Review: Lemon Tart by Josi Kilpack

From the back cover: "Award winning author Josie S. Kilpack introduces a new series of culinary "cozies" that is sure to tantalize mystery lovers. In this debut volume, cooking aficionado-turned-amateur detective, Sadie Hoffmiller, tries to solve the murder of Anne Lemmon, her beautiful young neighbor-a single mother who was mysteriously killed while a lemon tart was baking in her oven. At the heart of Sadie's search is Anne's missing two-year old son, Trevor. Whoever took the child must be the murderer, but Sadie is certain that the police are looking at all the wrong suspects-including her!

Armed with a handful of her very best culinary masterpieces, Sadie is determined to bake her way to proving her innocence, rescuing Trevor, and finding out exactly who had a motive for murder.

My Thoughts: While busily making jam, 56 year old Sadie Hoffmiller looks out her window to see police cars careening around the corner and entering her cul-de-sac. Being the overly inquisitive( read busybody) person that she is, Sadie steps outside to see what all the ruckus is about. Police have converged on her neighbor Anne's porch and look ready to break down the door. Sadie approaches and tells the police she has the key. The police try to prevent Sadie from entering the house but Detective Cunningham asks her to look and see if anything seems out of place much to the dismay of Detective Madsen.

While the police search outside, Sadie notices that numerous things are definitely wrong; the house is too tidy, Anne and her son Trevor are nowhere in sight and a lemon tart is in the oven. Sadie tells the police that Anne would never leave the oven on and disappear like that. When the police find Anne's body in the back yard, Sadie's imagination goes into overdrive and she begins to do what she does best- Snoop! Her most pressing concern is the whereabouts of Trevor and the motive of the murderer.

Despite repeated warnings from Detective Madsen, Sadie learns some disturbing info from her fiance, Ron. Not only does Sadie have to worry about a murderer on the loose but now she has to contend with a philandering fiance. Why was he at Anne's house the night before anyway?

Detective Madsen keeps trying to put the blame on Sadie and insists she is hampering police investigations but detective Cunningham thinks Sadie is innocent and can help find the person responsible. Sadie makes a shocking discovery about Anne that makes her more determined than ever to find out the truth. When investigations lead too close to home for comfort, Sadie really ramps up her sleuthing game and finds herself in a hairy situation.Will she be able to get out of this latest escapade and prove once and for all who really did murder Anne and why?

Kilpack sets up a very well paced mystery with some likeable and some not so likeable characters who kept me mentally on the run. The denoument was so exciting with more than one twist that I couldn't read fast enough to find out all the why's and wherefores. I had previously read the third book in this series, Devil's Food Cake, and enjoyed it a lot. This first one is also very good and can be read as a stand alone book. For fans of culinary cozies, this one will not only whet your appetite for the mystery but for the tasty recipes included. For more info on the author and her books you can visit her website or her blog.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by the author through Pump Up Your Book Promotions.

Show Me 5 Saturday:Amazing Gracie by Sherryl Woods

This meme started by Alipet813 at That's a Novel Idea will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week. It will work like this: Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions.

1. Title of book you read: Amazing Gracie by Sherryl Woods
2. Words to describe the book: Contemporary Romance
3. Location or characters you met:

• Gracie MacDougal, manager for Worldwide hotels currently working at a hotel in France. After having a difference of opinion with her new boss, Max, Gracie quits and returns to the states. Not having any permanent home or family ties, she rents a house in Seagull, VA. She likes being near the water and the house she rents is right on the river. When Gracie spots a neglected vacant old Victorian house that would make a perfect B&B, she tries to find the owner to make an offer on the property. What she finds is a charmer who won't give her a straight answer but manages to turns Gracie's world upside down.
• Kevin Daniels: A lawyer by trade but when Gracie meets him, he always seems to be lounging in his hammock. Kevin is in charge of his family's trust fund and a slew of ne'er do well cousins who are constantly depending on Kevin to solve all their life's mistakes and problems. Kevin makes it his mission to give Gracie the run-around while all the time he is falling for her in a big way but his family needs all his attention or so he has led himself to believe.
• Aunt Delia: at 87 years of age, she now lives with her nephew Kevin and lets him make all her business decisions including what to do with her old house. Aunt Delia, sweet and delightful she may be, but she has some secrets from her youth that she is loathe to share with anyone as everyone perceives her as the family's innocent spinster.

