Tricia and her book store staff are great characters. Tricia's sister still annoys me  (actually, not as much in this book as she did in earlier ones or in the next one in the series), but not enough to keep me from a good mystery series. This was a nicely complicated story with plenty of diversions to keep the reader guessing but not so many that I found myself wondering if it would ever wrap up. I like the new law enforcement character and the potential in his interactions with Tricia. The mystery bookstore Tricia owns is mostly a setting for conversation and character interactions. There are a few references to mysteries and authors but nothing that would distract a reader from the larger story.


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: Fans of the series, cozy mystery fans


Cautions: some language.

FRIDAY: Deep Trouble by Mary Connealy

Summary
Shannon's father believed in the city of gold until his dying day. And Shannon is determined to prove him right. So, she leaves her high-society city life in St. Louis to travel west with some hired guides. But her hired guides decide they'd rather steal her map and leave her for dead. Gabe, traveling alone on his way to visit family, hears the gunfire and Shannon's scream and rescues her. Shannon insists on finishing her quest and Gabe feels obligated to go along to keep her safe. But nothing about this journey is going to be safe.

Review
I received a review copy of this book from the author. It's been sitting on my shelf for awhile. Frankly, at first glance I thought it wasn't my kind of book. I am more of a sci-fi/fantasy reader. But Deep Trouble was one of the books I committed to reading this year, and I was pleasantly surprised. Shannon and Gabe are likeable characters and the villains are truly creepy, making the reader want to hang with the story to find out how Gabe and Shannon will survive to the end. It's a fun love story with great supporting characters. Good faith message also, without being preachy.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: fans of western romances and/or Christian fiction

Cautions: None.

FRIDAY: The First Love Cookie Club by Lori Wilde

Summary
Sarah fled Twilight, Texas as soon as she could after embarrassing herself as a teenager in front of the man she had hoped would be her soul mate. She made a name for herself as a children's author by the name of Sadie Cool. She is summoned back to Twilight for a Christmas celebration and to meet a sick fan who wishes to meet her favorite author. Little does Sarah know, the girl is the daughter of her soul mate, Travis Walker, now a single father, who remembers Sarah and her teenage declaration of love.


Review
What a fun holiday romance! The author tells a great story in the acknowledgments about the inspiration for the story. While Travis doesn't know that Sarah is Sadie, he figures it out soon enough. I appreciated the author not drawing that out too long. Jazzy, the sick child, is delightful. Plenty of side plots and road blocks will keep readers turning pages. One road block toward the end seemed to come out of nowhere, but it was compelling enough to keep me reading.


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: fans of holiday romance stories


Cautions: some language and detailed romantic moments might bother more sensitive readers.

WEDNESDAY: The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts

Yes, it's another non-WAITING Wednesday. With Christmas coming, I wanted to get this review in now.


Summary
Ambrose the cat is in HUGE trouble. He is on his ninth life and barely hanging onto a thin tree branch in a storm, staring into the huge teeth of a hungry dog. Ambrose promises the powers-that-be that if he is rescued, he will use the rest of his final life to do something good for someone else. Who better to help, then, than the man who scares away the dog, saving Ambrose. It takes awhile to get the man, Zach, to let Ambrose into his home. And then Zach insists on calling him "Tom." How ordinary! And that woman Zach calls "Baby" is absolutely hideous. Ambrose must convince Zach to keep him and to find a much nicer lady-friend to spend his life with so Ambrose can enjoy the rest of his ninth and final life.


Review
This was a cute holiday story. Ambrose's perspective on the things and people in Zach's life gave a fun "voice" to parts of the story. The single adults in the story seemed a little over-focused on the physical parts of their relationships, rather than looking for a more well-rounded relationship, but the main characters are fun to read about. My favorite part was when one character goes shopping with her sisters. Their relationship was refreshing and their interactions were fun to read. The ending came together really quickly, but I enjoyed how it all came together.


4 out of 5 stars.


Recommended for: readers looking for a fun, light holiday story; readers who enjoy animal stories


Cautions: references to Ambrose's previous lives - and the ways he died in each one -- might weird out some more sensitive readers.

