62. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross

#1 A Maine Clambake Mystery

listened on Audible

378 pgs.

2013
Adult cozy mystery
Finished 7-9-2024
Goodreads rating: 3.92
My rating: 3.75
Setting: contemporary Maine coast

My comments: I don't usually go for so-called "cozy mysteries", but I liked the cover of this one.  Maybe I just miss a good lobster dinner, but I thought I'd try just for the heck of it.  It really wasn't too bad.  I wasn't especially fond of the narrator....I think if I read it myself I would have given the protagonist a totally different demeanor.  Her voice sounded younger than 30 years old, more excitable, and even made her sound a little bit more know-it-all than I imagined her.  Pretty decent mystery with a lot of local color, set in a small community just a 10-minute or so drive from Bath.

Goodreads synopsis:  Julia Snowden returned to her hometown of Busman’s Harbor, Maine to rescue her family’s struggling clambake business—not to solve crimes. But that was before a catered wedding on picturesque Morrow Island turned into a reception for murder. When the best man’s corpse is found hanging from the grand staircase in the Snowden family mansion, Julia must put the chowder pot on the back burner and join the search for the killer. And with suspicion falling on her old crush, Chris Durand, the recipe for saving her business and salvaging her love life might be one and the same.

25. Secret Shopper by Tanya Taimanglo

Read on Kindle, recommended by Book Girlsl and read for their monthly read
319 pgs.

2013
Adult CRF
Finished 4/14/2023
Goodreads rating: 3.65
My rating: 2.5
Setting: contemporary San Diego and Guam

My comments:  Read for a Book Girls monthly read.  I always dislike writing a non-glowing review, but I guess I must be honest with my feelings.  This one definitely didn't do it.  A 25-year-old, discovering her husband has been cheating on her, sludges her way through it with believable feelings, ups, downs, sadness, anger.  What didn't work for me was her obsession for a new guy, Thomas.  Much of the book seems trite to me, and it definitely needed some editing work.  There were so many opportunities to give the reader some insight into Guam, but this  didn't happen either.

56. The Diamond Bearer's Destiny by Lorena Angell

#4 Unaltered

read on Kindle

2013

286 pgs.
YA Paranormal Fantasy
Finished 5/25/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.15 - 207 ratings
My rating: 3.5

First line/s: "I don't know if I want to be a Diamond Bearer anymore."

My comments: This installment wraps up many of the problems seen in the first three books.  A lot of time is spent revealing Chris's past and his relationship with his father to Calli.  Calli takes on new responsibilities as she switches places with Meitha, adding invisibility and light control to her powers.  Chris defeats his father, and that ends the government's interference with the powers under control of General Harding.  A new generation of diamond bearers is born.  The series could definitely end right here, there don't seem to be any unanswered questions, only possibilities and directions where things might possibly go.

Goodreads synopsis:  The Diamond Bearers' Destiny, book four of The Unaltered. Calli learns about Chris's motives and tries to understand his dilemmas. Given no choice, the two of them travel with a mysterious companion back to General Harding's facility in an effort to dismantle the programs that are exterminating people with powers and wiping Diamond Bearers from the face of the earth.

          General Harding figures out what lies at the heart of Agent Alpha's research project. Harding is determined to complete the studies and become an all-powerful Diamond Bearer--once Chris deceives Calli and delivers her to him so he can destroy her and take the diamond from her heart.
          What General Harding fails to understand is this: Calli's diamond will not make him the most powerful individual on the face of the earth. Most powerful of all are the agents of nature who work for Crimson--the creator of the Sanguine Diamond. Upsetting the balance of nature is the last thing General Harding should do.
          Follow Calli, Chris, Brand, and Crimson as they battle Deus Ex, undead Healers, and the notorious General Harding, in an effort to balance nature and save lives.

55. The Diamond of Freedom by Lorena Angell

#3 Unaltered

Read on Kindle

2013

264 pgs.
YA Paranormal Fantasy
Finished 5/24/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.08 - 554 ratings
My rating: 3.5/4

First line/s: "He stands by the river, his black leather duster setting him apart."

