Christine Nolfi - The Comfort of Secrets

Friday, June 30, 2017

26. The Comfort of Secrets by Christine Nolfi (2017)
The Sweet Lake Series Book 2
Length: 318 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Started: 16 June 2017
Finished: 30 June 2017
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Christine Nolfi for sending me a copy of this book to read from Netgalley.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 29 April 2017
Why do I have it? I like contemporary romance and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Like the populations of so many other small towns across the country, the residents of Sweet Lake, Ohio, pride themselves on knowing everything about their neighbors' business. Sometimes they even know more about their neighbors business than their neighbors do. However, the town of Sweet Lake certainly lives up to its name - it's a close-knit, caring community that takes care of its own. Such is the case with Catalina Mendoza.

Cat Mendoza is the youngest daughter of the Mendoza family; a spirited young woman who has seen her fair share of struggles in life. She has lived in the tiny town of Sweet Lake for her entire life and can't honestly imagine herself living anywhere else. Her mother, Sylvia is a founding member of the eccentric Sweet Lake Sirens and so Cat is generally considered to be an honorary member as well. As a matter of fact, she loves the Sirens as much as the members of her own family.

After spending years following her impulsive nature both in life and in business, Cat must now convince the residents of Sweet Lake that she has learned her lesson. With the shadow of a business failure hanging over her head - as well as several failed relationships behind her - she is finally ready to turn things around. She is determined to prove to everyone that she is a capable person; able to take her responsibilities seriously. And she hopes to make her family proud of her again.

As the recently hired events director of the newly refurbished Wayfair Inn, Cat is truly feeling the pressure of being given this second chance. She certainly doesn't want to disappoint anybody, even though she knows that she has the support of her best friends Linnie and Jada. However, it seems as if everyone else - from her overprotective mother to the well-meaning Sweet Lake Sirens - are all eager to offer her advice from their various areas of 'corporate expertise'. While she sincerely appreciates their input and suggestions, Cat can't help but feel slightly overwhelmed by the Sirens' seemingly unquenchable eagerness.

Although she always tries her best to be considerate of their feelings, Cat freely admits to herself that the Sirens can occasionally try her patience. From presenting her with a calendar of hypothetical community events hosted by the Sweet Lake Sirens to offering quiet critiques of her apparently too-tight clothing, Cat is painfully aware of the number of times that she has had to bite her tongue to keep herself calm. As a matter of fact, she doesn't even want to mention some of the Sirens more outlandish ideas to their newly-contracted advertising agency. After all Miri is an old friend of hers, and she's doing Cat a favor by taking the Wayfair Inn on as a new client with her agency; so, Cat's hoping to keep the 'Sweet Lake Sirens Motivational Speaking Tour' on the back burner...way, way back on the back burner!

However, the Sirens can't help but chime in with advice about Cat's dormant love life, her unique fashion choices, and her undeniable attraction to Ryan D'Angelo - the charming advertising executive hired to promote the inn. Although her confidence is shaken by his arrival, Cat knows that she should keep Ryan at a distance. She wants to be taken seriously and needs to remain professional in all her dealings with him. Yet the closer they get to each other, the more Cat is drawn to the heartbreak that Ryan tries to hide.

Cat's heart goes out to him for all the pain he has gone through in his past, but her mind is troubled by so many unanswered questions. Could discovering Ryan's deepest secrets actually endanger everything and everyone that she holds dear? She has so many dreams that she wants to achieve in life, does she stand to lose much more than just her heart - or will she gain something to cherish forever?

I have to say that once again, Ms. Nolfi has written a wonderful book. In my opinion, the story was fast-paced and well-developed. I appreciated that while this was the second book in the series, both stories were actually easily differentiated from each other. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely give it a strong A! I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Holly Beth Walker - Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

25. Meg and the Mystery in Williamsburg by Holly Beth Walker (1972)
The Meg Duncan Mysteries Series Book 6
Length: 140 pages
Genre: Contemporary Mystery
Started: 29 May 2017
Finished: 14 June 2017
Where did it come from? This was a birthday present given to me by a friend when I was twelve years old.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 1 June 1990
Why do I have it? I like contemporary mysteries and Holly Beth Walker is a new author for me.