FRIDAY: Trading Christmas by Debbie Macomber

 

Summary
Emily decides to surprise her daughter for Christmas, so she swaps her home in Washington state with Charles in Boston. But her daughter has her own Christmas plans, leaving Emily stranded - alone - in Boston for Christmas.


Charles is not so lucky. He WANTS to be alone, but he's living in Christmas-central, surrounded by Emily's friends and Christmas cheer aplenty.


While it looks like Emily and Charles will have horrible holidays, love walks in.


Review
The general premise is like the movie, The Holiday, which is one of my favorites for this time of year (any time of year, really). You may have caught the Hallmark Channel movie of this book during this Christmas season. This book is actually a re-release for Macomber. This story was previously published as When Christmas Comes. This version comes with a bonus story called The Forgetful Bride. I did skim through some of the middle, but I actually enjoyed the bonus story even more than the original.


3.5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: Macomber's fans, readers looking for a fun Christmas romance


Cautions: some language 

WEDNESDAY: Alien Proliferation by Gini Koch

Usually I post a "waiting" book on Wednesday, but I didn't want to wait to review this one.


Summary
Kitty and Martini are back, and baby makes three. You would think the happy little family could enjoy a little quiet together, but "quiet" is probably not going to be in the cards for them any time soon. After a traumatic delivery, Kitty discovers a plot to take out Chuckie and Kitty's mom. At least, that seems to be the plot. But there are more layers to this situation than meets the eye. There's a mole - or is there? Kitty's high school friends are in danger - or are they part of the plotting? At the root of everything is Kitty's baby. The bad guys want the baby and, like any good momma, Kitty will fight tooth and nail to protect her.


Review
This is a hard book to summarize because sooooo many things are going on and I don't want to give any of the good stuff away. I have been a big fan of this series since I read the first book. I re-read them just for fun even though I have tons of new and yet-unread books laying around. Alien Proliferation is a perfect addition to the series. I didn't want to put the book down. I laughed out loud often as I zoomed through this 400+ page non-stop thrill. It was a delight to dig into such a meaty book that wasn't filled with a lot of unnecessary fluff. Plenty of great twists and turns. New dynamics between characters as Kitty gets a new partner to work with and other new characters are introduced (or familiar characters are developed more fully). While motherhood changes Kitty in some ways, it doesn't change any of the things I love about her - her sarcasm, her intuition, her kick-butt-and-take-names attitude. She continues to be a great, strong character.


This is not a story for the faint of heart. Kitty is in a life-and-death battle and there are casualties. Everything that happens is appropriate to the story, though. I enjoyed this so much, I am looking for time when I can carve out a few days to read through the whole series to date from start to finish. The next book, Alien Diplomacy, releases in April, 2012.


5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: fans of the series, science fiction/fantasy fans who like an element of romance in their stories


Cautions: My personal feeling is that new readers will be lost if they jump in here. Do yourself a favor and start at the beginning and enjoy the whole series. Otherwise, there's some violence, and some romantic moments are described in detail. Those sections can be skipped over by sensitive readers. There might also be some language (honestly, I was reading so fast to find out what was going on, I didn't really pay that close of attention).

FRIDAY: The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson

Summary
At first it just seems like small town politics. An "outsider" buys up a prime piece of property out from under a councilman. When everyone thinks it's going to be a Christmas shop, it's no big deal. Instead, Matilda, the owner, fills the shelves with old "junk." The other downtown business owners are up in arms, ready to run Matilda out of town. One by one, though, people walk into The Christmas Shoppe and walk out changed - even some of Matilda's biggest challengers. What is really going on at The Christmas Shoppe.


Review
I went to the library before Christmas strictly to find holiday stories to help me get into the holiday spirit. This was a nice read, but nothing earth shattering. Nice Christmas message of forgiveness and redemption. Would make a nice Christmas gift.