My comments: Lots happens in this one, and although it's left at a cliffhanger, it's a different kind of cliffhanger than in book two.  In that one, Chris and Calli are off to Miami and we know it.  In this book, there is a definite ending with uncertainty of what will happen next.  Is Chris a traitor?  What's going on between him and Deus Ex?  You had to think harder to follow everything  that happened in this book, what the obsidian was doing and how it changed the powers.  Also, following the "repeating" and trying to understand how it worked was a bit confusing.  It's fascinating to consider how minds can think up this stuff.  So here's the ultimate spoiler:  the books ends with Calli in Maine with her parents, Chris has taken of with Deus Ex as her supposed hostage, Jonas and Cali have joined the ranks of the diamond bearers although Calli still has a fragment of Jonas's diamond in her own heart.  Crazy

Goodreads synopsis:  The Diamond of Freedom, book three in The Unaltered, melds together history, geology, metaphysics, science, and fantasy in this non-stop nail biter. Calli and Chris race against the clock to identify the power-neutralizing stone that prevents Calli from healing her life-threatening injuries. She must also learn how to counter its effects before she can fight against the rogue Diamond Bearer named Freedom to save the boy she loves and the world of her friends.

          In the epic battle between extreme cosmic-power holders, weaknesses are exploited and lifetime relationships shattered to gain the upper-hand. Sometimes having no special abilities is what makes someone the most powerful. General Harding, Chris's father, has made it his life's mission to eradicate all people with powers. Believing the lies fed to him, and misusing his status with the U.S. government, General Harding nears completion of a weapon designed to destroy cosmic-energy individuals.
          Calli meets Brand Safferson's half-sister, self-named Deus Ex, and proclaimed mercenary. Her repeating abilities are necessary to rescue Brand from General Harding's compound, but the risks of recruiting her to abandon Freedom's side and join Maetha's may be deadly.
          Maetha provides proof that she's figured out how to heal the DNA of an altered human, creating an Unaltered individual.

38. The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

#1 Inn at Eagle Hill

listened on Audible

narrated beautifully by Amy McFadden

Unabridged audio (8:55)
2013
316 pgs.
Adult Amish Romance
Finished 4/13/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.27 - 2420 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting: small town Amish community, PA

First line/s: "The air had the sweet burn of frost.  Long out of habit, even in the winter months, Rose Schrock woke before dawn to carve out a little time for herself before the day began."

My comments: Rose Schrok, the widowed mother of Bethany, Mim, Luke, and Sammy, lives with her crotchety mother-in-law, Vera, next door to a helpful, doting neighbor named Galen King and his sister Naomi.  When she decides to open up a large room in her basement as a bed and breakfast, a woman named Naomi becomes her first customer and stays for awhile. All of these characters live interesting, full lives in the Amish community.  Yes, there's a lot of talk about their relationships with God, but not a lot about the church or the bishop (who in this case seems to be a pretty decent guy) and the very clean love aspects are really quite sweet.  It's a good story with a whole lot more modernism attributed to the Amish community than I have read about before.  And it's supposed to be Old Order Amish, too.  Interesting.  Wonderful characterizations, I really felt I knew all these people quite well.  Beautifully read.

Goodreads synopsis:  Rose Schrock is a plain woman with a simple plan. Determined to find a way to support her family and pay off her late husband's debts, she sets to work to convert the basement of her Amish farmhouse into an inn. While her family, especially her cranky mother-in-law, is unhappy with Rose's big idea, her friend and neighbor, Galen King, supports the decision and he helps with the conversion. As Rose finalizes preparations for visitors, she prays. She asks God to bless each guest who stays at the Inn at Eagle Hill. As the first guest arrives and settles in, Rose is surprised to discover that her entire family is the one who receives the blessings, in the most unexpected ways. And she's even more surprised when that guest decides to play matchmaker for Galen King.
          With her signature plot twists combined with gentle Amish romance, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for fresh stories of simple pleasures despite the complexity of life. Fisher's tale of God's providence and provision will delight her fans and create many new ones. Welcome to the Inn at Eagle Hill.