4. Things you liked/disliked about the book:

• I liked the sweet romance(s) that developed throughout the story.
• I loved the characters as they made mistakes, tried to rectify them and learned to follow their instincts and realize their dreams.
• I liked the way the author wove some more serious issues into the story including widowhood, adultery, divorce and family secrets.
• I loved the minor subplots with some of Kevin's cousins. They really added to the believability of the story.

5. Stars or less for your rating: 4**** After reading a more serious book, this was an enchanting little romance. A quick easy read perfect for a lazy day!

Guest post and giveaway by Wendy Holden: author of Beautiful People

Today it is truly a pleasure to welcome Wendy Holden, author of Beautiful People. Wendy has written an insightful piece about humor. Sit back, relax and enjoy what she has to say and then we'll get to the giveaway.


Humour is so personal. As a comic writer I write about what makes me laugh. Otherwise, you’re second guessing what might amuse people in an awful, after-dinner-speech kind of way, which would be depressing. (Although I can see a comic scene even in that; an after-dinner speech going horribly – and hilariously – wrong). But it’s probably true to say that I can spot the potential humour in something faster than someone who doesn’t write romantic-comic novels for a living. You develop an eye and you recognise how the unlikeliest situations can yield some amazingly funny material. I was at a very dull meeting at my children’s school the other day for instance; someone said something about pushy mothers and suddenly an entire novel scenario leapt into my head, which I’ve just started working on.

Celebrity lives are positive volcanoes of brilliant comic material; I can never understand why people take them so seriously, let alone aspire to be like them. They’re a gift for people like me; you simply can’t make them up – from Brad Pitt’s horrible new beard to those women who think the world will take them more seriously if they wear ethical diamonds to the Oscars. So Beautiful People was a joy to write, enabling me to give full rein to a fabulous mixture of hilarious celebrity craziness, from stars with ‘thinstructors’ to get them in shape for awards ceremonies to vertically-challenged studio heads who make their taller executives sit on kids’ furniture.

I’ve heard novelists say that Hollywood is beyond parody but I don’t think that is true. Nothing is beyond parody in my view. Not even contemporary art, although I admit it stretches the boundaries more than most. I’ve just finished a book called Gallery Girl which is a comedy set in the mad world of modern art. Inventing the various ridiculous works for the ‘edgy’ galleries – hairy pebbles, wheelchairs sprayed gold, heads made of frozen pee and so on – was a joy. It made me snort while I was writing it so I hope it will have the same effect on readers.

I am lucky though; I had a great comic apprenticeship as a writer; I was working as a newspaper journalist and had the weekly task of making the incoherent ramblings of a well-known British socialite into a magazine column. At first I was pretty annoyed about it – having to do the work for this woman who spent her life flouncing from party to party. But then I realised what a terrific opportunity this was to flex my comic muscles. I would pick out all the silliest anecdotes (like the time her boyfriend landed his helicopter in her parents’ orchard and blew all the petals off her mother’s borders) and make as much of them as possible; the sackfuls of mail the column attracted soon showed I was making a lot of people laugh with it. And Tara, the socialite, soon got into the groove as well and was very co-operative. The experience formed the material for my first novel, Simply Divine, after which I’ve never looked back.

I think comedy is something British women do especially well for some reason – my favourite authors include Nancy Mitford, Richmal Crompton, Sue Townsend and Posy Simmonds (look them up if you don’t know them). They are all comic geniuses; they notice everything. But there are some great American female comic writers too, one of the funniest books I have ever read is The Serial by Cyra MacFadden; it’s a send-up of the Sixties California lifestyle and made me laugh so much when I read it I cried – which was embarrassing as I was in a train at the time.

****Who are some of your favorite comedy writers? Tell me in the comments! ****


BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE by WENDY HOLDEN—IN STORES APRIL 2010!
A witty, utterly addictive novel from bestselling author Wendy Holden, Beautiful People is a tale wicked in its observations yet buoyant at its heart: an irresistible confection you’ll want to devour immediately.

Darcy—a struggling English rose actress when The Call comes from L.A. An Oscar-tastic director. A movie to make her famous. The hunkiest costar in Hollywood. So why doesn’t she want to go?

Belle—a size-zero film star but she’s in big, fat trouble. Hotter than the earth’s core a year ago, she’s now Tinseltown toast after her last film bombed. Can she get back to the big time?