3 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: readers looking for a comfortable Christmas novel to celebrate the season


Cautions: none

FRIDAY: Making Spirits Bright (anthology)

  

Summary
Four stories in one book.
Making Spirts Bright by Fern Michaels - Melanie, wealthy yet lonely, contemplates adopting a child to share her life. Then she meets Bryce. She'd really like to get to know him better, but will he want to date a woman with adopted kids? And what if the horrible woman at the adoption agency won't let her adopt at all?
Runaway Christmas by Elizabeth Bass - While Heidi is pouring everything she has into making her New York City restaurant stay afloat, her sort-of-step-niece, Erica, borrows her step-mother's credit card to fund a trip from Texas to New York for Christmas. Heidi thought she'd be spending Christmas alone, but she finds love and family instead.
Home for Christmas by Rosalind Noonan - Jo lost her husband Shane in a tragic skiing accident. She and her daughter have stayed in Jo's home town, building a business there and staying close to Jo's family. When someone threatens everything Jo counts on, she takes action. Unfortunately, some of her decisions could ruin the fragile new relationship in her life.
Christmas on Cape Cod by Nan Rossiter - Maddie spends Christmas with Asa and his son, Noah, and Asa's parents. While she misses her own family, this Christmas is a special one, full of tree-trimming, Christmas surprises and love.


Review
This was a nice holiday read. Sometimes when I read a book like this, I will enjoy the first and maybe the second story, but will lose interest before reading the last ones. Not this time. I read and enjoyed all four stories (although, I had a hard time following the family relationships in the final story). My favorite was probably Runaway Christmas, followed by Home for Christmas. 


3 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: readers looking for romantic holiday stories, or novellas instead of full length novels.


Cautions: none that I recall

FRIDAY: Kindred Spirits by Sarah Strohmeyer

Summary
The four of them were The Ladies Society for the Conservation of Martinis until one ended her fight against cancer on her own terms. Now the remaining three head out on a road trip to fulfill the dying wish of their dear friend. Along the way, there'll be a lot of martinis, reminiscing, and some self-discovery for each of the ladies.


Review
This was a very touching story. The author did a nice job of filling in the friends' history in snippets throughout the story while never leaving the reader wondering what was going on. I've been reading so much children's fiction lately, it was nice to engage in a book with grown up characters and grown up circumstances. The ladies' quest included a nice twist in the middle which I enjoyed. Plenty of happy endings for all. I didn't personally connect with all the martini information in the story, but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: fans of Strohmeyer's other work, fans of stories with strong female characters


Cautions: some language

FRIDAY: Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin

Summary
Raine lives in a world of elves and goblins and things that go bump in the night. She's a fair sorceress herself, although ever since that night she's had a few extra powers at her disposal. 


All she wanted was to keep a friend out of trouble. Now all sorts of trouble are on her heels. With the help of family and friends - old and new - maybe she'll come out of this alive.


Review
I had a hard time getting into this book - the world was complicated, and it took me awhile to get the rhythm of it - but once I did, I enjoyed the story. In time, I would probably read more of the books in the series. Raine is a great character - strong, sassy, independent, brave without being stupid.


3.5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: science fiction/fantasy fans, especially ones who enjoy a detailed world to go with the story line.


Cautions: none

THURSDAY: Spirited Away by Cindy Miles

Summary
Dr. Andi Monroe has always been fascinated by Dreadmoor Castle. Once, she snuck onto the grounds and was saved by a handsome and mysterious man. Now she has the chance to examine the grounds first hand when she goes in to examine skeletal remains found when a tree is unearthed. But things at the castle aren't as the appear. The castle is owned by Tristan de Barre who happens to be the ghost of a legendary knight murdered and betrayed centuries before. Tristan wants to keep his secret from Andi, but he is drawn to her. She can't understand why Tristan is so friendly in one moment and abrasive and distant in another. They will have to learn how to trust one another when then face an evil Tristan thought was long gone.


Review
Great chemistry between Andi and Tristan, and the premise was great. I enjoyed the secondary characters, too. There was a destined-for-tragedy feel to much of it, so I was pleased that the author worked out a happy ending. 


3.5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: paranormal romance fans who are tired of the whole vampire/werewolf craze - and even those who aren't tired of that craze!


Cautions: some language, although it is tempered by Tristan's time-warped expressions; adult relationship details may bother some readers.

FRIDAY: Eureka: Brain Box Blues by Cris Ramsay

Summary
The Brain Box is a device that can record the final memories from a corpse. In the best of circumstances, this technology could help catch murderers. But in the wrong hands, it can become something twisted, invasive and dangerous. But for the cause of "national security," at least according to General Mansfield, the folks at Global Dynamics are asked to use the Brain Box to harvest the memories of a dead man. As they start digging into the man's memories, Carter starts to see that there is a lot more to this situation than anyone is willing to talk about. 