5. Some Like It Charming by Megan Bryce

listened on Chirp
narrated by Tess Irondale, who was great
Unabridged audio (6:03)
2013
222 pgs.
Adult Romance
Finished 1/24/2021
Goodreads rating: 3.79 - 3215 ratings
My rating: 4, surprisingly enough...
Setting: contemporary LA and NYC

First line/s: "Mackenzie Wyatt looked up from her desk as two women went running by as fast as their fashionable heels could take them and sighed."

What I posted on Goodreads:  Definitely not a literary coup de grace, but entertaining and believable (in almost every way) and just the light-hearted read I needed in this time of chaos!  My rating is for the pure enjoyment factor.

My comments: I actually liked this book quite a bit.  It was completely entertaining and I loved the strong female protagonist.  It didn't drag on and on.  I'm not sure how much I would've cared for the rich guy if I'd read it instead of listened to it but Tess Irondale read him to perfection and as unbelievable as he was, I adored him.  There's no way a book like this would ever get rated a five be me, but I've got to rate it a four because for some reason it just tickled me.
     The cover is a bit disconcerting, because the hunky male protagonist is supposed to be quite BLONDE!

Goodreads synopsis:  Mackenzie Wyatt believes in two things: herself and her plan. And her plan is to keep her head down and to work hard until she can retire. Never mind that she doesn't know what she'll do once she retires– at least she won't be working for the man anymore. Because even though he's a gorgeous man, he's still her boss and he likes to push her buttons.
           Ethan Howell O'Connor's charmed life comes to a screeching halt after his latest ex-girlfriend starts a fashionable trend in talking to the tabloids. Now all of Ethan's old girlfriends are talking to the press, ruining his reputation, and wiping that charming smile right off his face. The only person that can brighten his black mood is the same person who can annoy him to kingdom come. He and Mackenzie have feuded since the day she was hired, but now Ethan's starting to realize: maybe those sparks were hiding a blazing fire.
          Mackenzie's about to find out that sometimes a gorgeous man can come up with a plan all his own, and it's a given that it'll mess hers up.

4. A Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths

#5 Ruth Galloway

listened on Audible
narrated by Clare Corbett
Unabridged audio (10:26)
2013
391 pgs.
Adult Mystery series
Finished 1/15/2021
Goodreads rating: 4.04 - 14,374 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting: contemporary Blackpool, England

First line/s: "At first he isn't even scared."

What I posted on Goodreads:  A swiftly-moving story in a truly interesting series.  This one takes place in the northeast coastal community of Blackpool and adds a liberal dose of Cathbad and Kate.
ly
My comments: In this episode, Ruth takes Kate and, accompanied by Cathbad, spend a couple of summer weeks in Blackpool looking for clues about the found-but-missing bones of what may possibly be King Arthur.  At the same time, Nelson and his wife are spending their summer holiday in the same place, the town where they both grew up.  This is the first tie that I remember getting into the mind of Cathbad, and he becomes a very integral part of thie story.  Starting with the murder of Kate's college friend, Dan, in his burning house, and meeting various members of the history department in the local college, the story is interesting and moves swiftly.

Goodreads synopsis:  Ruth’s old friend Dan Golding dies in a house fire. But before he died Dan wrote to Ruth telling her that he had made a ground-breaking archaeological discovery. Could this find be linked to his death and who are the sinister neo-Nazi group who were threatening Dan? Ruth makes the trip to Blackpool to investigate, wary of encroaching on DCI Harry Nelson’s home ground. Soon Ruth is embroiled in a mystery that involves the Pendle Witches, King Arthur and – scariest of all – Nelson’s mother.
          There are forces at work in the town that that threaten all that Ruth holds dear. But, in the final showdown on Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it is Cathbad who faces the greatest danger of all.

154. Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter

listened on Audible, free

narrated by Loretta Rawlins

Unabridged audio (4:00)
2013
152 pgs.
Contemporary Holiday Romance
Finished 12/17/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.95 - 2439 ratings
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Contemporary Wyoming/Montana (can't remember which)

First Line/s:  "Harley Diekerhoff looked up from peeling potatoes to glance out the kitchen window."

My comments: A Hallmark movie-type novella, more or less, except with a little bit of steam near the end.  Bittersweet for sure.  

Goodreads synopsis:  Since the loss of her family in a plane crash, Harley Diekerhoff has led a quiet life and keeps to herself. Taking the temporary job at the Copper Mountain Ranch as widower Brock Sheenan’s housekeeper seems perfect for her. But her calm cocoon is invaded with the arrival of Brock’s pre-teen twins, Mack and Molly who’ve never experienced a proper Christmas and before she knows it, Harley’s determined to make their holiday perfect.
           Annoyed at first by Harley’s interference, Brock is secretly pleased she’s changed Mack and Molly’s world. It doesn’t hurt that he finds Harley incredibly attractive, fierce, smart and passionate. It’s also an added bonus that she’s not afraid to challenge him and get his blood heated! But when sparks fly and the attractions sizzles between them, Harley’s not so sure she can handle something permanent with this dark, taciturn cowboy who doesn’t know how to let her in. But Brock is determined to hold on to her and praying for a Christmas miracle…

141. The Lost Husband by Katherine Center

Audio

2013

304 pgs.
Adult CRF
Finished 11/13/2020
Goodreads rating: 3.85
My rating: 3.9
Setting: contemporary Texas

My comments: Don't like the title of this, it was misleading.  There were so many things I enjoyed about this story and just a few things that I didn't.  The protagonist went from an almost-whiny, afraid of everything kind of woman to a much braver, smarter one a little bit too rapidly.  She went from immediately wanting to scrub her hands after meeting O'Connor to never mentioning the original grumpy feeling for him again.  The big secret that her aunt and mother had kept from her, including the history of the "haunted house" wasn't such a big secret if she had had any kind of sense at all.  The frustration of having your child bullied over and over again and the helpless feeling that goes along with it were very real and written quite well.  And...I'm still not sure about Sunshine, the tabloid bimbo who is now a goth weirdo, close friend, confidant and coworker....I think Ms. Center wanted to create as many quirky characters as she possibly could.  It WAS good reading.  Not quite a 4.

Goodreads synopsis:  "Dear Libby, It occurs to me that you and your two children have been living with your mother for -- Dear Lord! -- two whole years, and I'm writing to see if you'd like to be rescued." The letter comes out of the blue, and just in time for Libby Moran, who, after the sudden death of her husband, Danny, went to stay with her hypercritical mother. Now her crazy Aunt Jean has offered Libby an escape, a job and a place to live on her farm in the Texas Hill Country. Before she can talk herself out of it, Libby is packing the minivan, grabbing the kids, and hitting the road.

Life on Aunt Jean's goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet, deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny "on the other side," and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she's been looking for. And despite everything she's lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she's found. Libby hasn't just traded one kind of crazy for another; she may actually have found the place to bring her little family, and herself, back to life.

39. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

read on my iPhone - Amazon Prime
2013 Katherine Tegen
335 pgs.
YA CRF
Finished 2/29/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.76 - 49,498 ratings
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Contemporary America

First line/s:  "Sometimes I think that everyone has a tragedy waiting for them, that the people buying milk in their pajamas or picking their noses at

stoplights could be only moments away from disaster."

My comments:  Terrific tale.  I loved being able to totally get into his head, to feel his back-and-forth feelings about his new disability, his friendships old and new, his future, and his past, his relationships during his senior year, trying to find his place in the world.  And, SPOILER ALERT: It doesn't have the typical "feel good" YA ending, but the ending works just fine...it's probably a lot more real than most YA CRF/romances.  I'm going to definitely look into other books by this author.

