#TheEdgeofSummer #NetGalley

Readers may be surprised/intrigued to learn that best selling author of women’s fiction, Viola Shipman, is actually the pen name of a male author. He has a keen eye and ear for the kinds of stories that readers of this genre very much enjoy and this title is no exception.

I loved the way in which sewing is entwined in this story. Each chapter has a sewing term at the top. This connects with the protagonist’s mother having been a seamstress. When Miss Mabel tragically dies (of Covid), her daughter Sutton travels to Michigan. She hopes that this will help her to learn more about her mother, a woman who did not like talking about herself or her family. How will two Bs-buttons and a character named Bonnie add to Sutton’s understanding? Will life in Michigan offer what she needs?

This is an involving and well told story. I recommend it. Readers will root for Sutton and hope for a happy ending.

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 12 July 2022

I enjoyed and reviewed this.

FREE

A Delicious and Charming Cozy Mystery

by Valerie Burns

#TwoPartsSugarOnePartMurder #NetGalley

Life was not going according to plan for Maddy. She was stood up by her groom to be, but she has also inherited a house, a dog and a business from a great aunt. So, off Maddy goes to the Midwest. This is a big change for Maddy who is not a baker; luckily help is on the way from the aptly named Baker Street Irregulars. Things seem to be looking up until there is a murder. Who did it?

This book has many elements that cozy readers want; the small town, the characters, the mystery and a bit of humor. I also always enjoy baking. All in all, an enjoyable read.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 30 August 2022

And from this week’s The Short List

Tales of Whimsy, Verses of Woe

by Tim DeRoche, Daniel González

This collection has the potential to turn kids who turn up their noses at poetry into poetry fans. The works included here are unique, sometimes odd and often funny. They are accompanied by cartoon-like illustrations. Most kids are sure to chuckle at ntries such as The One Man Band.

This title is definitely worth a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Redtail Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

A Heartwarming Texas Love Story

by Jodi Thomas

#SundayattheSunflowerInn #NetGalley

I have previously read and reviewed several of this author’s novels including Picnic in Someday Valley and Breakfast at the Honey Creek Cafe. The books are set in small town Texas and are very keyed in to the kind of stories that women’s fiction lovers enjoy. There are good characters who have intertwined lives, romance and enough plot to keep the reader turning the pages.

This story is the fourth in the series. There is one character who is seventeen and another who is sixty. There is also a restaurant owner and a man in law enforcement. Will these two get together? What other romances will there be?

All of the characters move through this town that they love as they figure out what they want. Readers will love the town and the folks who live there too. This is excellent escapist fare.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 26 April 2022

A Swinging Sixties Mystery

by Teresa Trent

#TheTwistandShoutMurder #NetGalley

This mystery is set in the early 1960s. As can be seen from the cover, the job options for women included teacher, nurse and/or a secretarial job (hence the typewriter). Dot chooses secretarial school, little knowing where this will lead her.

Dot is busy. She gets to know women in an elite club in order to help her father’s political campaign. This exposes her to many things, some of which are not pleasant. When mayhem and murder ensue, will all be resolved satisfactorily? Find out in this cute mystery with an adorable cover.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 04 January 2022

Looking to read the best of the best? Then check out this comprehensive list of every Pulitzer Prize winning novel for Fiction from 1948 to the present!
— Read on earlybirdbooks.com/pulitzer-prize-winners-fiction

#BoundForMurder #NetGalley

This is the fourth title in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series. Both those who are already fans and new readers may well enjoy this title. It has some cozy elements that I find appealing; there are good characters, a nice setting and the word library in the series’ title.

Protagonist Amy treats her friend Sunny like family, even if this means that Amy will put off some of her own wedding planning. However, Sunny needs her as there is a skeleton, a real one, in her family’s history.

Readers can trust that all will turn out okay. The fun is in getting there.

Crooked Lane Books is one of my favorite publishers. They have taken on a mantle of publishing consistently enjoyable and reasonably cozy mysteries. These are the sorts of stories that I return to when I want to escape the jangles of the world.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 January 2020

25 Tales of Women in Music

by Rebel Girls

#RebelGirlsRock #NetGalley

Rebel Girls who love music, this one is for you. Here is an entertaining collection of stories about women in music. Some of those featured are Ell Fitzgerald, Joni Mitchell, Queen Latifa and Lizzo. There were other musicians with whom I was not familiar; a few of them are Evelyn Glennis, Laura Jane Grace and Nandi Bushell. All in all, twenty-five women to get to know. Music is defined in this title to include singers, those who play instruments and even those who work in the music industry.

The book’s introduction is written by Joan Jett. Following this are two page spreads for each woman; these include interesting biographical information and an illustration. The published book will also have q codes for those who want to learn more.

All in all, this is a wide ranging and well produced title. It joins many other Rebel Girls books that offer kids the chance to dream big.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rebel Girls for this title. All opinions are my own.

Pub date: 07 March 2023