Review
Lots of twists and hidden agendas in this story. I did figure out some of the mysteries before the characters did, but I had to keep reading to find out how they were going to fix things in the end. The book references the story-catchers episode of the TV series, so it is helpful if readers are familiar with that story. I enjoyed the story, although not as much as the first one.


3.5 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: fans of the series, science-fiction fans with experience watching the show, especially the story-catchers episode.


Cautions: some language

THURSDAY: Eureka: The Substitution Method by Cris Ramsay

Summary
It starts so subtly. It looks like minor pranks - plants missing, cars swapped. Then people go missing and show up miles from where they started. And then buildings start showing up in Eureka - houses and businesses full of clueless civilians from other states who really shouldn't see all that Eureka has to hide.


Sheriff Carter and the gang have to track down the missing Eureka buildings - and residents - before any of their secrets get out. And he needs to track down the source of the substitutions and put a stop to it before the missing scientists and their secrets are the least of their concerns.


Review
Fun story, reflects the characters and "voices" of the TV show. Some reference to the TV series. Some one who has never watched the show might be too lost to enjoy the story, but regular viewers, even if they haven't seen the specific shows referenced, should keep up just fine. My favorite moments take place around the Jo/Zane relationship (they are my favorite characters in the show)


4 out of 5 stars


Recommended for: Fans of the show, science fiction fans with familiarity with the show


Cautions: none. Might be some language in the book, but I didn't note it.

FRIDAY: The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews

Summary
As if Meg and Michael don't have their hands full with the twins, Meg's family and friends decide that their home is the perfect spot to store all the animals they have stolen from the local shelter because they are going to be destroyed. The animals were supposed to be taken right to new homes, but the driver, who knew which animals were going where, was murdered. So, Meg has a murder to solve while she waits for her family to sort out the animal problem and get the critters out of her home.


Review
Fun mystery! Even with the twins, Meg is able to put all the pieces together to figure out whodunit and save the day. As with any mommy-mystery situation, you have to suspend disbelief when Meg juggles the babies and her sleuthing, but Meg is such a great character, I found that easy to do.


Every time I read one of Meg's stories, though, I have to work hard to set aside my great annoyance at Meg's family who have NO boundaries whatsoever. They think of no one but themselves and their personal agendas, no matter how inconvenient it might be to a new mom and dad and their 4-month-old twins. If Meg weren't so good-natured, I probably wouldn't be able to keep reading!


4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: cozy mystery fans, fans of the series, animal mystery fans


Cautions: none

FRIDAY: Unraveled by Maggie Sefton

Summary

Kelly is sleuthing again when her friend Jennifer's real estate client is murdered. This time, Kelly is a little more connected to the case than she'd like to be as she works with one of her suspects. As she sleuths, her former boyfriend, Steve, is trying to figure out how to repair the rift he caused between them. Side stories with the usual cast of characters are fun and fit comfortably around the mystery.

Review

Great mystery. I appreciate how well Sefton does with balancing her mystery story line with the ongoing stories and relationships between her long-term characters. There's a great volleyball game scene in this story that was worth the purchase price of the book in my opinion. As a long time fan of the series, that scene was great fun. I found this story more enjoyable than the last one and I'm looking forward to another case for Kelly and her Lambspun friends.

4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: mystery fans, fans of the series, knitters who like mysteries

Cautions: none

FRIDAY: Mind Altering Murder by William Rabkin

Summary

Gus leaves Psych for a pharmaceutical company where he advances quickly thanks to the executive death rate. Jules is hung up on a suicide case she just can't let go. And Shawn gets obsessively involved in a violent video game in order to track down the missing game designer.

Review

As you may have guessed, I did a Psych "blitz" and read through a bunch of the books that I had sitting on my shelf for awhile. This was the best of the batch. It builds on some things from the last book. I absolutely loved the premise - what are Gus and Shawn when they don't have each other any more? Lots of crimes to keep track of, but well managed by the author so they  don't get annoying or hard to follow.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: mystery lovers, fans of the TV show

Cautions: none