Goodreads synopsis:  Robyn Schneider's The Beginning of Everything is a witty and heart-wrenching teen novel that will appeal to fans of books by John Green and Ned Vizzini, novels such as The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and classics like The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye.
          Varsity tennis captain Ezra Faulkner was supposed to be homecoming king, but that was before—before his girlfriend cheated on him, before a car accident shattered his leg, and before he fell in love with unpredictable new girl Cassidy Thorpe.
          As Kirkus Reviews said in a starred review, "Schneider takes familiar stereotypes and infuses them with plenty of depth. Here are teens who could easily trade barbs and double entendres with the characters that fill John Green's novels."
          Funny, smart, and including everything from flash mobs to blanket forts to a poodle who just might be the reincarnation of Jay Gatsby, The Beginning of Everything is a refreshing contemporary twist on the classic coming-of-age novel—a heart-wrenching story about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

124. Enders by Lissa Price

#2 Starters duet
Listened to audio book on my Audible
narrated by Rebecca Lowman
Unabridged audio (7:58)
2013 Delacorte
288 pgs.
YA Dystopia
Finished 12/13/2019
Goodreads rating: 3.72 - 10,988 ratings
My rating:  3.5
Setting: Southern California in the future

First line/s:  "My hand went to the back of my head and I swore I could feel the chip underneath my skin."

My comments:  I'm so glad I was immediately able to get a copy of this book to listen to, directly after reading the first of the two-art series.  I had no questions about what had happened, forgot nothing about what I'd just read.  So reading the two books flowed seamlessly.  The second part of the story wasn't as good as the first, and the ending was very disappointing for some reason.  but the ideaof slipping minds into bodies and minds overlapping minds in the same body ws thought-provoking,scary, and maddening all at the same time.  a Very good dystopian fantasy science-fiction when the two books are combined.

Goodreads synopsis:  Someone is after Starters like Callie and Michael—teens with chips in their brains. They want to experiment on anyone left over from Prime Destinations—Starters who can be controlled and manipulated. With the body bank destroyed, Callie no longer has to rent herself out to creepy Enders. But Enders can still get inside her mind and make her do things she doesn't want to do. Like hurt someone she loves. Having the chip removed could save her life—but it could also silence the voice in her head that might belong to her father. Callie has flashes of her ex-renter Helena's memories, too . . . and the Old Man is back, filling her with fear. Who is real and who is masquerading in a teen body?
          No one is ever who they appear to be, not even the Old Man. Determined to find out who he really is and grasping at the hope of a normal life for herself and her younger brother, Callie is ready to fight for the truth. Even if it kills her. 

97. Take Me by Bella Andre

Listened to audio via CHIRP
narrated  by Grace Grant and Ian MacLaren
Unabridged audio (7:56)
2013 Simon & Schuster
288 pgs.
Adult "Romance"
Finished 10/7/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.92 - 5028 ratings
My rating:  1.5
Setting:  Contemporary San Francisco

First line/s: "Me?  A model?  You've got to be kidding."

My comments:  80% sex, 10% Italy, 10% ridiculous self-loathing because you're a size 16 and don't think you're pretty.  absolutely ridiculous, see my eye-rolling.  Why do I waste my time?  LOL, I will again!

Goodreads synopsis:  A plus-sized woman finally gets the man of her dreams in this sexy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Bella Andre.
          An appetite for sensual pleasures must never be denied...
          Lily Ellis has curves -- soft, beautiful curves. The kind of voluptuous body she fears Travis Carson, the man she's always loved from afar, would never crave. But Lily is about to be proven wrong. Her adventure begins when the demure San Francisco interior decorator agrees to model a plus-size dress for her fashion designer sister. Watching this sensual beauty move down the runway, Travis can't believe it's the same Lily he's always known -- and always rejected. In a whirlwind of electric attraction, Lily is soon moaning Travis's name in his bed, not just in her wild fantasies. But Lily is all too aware that she's nothing like his past lovers.
          Determined to beat Travis at his own game by guarding her true feelings, Lily partners with him on a business deal that takes them all the way to Italy. In the seductive warmth of the Tuscan sun, Lily plays a game of desire with the hot-blooded Travis. Will she be burned by an all-consuming ecstasy or will Travis open his heart to the sexy, exciting, and lasting love she has to offer?