Emma—a down-to-earth, down-on-her-luck nanny trying to weather London’s cutthroat childcare scene and celebrity mom whirlwinds. What will it take for her to get back in control of her own life?

Jet to London, Hollywood, and Italy; toss in a passionate star chef, a kindhearted paparazzo, and a reluctant male supermodel; and find Wendy Holden at her best—a smash international hit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Wendy Holden (U.K.) was a journalist on The Sunday Times, Tatler and The Mail on Sunday before becoming a full time author. She has now published nine novels, all top 10 bestsellers in the UK, and is married with two young children. Her novels include Farm Fatale (in US Stores from Sourcebooks Landmark in July 2010), Bad Heir Day (also coming to US stores from Sourcebooks Landmark in September 2010), Simply Divine, Gossip Hound, the Wives of Bath, The School for Husbands, Azur Like it, and Filthy Rich. For more information, please visit http://wendyholden.net/.

Sourcebooks is giving away two copies of Wendy's book, Beautiful People. This is one you don't want to miss! Not sure what it's all about?

See my review!

Contest details are as follows:

Answer Wendy's question for your official entry

Must have e mail contact in entry

US & Canada only

+3 Bonus entries can be earned by blogging about and linking back to contest. Sidebar posts are fine.

Deadline is May 1st at 5 PM EST. This is a quickie so be sure to enter asap! Good luck!

Review: The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

The Founding by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Product ISBN: 9781402238154 Sourcebooks

Publication Date: April 2010

Originally published by Sphere 1980

From the publisher:

The first book in the epic bestselling Morland Dynasty series which spans from the Wars of the Roses to Queen Victoria's long reign, where war and famine, peace and plenty, love and loyalty, greed and envy spread the lines of the family throughout the country—into the courts of kings and the salons of the Regency, onto the battlefields of Culloden and the Crimea and beyond.

In The Founding, seeking power and prestige, grim, ambitious Yorkshireman Edward Morland arranges a marriage between his meek son Robert and spirited Eleanor, young ward of the influential Beaufort family. Eleanor is not only appalled at being forced to marry a mere "sheep farmer," but is secretly in love with Richard, Duke of York. Yet, in time, this apparently ill-matched union becomes both passionate and tender, the foundation of the Morland Dynasty, and sustains them through bloody civil war which so often divides families, sets neighbor against neighbor, and brings tragedy close to home.

My thoughts :

Despite being well connected and brought up as a gentlewoman, the orphaned 18 year old Eleanor Courtney had no dowry or expectations. When her guardian, Lord Edmund Beaufort, arranged a marriage for her, Eleanor was not too pleased especially since she harbored a secret passion for Richard Plantagenet, the Duke of York. Beaufort arranged a marriage with Robert Morland, meek and mild son of a sheep farmer. Other than the fact that Robert had been brought up as a gentleman, his father was a stubborn and coarse man. Morland had plenty of money but what he lacked was connection to class. The titled Beaufort had plenty of connections but he needed cash to carry on in the War of the Roses. Ah, a match made in heaven!

I was sucked in immediately to see how the two conflicting personalities of Eleanor and Robert would mesh. When the two were wed and began their life together, tensions ran high as Eleanor was not afraid to defy her father-in-law and make demands; something her husband Robert would never dare to do himself but he admired Eleanor for having the backbone to do so. Robert was very much in love with Eleanor right from the start but it took many years and the birth of many children before Eleanor began to feel any real love for Robert. Business wise, the two were well matched; in other words, Eleanor came up with wise and profitable business decisions and convinced Robert to go along with them. If it weren't for Eleanor, Robert would have been stuck in neutral as far as the sheepfarming business went.

Along with running a successful farm and building a large family dynasty to carry on, the Morlands were always very involved in political goings-on. They were staunch Yorkists and contributed to the cause with both money and men, sometimes to their detriment. I'm not that well up on British history but I liked the way this plot thread was woven into the story. It wasn't just a boring recitation of facts. I thought the characters really came to life although a few battle scenes were enough for me. I was more interested in the family saga side of the book.

Over the course of the book's 52 year time span, Eleanor lived to see the death of many loved ones, wars, prosperity, peace, unrest and backstabbing change in rulers on the throne. Through it all, she was always in charge and presented a stalwart, hard-working front and sometimes with a most dictatorial and stubborn nature. There were times I cheered Eleanor on and at times I was very disappointed in her "my word is law, live with it" decisions; particularly in the case of her daughter Isabelle.

