Category: Fiction

rags?

Posted on by Greig

Always On My Mind

Jill Shalvis

One of my favourite romance series is Lucky Harbor. Set in an idyllic seaside town in the Pacific Northwest the books jump from resident to resident as they find love.
This book finds talented baker Leah falling for firefighter and best friend Jack. It’s actually a fake dating story as Leah tells Jack’s ailing Mother Dee that they’re together to make her happy.
It’s got a small arson subplot to add to the action but it’s mostly confused mutual pining.
It’s full of clichés and the writing never elevates above readable but it’s a fun read and if you like a sweet contemporary romance this is a good one.
Read before but not reviewed in the 2014 epic romance binge.

Rating: C+

rescue?

Posted on by Greig

The Good Luck Sister

Jill Shalvis

This novella is set between Lost and Found Sisters & Rainy Day Friends in the Wildstone series.
It follows up on Tilly and Dylan from the first book ten years after they part as teenagers.
It’s a sweet short tale using a flashback device that I thought was kind of pointless if you could remember the events of the earlier book.
Probably worth skipping unless you’re especially invested in this pair or you’re a bit of a completist (like myself)

Rating: B-

emily?

Posted on by Greig

How To Be Dead

Dave Turner

Dave is an ordinary guy working in a typically grinding office job.
After a near death experience he meets Death and discovers he’s now able to help ghosts pass on to the other side.
This introductory novella is an entirely competent comic fantasy. There’s a series of novellas following on from this one about the further adventures of Dave but it’s hard to tell from this one how good they’d be.
For a free ebook it’s certainly worth trying.

Rating: B-

family?

Posted on by Greig

Rainy Day Friends

Jill Shalvis

Lanie starts a new job at a family run winery. Very vulnerable after the death of her cheating husband she’s deliberately avoiding relationships but with a bickering family and fellow new arrival River she finds herself making new bonds that could be the best thing or worst thing to happen to her.
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written and paced romance. The characters were all entertaining and believably drawn by the standards of contemporary romance.

Rating: B+

carbs?

Posted on by Greig

Just For Show

Jae

Claire is a successful couples therapist with a book deal on the horizon when her fiancé breaks off their engagement a week before the wedding.
Told by her agent that the deal depends on her being in a happy relationship she hires an actress to play her girlfriend.
This is a pretty enjoyable fake relationship story. The lead characters are well rounded and interesting.
I’m fan of Jae’s Gilmore Girls fan fiction and this was worth checking out

Rating: B

tank?

Posted on by Greig

Head On

John Scalzi

This is the sequel to Lock In which set up a near future world where an illness called Haden’s Syndrome has left a significant percentage of the population locked into their physical bodies and only able to experience the world remotely via robot proxies.
The lead character is once again Haden FBI agent Chris Shane.
This one is set in the world of the fast-growing and ulraviolent Haden sport of Hilketa.
When a player dies in a pre-season match Shane and their partner uncover a web of lies that goes all the way to the heart of the sport.
As always Scalzi’s prose is easy to read and designed to draw you in. It’s a fast-paced ride of a read rather than something designed for depth.

Rating: B+

gunshot?

Posted on by Greig

Moonlight Over Manhattan

Sarah Morgan

Sweet sheltered Harriet Knight gets her chance at love in the last of the “Bark Rangers” books.
Her love interest is dedicated Emergency Doctor Ethan. He’s convinced after the failure of his first marriage that he’s not suited to long-term love. After getting to know Harriet the last thing he wants to do is to hurt her by getting involved.
Another fun, readable romance by Sarah Morgan. She’s got this type of tale down pat and never disappoints.

Rating: B

reality?

Posted on by Greig

New York, Actually

Sarah Morgan

In this, the first of the “Bark Rangers” books, we find cynical divorce lawyer Daniel pursuing psychologist Molly with the aid of an over enthusiastic dog he borrows from his Sister’s business.
The couple get close only for their secrets to get in the way of a future together.
Another enjoyable romance from Sarah Morgan. It’s amazing how consistently she puts out solid and entertaining books.

Rating: B

cookies?

Posted on by Greig

Holiday In The Hamptons

Sarah Morgan

This book is technically the fifth book in the “Urban Genie” series but is also the second book about the Knight family siblings who own the “Bark Rangers” service.
Felicity Knight is the business brain behind Bark Rangers. Normally a cool and savvy woman she panics when she discovers that her ex-husband Seth Carlyle has turned up in Manhattan.
When her grandmother falls and hurts heself Felicity uses it as an excuse to run away from Manhattan. Of course she discovers pretty much immediately that Seth was only helping out at a Vet clinic in Manhattan and actually lives in the same Hamptons town as her grandmother.
I enjoyed this one quite a lot as I tend to do with Morgan’s stuff. I really liked the lead characters and Felicity’s Gran is a lot of fun too.

Rating: B