Picture Book Biography - Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock

Illustrated by John O'Brien

2013, Calkins Creek, An Imprint of Highlights, Honesdale, PA

HC $16.95

32 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.23 - 738 ratings

My rating:  4.5
Endpapers:  Solid Rust

1^st line/s:  "Thomas learned to read.  And then, he never stopped.  He sat and he read.  He walked and he read.  Any lying in bed, instead of sleeping, her read."

My comments: The only reason I rated down .5 was because the wonderfully interesting facts and quotes, written in little books placed on different parts of the page, were written in such teeny, tiny font that you almost didn't read them.  They were great, and read well along with the text of the story.  The Author's Note at the end DID address Thomas Jefferson as a slaveholder, which was another positive.  A truly fascinating look at history, and the life and obsession of a favorite politician and historical figure.

Goodreads:  As soon as Thomas Jefferson learned to read, he found his passion: books, books, and more books! Before, during, and after the American Revolution, Jefferson collected thousands of books on hundreds of subjects. In fact, his massive collection eventually helped rebuild the Library of Congress—now the largest library in the world. Barb Rosenstock’s rhythmic words and John O’Brien’s whimsical illustrations capture Jefferson’s passion for the written word as well as little-known details about book collecting. Author and artist worked closely with experts to create the first picture book on Jefferson’s love of reading, writing, and books. An author’s note, bibliography, and source notes for quotations are also included.

Picture Book Biography - A Stroll with Mr. Gaudi by Pau Estrada

Illustrated by the author

2013, Editorial Juventud

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.40 - 25 ratings

My rating:  5
Endpapers:  Solid corally-red

1^st line/s:  "Mr. Gaudi leaves home early for work, as he does every morning."

My comments: What's not to like about this beautifully illustrated biography of Antoni Gaudi?  This one tells of one life of "Mr. Gaudi" as an elderly gentleman, touring the city of Barcelona and checking up on his current building projects.  We learn so much about his personality ... his daydreaminess, his eccentric building ideas, his "different" way of planning, his dreams of the future.  We also learn that the people of the time did NOT like his architecture!  The story is interesting and gives us a real feel for the man.  The illustrations are amazing, not only are the grand buidling uniquely drawn, but the whimsical illustrations of the people are a lot of fun to peruse.  A keeper!  The three pages of "afterward" are full of facts and interesting to read as well.

Goodreads:  There is no summary on Goodreads!

PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHY - Papa is a Poet: A Story About Robert Frost by Natalie S. Bober

Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

2013 Henry Holt & Company

OP/ only available in Kindle

40 pgs.

Goodreads rating:  4.21 - 313 ratings

My rating:  4
Endpapers:  deep solid orange

My comments:  Text rich biography of Frost, perfect for middle elementary grades, especially as a read aloud to include with the study of some of Frost's poetry. The story, told by Frost's daughter as a child, give some wonderful insight into Robert Frost as a boy and father, not just as the older poet we see in photos.  The story is followed by two pages of Author's Notes, which give a little more information, as well as eleven of Frost's poems in their entirety:  The Road Not Taken, The Las Word of a Bluebird, Flower Gathering, The Pasture, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening, A Hillside Thaw, Dust of Snow, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Birches, October, The Runaway, and Mending Wall.

Goodreads:  When Robert Frost was a child, his family thought he would grow up to be a baseball player. Instead, he became a poet. His life on a farm in New Hampshire inspired him to write “poetry that talked,” and today he is famous for his vivid descriptions of the rural life he loved so much. There was a time, though, when Frost had to struggle to get his poetry published. Told from the point of view of Lesley, Robert Frost’s oldest daughter, this is the story of how a lover of language found his voice.

53. Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren

listened on Audible
read by Grace Grant and Jonathan R. Cole
Unabridged audio (8:06)
2013 Gallery Books
352 pgs.
Adult Romance
Finished 6/10/2019
Goodreads rating: 4.22 - 65,882 ratings
My rating:  2.75 (3)
Setting: Contemporary NYC

First line/s: "When my old life died it didn't go quietly.  It detonated."