Even though there were many characters, Harrod-Eagles gave them varied personalities that worked well throughout the story. I just wish there weren't so many characters with the same names. Sometimes it was hard to keep them all straight. The majority of them were well fleshed out and I was invested in the book enough to want to see what happened to them all. It was interesting to see through descriptions that took me back centuries to the mid 1400's and gave me a birds eye view of how people lived, worked and thought back then - makes me glad I didn't. Overall, I did enjoy this beautifully written fictionalized account of the Morland family. Would I read the other 33 books in the series? Probably not but I certainly would be inclined to read the next one. 4****

About the author: (from the back cover) Cynthia Harrod-Eagles was born in Shepherd's Bush in London. The birth of the Morland Dynasty series enabled her to become a full-time writer in 1979. The series was originally intended to comprise twelve volumes, but it has proved so popular that it has now been extended to thirty-four. Harrod-Eagles still lives in London and has a husband and three children, and apart from writing her passions are music, horses, wine, architecture, and the English countryside.

Note: Harrod-Eagles is also the author of the Bill Slider police proceduals, a contemporary series I have greatly enjoyed.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc. Thank you so much Danielle. The Sourcebooks link will take you to their page on The Founding where you can read an excerpt of the book.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading and asks you to:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share 2 "teaser"sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser.
4. Please avoid spoilers


Today's teaser is from The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen. If you'd like to win a copy of this book, please enter the giveaway on the original post.

"Just my calming view of the park in the day's infancy, my warm feelings about Dawn and even Jordan . . . my dream of a new life that I was starting to see more and more vividly.

I thought we could be a family." (pg 136)

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Since our host, Alipet, has been missing in action, Jenners puts up a Mr. Linky if you would like to play along. This meme will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week. It will work like this: Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions.

Title of book you read: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Words to describe the book: Magical fiction

Location or characters you met:

• Josey Cirrini: A 27 year old woman still living at home and being brow-beaten by her overbearing mother. Josey has a secret stash of junk food,romance novels and travel magazines in her closet but that's not all. The "contents" of her closet eventually makes Josey see life in a different way and gives her the courage to finally break away from her mother and find a life of her own even though it takes a lot of doing.


• Della Lee, a local down-on-her luck woman who makes it her mission to change Josey's very limited life. Oh, yeah, Della Lee has taken up residence in Josey's closet. Uninvited of course! Nothing it seems is going to get her to move out. Until she accomplishes her mission, that is! During the course of her residence, in a round about way, Della Lee introduces Josey to Chloe and lets Josey in on some explosive secrets about her family.


• Chloe Findley: sandwich shop owner who becomes acquainted with Josey when both of them really need a friend they can trust. The funny thing about Chloe is books find her. Whenever she needs some particular advice, books just show up beside her. How lucky is that! It's a good thing too because Chloe has a lot on her plate after she found out her long time live-in boyfriend cheated on her and now she must find her own place to live.

4. Things you liked/disliked about the book:

• I liked the way the author let me empathize with the characters' feelings. It was like being in their head at all times.


• I just loved the magical elements in the story that gave it a unique charm and appeal.


• Josey's mother, Margaret, was a most interesting character and I really liked the way the author kept slowly introducing new tidbits about Margaret's past and the ongoing tensions between her and Josey. It made for a most interesting plot thread.


• The twist at the end.

5. Stars or less for your rating: 4 **** Once I started this, I had a hard time putting it down. This is the third Allen book I have read (Garden Spells and The Girl Who Chased the Moon) and although I liked all three of them, I think I like this one the most. This one definitely gets 2 thumbs flippers up!

Disclosure: A copy of this book was borrowed for review from my county library system. Thanks to my tax dollars!

Review & Giveaway: The Life O'Reilly by Brian Cohen

Hardcover: 276 pages
Publisher: iUniverse.com (October 21, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1440150273
ISBN-13: 978-1440150272

For the last twelve years, Nick O'Reilly has had it all materially wise. He's a lawyer for the high powered Wall St. firm of Williams Gardner and Schmidt. Recently, Nick has been feeling much disquiet in his life thinking that something valuable is missing. He spends close to all his time working and he realizes how much he would like someone special in his life. Unfortunately, the law partners frown on any kind of outside life. They are only interested in billable hours.

