What I've Been Reading - February 2019

Bound by Love by Toni V. Sweeney

I loved this story! I don’t usually read contemporary romance, but I enjoy Ms. Sweeney’s writing, and when I read the description of this one, I couldn’t resist. 

There’s romance, an old unsolved mystery, great chemistry and genuine love between the hero and heroine, and a paranormal aspect which gradually becomes evident… It's all very well done, and to top it off, there's a realistic Georgia setting re everything from weeds to food to construction and renovation. 

There were even Cherokee roses in the garden! Oh, and some heart-stopping suspense near the end. Highly recommended.

 Lord of Misrule by Gale Eastwood

 

Yes, it’s a bit late for a Christmas story, but I might forget to recommend this one if I wait until later in the year. This is a full-length Christmas romance, and it’s one of the best holiday stories I have ever read. 

There's lots and lots of detail relating to historical Christmas customs, particularly the one where a Lord of Misrule presides over the festivities. Just look at the cover – what a perfect maker-of-mischief our hero is! Not only that, he’s courageous and caring, and the heroine is hard-working and adorable. 

This heartwarming story will bring holiday cheer to any season of the year.

In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen

This is an excellent World War II mystery, with quite a bit of romance as well. There are spies, traitors, and code-breakers, along with lots of historical detail and some gripping suspense. 

As usual, Ms. Bowen delivers an excellent read. I am looking forward to reading her recent novel of World War I, The Victory Garden.

I'm having a hard time remembering what I've reviewed and where. I could have sworn I'd written something here about To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, but I can't find it... Maybe I commented about it on Jennifer Crusie's blog, Argh Ink. Every Thursday, the subject of discussion is books we've read. It's a fab place to go to find great reads.

So anyway, this is a sort of sequel to Doomsday Book, which I did review here. It took me a while to get into this sequel -- it's quite a different sort of story -- but once in, I was firmly hooked and in love with the two main characters, as well as some of the secondary ones. It's funny, full of literary allusions (most of which I didn't recognize, but I think they'd be easy to follow up), and in the end a long, satisfying read.

Barbara

What I've Been #Reading

A month or two ago, I mentioned reading The Dark Before Dawn by Jaima Fixsen. Since I loved it so much, I decided to try another of hers -- Fairchild, which is the first in the Fairchild Regency Romance series. As romances go, it was very, very good. I don't read much romance -- I think writing it has got me somewhat jaded -- but this was well worth the read. Great characters and plot, some social commentary (which almost always works for me), and two sequels. I bought the next one, Incognita, for when I'm in the mood for more romance. 

Next up is The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill. This mystery was recommended by a couple of people, including a friend who gave me her spare copy. (Thank you, Linda!) Ordinarily, I wouldn't read a book about 1970s Laos under a Communist regime, but it was fabulous. The main character, Dr. Siri Paiboun, is a hoot, and there were two mysteries in one story, always a plus. Oh, and a paranormal element, too! Definitely worth a read, and there are many books in the series, oh joy. ​ Sorry, no cover -- I couldn't get it to save from Amazon, and I'm not at home to take a photo of my paperback.

 

Lastly, an oldie but very, very goodie -- Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. This is a brilliant time travel story that goes back and forth between the future -- 2050s -- and the 14th Century. This was my third time reading it, and I appreciate more and more about it with each read. Some things about the future don't work well anymore because of technological changes since the book was first published, but the story still works fine. In some ways it's a harrowing read, but the theme (not that I go for themes anymore, since it's long, long ago since I was in college) is probably something about the resilience of the human spirit. It's about love, fear, sorrow, loss, caring, faith, and so on. Wonderful, wonderful book.

That's it for now. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Barbara