My comments:  Certainly entertaining....one of those contemporary romances with lots of steamy parts, but the author includes a little more storyline that makes it more interesting than just reading smut.  An interesting diversion that I seem to have tripped over a bit in the last few months....

Goodreads synopsis:  Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.
          The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom.
          Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.

45. Spider Woman's Daugter by Anne Hillerman

Leaphorn &Chee #19
listened on Audible
read by Christina Delaine
Unabridged audio (9:53)
2013 Harper
301 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery
Finished 5/15/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.97 - 9354 ratings
My rating:  3.5
Setting: Contemporary Navajo reservation, New Mexico

First line/s:   " 'I get this call out of the blue.  A woman.  First, she reminds me that I saved her life.  Then she says she wants me to do her a favor...' "

My comments:  It took me a long while to get through this one. I listened to it. The narrator spoke with a strong Navajo accent for both Chee and Bernadette.  The pronunciation was slow and drawn out, and it wasn’t at all the voices or accents I’ve had in my head for them. It was too slow — slowed down the action, slowed down their thinking, slowed down the story. I didn’t like it. There were three or four places that 2+2 equaled 15, but it gave them clues in the right direction. Huh? A bit disconcerting. Not the same kind of writing, which is to be expected, but I’ll get used to it and continue on with the series.

Goodreads synopsis:  Legendary tribal sleuths Leaphorn and Chee are back! The supremely talented daughter of New York Times bestselling mystery author Tony Hillerman continues the popular series with this fresh new Navajo Country mystery-her debut novel-filled with captivating lore, startling suspense, bold new characters, vivid color, and rich atmosphere
          It happened in an instant: After a breakfast with colleagues, Navajo Nation Police Officer Bernadette Manualito saw a truck squeal into the parking lot and heard a crack of gunfire. When the dust cleared, someone very close to her was lying on the asphalt in a pool of blood.
          With the victim in the hospital fighting for his life, every officer in the squad and the local FBI office are hellbent to catch the gunman. Bernie, too, wants in on the investigation, despite regulations strictly forbidding eyewitness involvement. Her superior may have ordered her to take some leave, but that doesn't mean she's going to sit idly by, especially when her husband, Sergeant Jim Chee, is put in charge of finding the shooter.
          Pooling their skills, Bernie and Chee discover that a cold case involving his former boss and partner, retired Inspector Joe Leaphorn, may hold the key to the shooting. Digging into the old investigation with fresh eyes and a new urgency, husband and wife find themselves inching closer to the truth with every clue . . . and closer to a killer who will do anything to prevent justice from taking its course.

33. Someone Else's Love Story by Joshilyn Jackson

listened on Audible
read by the author in her wonderful, lilting southern style
Unabridged audio (12:03)
2013 William Morrow
320 pgs.
CRF
Finished 3/28/2019
Goodreads rating:  3.66 - 12,164 ratings
My rating: 4
Setting:  Contemporary Atlanta

First line/s:  "I fell in love with William Ashe at gunpoint, in a Circle K."

My comments:  I could listen to Joshilyn Jackson read forever.  The story seemed particularly long and drawn out, but I didn't care because of that.  It's an intricate story that winds in and out and around itself, with its own little histories and pleasures and treasures peeking out every so often.  Many love stories are touched upon in this novel - right down, in a way, to the robber's as well.  told from two points of view, one even allows us a chance to climb inside the brain of someone with Asbergers.  Jackson has written tighter novels, but this is good nonetheless.