Now that the media has castigated the firm for not doing any pro bono work, the powers that be decide to pick up a case and Nick is given the assignment; Dawn and her young son Jordan are victims of domestic violence. This action is not through any magnaminity, it is virtually a public relations move to give the firm better press. The partners remind Nick that his first loyalty is to the firm's clients. The paying ones, they stress!

When Nick and Dawn begin to work on her case, nature takes it's course and the two start to have feelings for each other. Nick, being the conscientious man that he is, tries to behave in an ethical manner but somehow Dawn's husband sees them together and decides to use this information to his advantage. After much stressful negotiation, Nick thinks things are finally going well for him, Dawn and Jordan. This is when life throws them all a very surprising curveball.

For a debut novel, this is quite good. Just a little tighter editing would have easily fixed the plethora of superfluous sartorial descriptions and a few grammatical mistakes. Since the author himself is an attorney, the book has the feel of authenticity to it. Overall, once I started the book, I was hooked on the characters and the story.

You can read more about this debut author, Brian Cohen, at his website.

Giveaway details:
2 autographed hard cover copies up for grabs
Open internationally!
P.O. boxes are okay for this one.
Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment.
+ 3 Bonus entries can be earned by putting a link in your sidebar or tweeting . Please do not leave me three comments saying you tweeted. I promise once is enough and I'll give you the three extra entries. :)

Deadline is April 25th at 6 P.M. EST. Good luck!!

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Thanks, Brian!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From Amazon.com

Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books (June 22, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345518284
ISBN-13: 978-0345518286

From Amazon:

"Beautifully written, powerfully felt, full of both abundant joy and heart-wrenching sorrow, Beachcombers is an extraordinary novel that centers on the bittersweet reunion of three captivating, very different sisters on Nantucket over one gorgeous, exhilarating summer. Abbie Fox hasn’t seen her father or two younger sisters in almost two years, during which she’s jetted around the world and experienced life, if not love. But now Lily, the baby of the family, is sending Abbie urgent emails begging her to return home to Nantucket. Their middle sister, Emma, has taken to her bed, emotionally devastated after the loss of her high-powered stockbroker’s job and a shockingly unexpected break-up with her fiancé. Also, Lily is deeply worried that Marina, the beautiful, enigmatic woman renting their guesthouse, has set her sights on the sisters’ widowed father, Jim. The Fox girls closed ranks years ago after the haunting, untimely death of their mother, but seeing their dad move on with his life forces each of them to take stock. Over the course of the summer, the sisters’ lives grow as turbulent as the unpredictable currents encircling Nantucket. When Abbie encounters an incredibly appealing married man, she breaks her own rules in the name of love, fearing all the while that she’ll regret it. Meanwhile, type-A Emma learns a new definition of success, and strong-minded Lily must reconcile her dreams with reality. Even Marina, who has come to Nantucket to forget heartbreak and betrayal, faces an astonishing turn of events that will find her torn between fate and freedom. At summer’s end, these unforgettable women will face profound choices—and undergo personal transformations that will surprise even themselves. "

Last year I read and reviewed Thayer's Summer House and just loved it! Can't wait for this new one!!

Review: Coming Home by Mariah Stewart

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Ballantine Books; Original edition (March 23, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345520335
ISBN-13: 978-0345520333

Vaness Keaton has been living in St. Dennis, a small town on the Chesapeake, for three years now since she escaped an abusive marriage. She owns her own home and dress boutique; two things she thought she would never have. Life is finally okay thanks to meeting her half brother Beck and his father Hal who takes Vanessa under his wing and helps her regain a sense of self- respect.

There is no one special in Vanessa's life and that's the way she plans to keep it. As she so well knows, there are no real fairy tale romances out there. She has the emotional and physical scars to prove it. But now when her half brother Beck is getting married, his fiancee asks her to show her brother Grady around town during the week of pre-wedding festivities. Grady himself is still recovering from the death of his wife, Melissa, and has been living in a remote part of Montana after quitting the FBI. Despite their bad feelings about past hurts and familial wrongs and with much trepidation, Vanessa and Grady hit it off. When part of Vanessa's past comes back to haunt her in a very dangerous way, Grady and Vanessa discover how much they really do mean to each other. As Vanessa tells Grady, "sometimes you have to let go of the past for the sake of the future."

