The Nightingale Detective Agency: A 1920s cozy mystery with secrets worth killing for by Denise Devine

 

The Nightingale Detective Agency: A 1920s cozy mystery with secrets worth killing for... by Denise Devine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in a new series by a fairly new-to-me author! I've read one other book of hers but I'm excited about this new series.

This cozy read is set in the 1920's Prohibition era, Charlotte Van Elsberg is determined that she is going to be the first female private investigator. She gets the opportunity when a young debutante is found dead. This story is full of mystery, grit, suspense, and a good bit of tension too.

This was a fun afternoon read!

View all my reviews

The Fortress of Us by Diane Hester

 

The Fortress of Us by Diane Hester
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There was no hope in putting this book down for a break once I got started. It grabs you, sits you on the edge of your seat, and holds you there until you reach the end.

Kelsey is a neurodivergent who witnesses her mother's death. She then witnesses another death and ends up on the run. She's on a mission to save her friend while trying to deal with her grief and all the things that come with it. Did I mention she's only 8 years old??

There are so many twists and turns, unexpected and ones you can see coming. All the stages of grief were experienced while reading this and I'm still not quite over it. Just be sure to clear your day to finish this one because you won't be able to put it down.

View all my reviews

Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape by Mark C. Fava

 

Andy the Admiral and the USS Shipshape by Mark C. Fava
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Andy the Admiral takes his reader on a tour of the Navy ship that he is on. He speaks of the ways that a seaman should act, with manners, cleanliness, and more. He does so in a rhyming manner to make it more memorable for the younger reader or listener.

This would be a great book for a family with a new seaman who may be in training. It can give them a brief glimpse into the life of the Navy and might even inspire them to go into the Navy one day as well.

View all my reviews

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Paula Peckham

 

Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by Paula Peckham
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Derek Norton is the lead singer for the rock band The Assassians. They've had a good 20+ year run but if they want to keep going, some things are going to need to change. Derek is told that a journalist will be joining them on this tour to help boost their social media presence and hopefully bring new life to their fan base. After the last journalistic fiasco, this is the last thing that Derek wants to do.

Andi Thompson is a recent divorcee and a newly empty nester. Wow, what a time in her life! Andi has been a journalist for years but her work has been underpaid and underappreciated. She gets an opportunity to tour with one of her favorite bands, The Assassians, and write a piece on them to help boost their audience and bring some new life to their music. However, with Andi, it's bombshell after bombshell in her life and she questions whether she should really do this or not. Trusting her gut on this one, she decides to jump in with both feet, not having any idea how she will be met.

Let's just say that the the initial meeting of Andi and the band was a bit frigid. It takes awhile to thaw out old thoughts and feelings, especially when you feel that this is so unnecessary. Time will prove some things actually are much different though. Will The Assassians be able to hang on to their current record deal and continue to build a fan base? Will Andi get the promotion she's been searching for?

I really enjoyed this story. It was billed to me as an inspirational romance, to which I agree that it is. However, there were some lines that got a little blurry for me in terms of the spiciness of this book. I would not hand this to a younger reader due to the nature of some of the content. As far as inspirational, yes it definitely has a focus on religious thoughts and quotes Bible verses. It is also a clean read in terms of their not being any inappropriate language (save the spiciness and being a little more graphic than most books of this genre tend to be). I don't believe I've read anything by this author before but I will be going back and checking out some of her other titles.

View all my reviews

The Celestial Shot (A True North Murder Mystery #3) by A.J. Ullman

 

The Celestial Shot by A. J. Ullman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A.J. Ullman does it again with another great true-crime style book. The setting is in Ohio in the 1970's and there is a murder at a diner where our favorite detectives are trying to enjoy a celebratory meal. So much for that! It's another fabulous who-dun-it story with action, adventure, and so much more!

Be sure to check out the other books in the series too! While each can be read as a standalone, you'd be cheating yourself to just read this one!

View all my reviews

Miz Country Goddess: A Cozy-Spicy, Second-Chance Country Music Romance by Cat Treadgold

 

Miz Country Goddess: A Cozy-Spicy, Second-Chance Country Music Romance by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A country music romance for a county music lover for myself was just what I needed. I was looking for an escape for a bit and walking down this road with Henry and Rina was perfect. Also, I'm a lover of second chances!

This book is a bit on the spicy side at times, just like a good country song sometimes happens to be. The ups and downs of the industry are hard on relationships and that's brought out in this story too.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I didn't really have to think too much about other than to just listen to the music the pages were providing.

View all my reviews

The Adventures of Curtis the Long-Necked Turtle: An Austrailian Wildlife Adventure About Bravery, Friendship, and Standing Up to Bullies by Sturt McEwan

 

The Adventures of Curtis the Long-Necked Turtle: An Australian Wildlife Adventure About Bravery, Friendship, and Standing Up to Bullies by Sturt McEwan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Curtis is setting out to explore the Austrailian Bush. He has so much to learn along the way and meets up with and makes some new friends who help him. He runs across some not so nice bullies along the way too but it's a learning lesson for him as well.

This is a great book to encourage kids to be brave, stand up for themselves, and to be kind to others.

The illustrations in this book are amazing as well!! The cover alone is eye-catching and gorgeous and just wait until you see the rest of the book!


View all my reviews