Goodreads synopsis:  At twenty-one, Shandi Pierce is juggling finishing college, raising her delightful three-year-old genius son Natty, and keeping the peace between her eternally warring, long-divorced Catholic mother and Jewish father. She’s got enough complications without getting caught in the middle of a stick-up in a gas station mini-mart and falling in love with a great wall of a man named William Ashe, who willingly steps between the armed robber and her son.
          Shandi doesn’t know that her blond god Thor has his own complications. When he looked down the barrel of that gun he believed it was destiny: It’s been one year to the day since a tragic act of physics shattered his universe. But William doesn’t define destiny the way other people do. A brilliant geneticist who believes in science and numbers, destiny to him is about choice.
           Now, he and Shandi are about to meet their so-called destinies head on, in a funny, charming, and poignant novel about science and miracles, secrets and truths, faith and forgiveness,; about a virgin birth, a sacrifice, and a resurrection; about falling in love, and learning that things aren’t always what they seem—or what we hope they will be. It’s a novel about discovering what we want and ultimately finding what we need. 

59. Massacre Pond by Paul Doiron

listened to on Audible
2013, Minotaur Books
320 pgs.
Adult Murder Mystery/Police Procedural
Finished 7/3/2018
Goodreads rating:  4.05 - 1966 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting:  Contemporary Downeast, Washington County, Maine

First line/s:  "The first time I laid eyes on Billy Cronk, I thought he was the biggest badass in the Maine woods:  Six-five, braided blonde hair, a tangled mess of a beard."

My comments:  This was an excellent foray into Washington Country, Maine, WAY "Downeast."  Mike Bowditch is such a likable, smart guy, and the voice of the Henry Leyva was great and would have been wonderful if he'd pronounced Maine state Indian tribes and town names correctly.  This was very off-putting, and lessened authenticity each time it happened.  The story was interesting and I learned quite a bit about what game wardens do.  This is a super series set in my favorite state, and I can't wait to read #5!

Goodreads synopsis: On an unseasonably hot October morning, Bowditch is called to the scene of a bizarre crime: the corpses of seven moose have been found senselessly butchered on the estate of Elizabeth Morse, a wealthy animal rights activist who is buying up huge parcels of timber land to create a new national park.
          What at first seems like mindless slaughter—retribution by locals for the job losses Morse's plan is already causing in the region—becomes far more sinister when a shocking murder is discovered and Mike's investigation becomes a hunt to find a ruthless killer. In order to solve the controversial case, Bowditch risks losing everything he holds dear: his best friends, his career as a law enforcement officer, and the love of his life.
          The beauty and magnificence of the Maine woods is the setting for a story of suspense and violence when one powerful woman’s missionary zeal comes face to face with ruthless cruelty.

21. Outcast by Adrienne Kress

read on my iPhone
2013 Diversion Books
322 pgs.
YA Contemporary Dystopia
Finished 3/2/18
Goodreads rating:  3.61 - 2012 ratings
My rating:  4
Setting: Contemporary Louisiana

First line/s:   "They com out of the sky and take you.  Everyone knows that."

My comments:  I like fantasy, but I've never much been into fantasy about angels and all their relations...and I didn't realize how deeply it would go into all of that until the last quarter or so of the book. But I enjoyed the rest of the book, and even shed a tear at the end, which I don't usually do. Another reviewer mentioned they thought the book moved slowly, but it didn't at all for me. I really enjoyed the protagonist/heroine, too. Recommended.

Goodreads synopsis: After six years of “angels” coming out of the sky and taking people from her town, 16-year-old Riley Carver has just about had it living with the constant fear. When one decides to terrorize her in her own backyard, it’s the final straw. She takes her mother’s shotgun and shoots the thing. So it’s dead. Or … not? In place of the creature she shot, is a guy. A really hot guy. A really hot alive and breathing guy. Oh, and he’s totally naked.
          Not sure what to do, she drags his unconscious body to the tool shed and ties him up. After all, he’s an angel and they have tricks. When he regains consciousness she’s all set to interrogate him about why the angels come to her town, and how to get back her best friend (and almost boyfriend) Chris, who was taken the year before. But it turns out the naked guy in her shed is just as confused about everything as she is. 
          He thinks it’s 1956.
          Set in the deep south, OUTCAST is a story of love, trust, and coming of age. It’s also a story about the supernatural, a girl with a strange sense of humor who’s got wicked aim, a greaser from the 50’s, and an army of misfits coming together for one purpose: To kick some serious angel ass.