This book is mostly a romance story, extremely predictable though it is, the little bit of suspense and danger element helps to make the story more interesting. Stewart manages to bring the small town atmosphere of St. Dennis to life and peoples it with likeable and believable characters. The secondary thread of Vanessa's and Beck's troubled relationship with their mother, Maggie, gives the plot a little more depth. All in all, an enjoyable , quick read perfect for romantic suspense fans who are just looking for something light. 3***

This is the first book in The Chesapeake Diaries series. The second book will be out in September. If you would like to read the first two chapters of Coming Home, please visit Mariah's website.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Ballantine Books through LibraryThing's early reviewer's program.

Show Me 5 Saturday: Russka by Edward Rutherfurd

Alipet started a new MEME called Show Me Five Saturday. Unfortunately, our host has been missing in action but Jenners puts up a Mr. Linky if you would like to play along. This meme will give each blogger an opportunity to give a brief description of a book they have read or reviewed during the week. It will work like this: Each Saturday you will post the answer to these questions:

1. Title of book: Russka by Edward Rutherfurd
2. Words to describe book: Historical fiction
3. Characters you met or locations:

• Russka: two small settlements in Russia; one in the north and one in the south where a large proportion of the action takes place.
• The Romanov family who ruled Russia as Tsars for centuries.
• Lebed: a half breed woman living in the forest whose family line is followed through out the story beginning in the year 180 A.D.

4. Things you liked or disliked about the story:

• I loved the descriptions of the land and the overall geographical information about Russia's vast and varied landscape.
• Following the ancestry of several families from 180 A.D. to 1991 was extremely interesting.
• I really liked the way the author told each time segment through the eyes of a fictionalized character who brought the history to life.
• Another thing I really enjoyed reading about was how the economic, political and religious climate of the times changed over the years.

5. Stars or more for your rating: 4****. This is a work of epic proportions spanning 1800 years of Russian history in just 945 pages. Not your normal thrilling pageturner, but I became very invested in the book.

Disclosure: A copy of this book for review is from my personal library and was purchased by me.

Review: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

From the publisher:

Wendy Holden's ninth novel blissfully returns to the witty, unputdownable style of her best-loved early bestsellers, featuring the trademark Holden wit that prompted the Daily Mail to say: "Thank God for Wendy Holden." A fabulous romantic romp revolving around the adventures of a struggling actress, a fame-crazed former film star, and a down-to-earth nanny, Beautiful People jets to London, Hollywood, and Italy at a frenzied pace. Holden crafts a tale wicked in its observations yet bouyant at its heart: a masterful return to the swashbuckling verve her adoring fans devour. A confection that's made for summer reading.

My Thoughts: "Unputdownable" is definitely the right word. Once I started this delightful romantic comedy, I couldn't put it down. It's like one giant game of musical chairs with players leaving their own element to succeed in another player's element; Darcy, the dedicated Shakespearian actress who jets to Hollywood to audition for a part in a Star Wars type movie while Belle, the Hollywood bimbo, flies to London to try to repair her slipping image with some real stage experience. Belle just happens to try out for a role in a production of Shakespeare's Timon of Athens and succeeds! How , you ask, well you will just have to read the twist in this plot thread to see! Let's just say it's not your typical Shakespeare production.

The action ramps up in Italy when the movie production begins and other characters holiday in the same town. A lot of situations come to a head while characters search for fame, fortune and love in a tumultuous manner. There are some well deserved come-uppances, some soul-searching questions and answers along with plenty of romance.

Occasionally predictable but this reader didn't mind one bit; I was having too much fun with these characters. Of course, there were some characters who sometimes I just wanted to reach into the pages and slap! When I can easily get a running mental image in my head of all the characters, their surroundings and actions, then I know the author has done a good job.

Holden's wit is rapier sharp and her keen observational sense of the comedic is spot on. I had never read Wendy's books before but now I am a dedicated fan. This story tugged at my heartstrings, tickled my funny bone and just plain delighted me at every turn of the page. 4****

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Sourcebooks, Inc.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Soho Constable (April 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1569476330
ISBN-13: 978-1569476338

Last December I read and reviewed Assassins at Ospreys by R. T. Raichev and enjoyed it very much. I'm thrilled to see he has a new title out.

Teaser Tuesday~The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading and asks you to:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3 . Share 2 "teaser"sentences also citing the title of the book and the author and in that way people can have great recommendations if they like the "teaser.

4. Please avoid spoilers!

Here's my teaser from The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard:

"First you find Oscar Nelson dead ----"

"Abby" I interrupted her with a nudge. "It's not the first time I've found a body; I seem to have a talent for it."

This was an entertaining read set in NC as Abby and her granddaughter Ophelia, both witches, travel from Iowa to celebrate the 100th birthday of Great Aunt Mary. Not all is celebration as Abby runs into Sharon, the granddaughter of her old nemesis. It seems Sharon is a self proclaimed witch and is carrying the old feud to new levels. Will Ophelia be able to save her grandmother from the evil? With the help of other family witches, it turns into quite a show down.

Reasonably predictable but still an enjoyable book. I've read a few others in the series and liked them. Using my "put down, pick up" rating system this one gets a solid 3***

Disclosure:
A copy of this book for review was borrowed from the county library system. Thanks to my tax dollars.

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is hosted each week by Marcia at The Printed Page. Anyone can play along. Just leave a link to your MM at Marcia's blog and follow the links to other blogs to see what books are finding their way to mailboxes. Caveat: participation in MM can cause your tbr list to grow exponentially. *Penguin at mailbox image used with permission from Penguin Club.* Just one lonely book showed up last week . I received an arc with a different cover.

Live to Tell by Lisa Gardner from Goodreads.

Synopsis from Amazon:

He knows everything about you—including the first place you’ll hide. On a warm summer night in one of Boston’s working-class neighborhoods, an unthinkable crime has been committed: Four members of a family have been brutally murdered. The father—and possible suspect—now lies clinging to life in the ICU. Murder-suicide? Or something worse? Veteran police detective D. D. Warren is certain of only one thing: There’s more to this case than meets the eye.Danielle Burton is a survivor, a dedicated nurse whose passion is to help children at a locked-down pediatric psych ward. But she remains haunted by a family tragedy that shattered her life nearly twenty-five years ago. The dark anniversary is approaching, and when D. D. Warren and her partner show up at the facility, Danielle immediately realizes: It has started again.A devoted mother, Victoria Oliver has a hard time remembering what normalcy is like. But she will do anything to ensure that her troubled son has some semblance of a childhood. She will love him no matter what. Nurture him. Keep him safe. Protect him. Even when the threat comes from within her own house. In New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s most compelling work of suspense to date, the lives of these three women unfold and connect in unexpected ways, as sins from the past emerge—and stunning secrets reveal just how tightly blood ties can bind. Sometimes the most devastating crimes are the ones closest to home.

Review: Little Black Ant on Park Street by Janet Halfmann

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Soundprint; 1 edition (December 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607270021
ISBN-13: 978-1607270027
Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.6 x 0.4 inches

Now that little Black Ant is old enough to leave the nest she sets out to search for food. Using her antenna to sniff out danger, Little Black Ant manages to find a tasty caterpillar on the sidewalk. Try as she might, it is just to heavy for her to drag back to the nest. Little Black Ant scurries back for some much needed help. Squirting little drops of liquid from her tail, Little Black Ant leaves a scent trail for the other ants to follow. When the reinforcements show up, they make short work of the caterpillar and haul it back to share with the other worker ants. Using their unique "social stomach" for storage, there will soon be food to feed the queen, babies and other workers.

While out searching for more food, Little Black Ant has a close encounter with a blue jay that leaves her far from home but when she catches a whiff of something familiar, she manages to find her way. On another day, Little Black Ant and the other ants invite themselves to a picnic and haul off lots of pieces of a big chocolate chip cookie. Yum! Working as a team, the ants manage to move things that are many times their own weight.

Towards the end of summer is the mating season when the queens lose their wings and start new colonies. Fall arrives and the ants plug up the entrance to Park Street and settle down for winter all huddled around the queen. When spring arrives, the process will start all over again not only on Park Street but in many other places. Busy, busy time for Little Black Ant and all the other ants in the nest.

At the end of the book is some info about little black ants; where they live, how they hatch and grow and how the colony works together to survive. It didn't surprise me to read that the female ants do most of the work in the colony! Another thing I learned is that little black ants help control red fire ants. Living in Florida, we know how painful it is to be bitten by red fire ants. Ouch!! A short glossary of terms is also included on the back page.

Little Black Ant is beautifully illustrated by Kathleen Rietz. Every page is filled with nice big pictures telling the story in a fun way that kids will enjoy. This book is part of the Smithonian's backyard collection; a wonderful series that not only entertains but educates children about the world around them.

Last year, I was privileged to review Little Skink's Tail by Janet. This is still one of my favorite children's book. This link will take you to the review and info about Janet Halfmann.

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was sent to me by the publisher, Soundprints.