The Meg Duncan Mysteries - also occasionally known as The Meg Mysteries Series - is a series of six juvenile mysteries originally published between 1967 and 1972. In each book, Margaret Ashley Duncan - a girl of indeterminate age - solves mysteries with her best friend Kerry Carmody. Four of the books are set in Meg and Kerry's hometown of Hidden Springs, Virginia; while the last two take place when Meg and Kerry travel with Meg's uncle Hal. The authorship of the series is credited to Holly Beth Walker - which is actually a pseudonym for multiple authors.

In this last book of the series, Meg and Kerry travel with Hal Ashley to Williamsburg. As soon as the girls arrive, they eagerly sign on to become junior hostesses for a Colonial Era toy exhibition. The curator of the exhibit was actually the childhood best friend of Meg's mother and is absolutely delighted to have both girls involved in her showcase.

In between carrying out their duties for the toy exhibition, Meg and Kerry also stumble upon a mystery that involves the disappearance of two wooden dolls from one of the toy collections being showcased in the exhibit. The collection belongs to the matriarch of the town, and a member of one of the most prominent families in Williamsburg - the Collins family. The elderly Mariah Collins is extremely proud of her collection and is thrilled to donate it to the exhibition.

However, she is also worried that someone is out to steal two of the most precious items in her collection - Charity and Mercy; also known as the 'George Washington Dolls.' Miss Mariah soon enlists Meg and Kerry's help in protecting the rest of her collection. She also wants to know if the amateur detectives can solve the mystery behind why her most favorite doll - an antique French doll named Paris - hasn't been able to talk since Miss Mariah was a child.

I must say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I was slightly surprised at how intricate the mystery actually was given the reading level. In my opinion, while the story was somewhat dated, I would still give it an A! I'm definitely going to be keeping this book on my childhood favorites shelf.

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

M. K. Theodoratus - Doom Comes For a Sold Soul: A Tale of Andor

Sunday, June 11, 2017

24. Doom Comes For a Sold Soul: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus (2015)
The Tales From the World of Andor Series Book 3
Length: 15 pages 
Genre: Short Story 
Started/Finished: 11 June 2017
Where did it come from? From Amazon
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 19 May 2017
Why do I have it? I like short stories and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

The residents of the world of Andor live in a parallel realm very much like our own. However, the major difference between our world and that of Andor - is that the curtain between the physical world and the supernatural one is much thinner than we would think. As a result of this, the residents of Andor are quicker than most people to ascribe a supernatural or magical motive to everything that happens.

Grant Highgrim is a struggling reporter looking for his next story - not necessarily a Pulitzer Prize winner, although that would certainly be terrific - he's just searching for the type of story which will give him a chance to pay his rent on time and occasionally eat a proper meal. He definitely doesn't expect to stumble upon the type of career-making story that his adsheet publisher dared him to try and get. According to the publisher, Dr. Henry Allsdipp is a Nobel Prize winner in Economics; he is also the oldest man alive and a confirmed recluse who has steadfastly and consistently refused all previous attempts to interview him. So, Grant's chance to reclaim his faltering dignity is on the line.

Only this assignment won't be quite as simple as just interviewing some cranky old man for his secrets to living a long life. Unfortunately, Grant has arrived at the nursing home on a particularly difficult day: the day when a demonic horde of flame-eyed beetles has come to claim the feisty doctor's soul. Suddenly, finding out the secret to Dr. Allsdipp's longevity takes a backseat to Grant's lifelong phobia of beetles and other creepy crawlies. Now the down-on-his-luck reporter must overcome his overwhelming revulsion to insects in order to conquer this malevolent infestation - and not only save his interviewee, but also his career, and their lives.

I must say that I really enjoyed reading this book. I was definitely expecting the story to involve the collection of souls in some way, I just wasn't sure how that soul would actually be taken. Having said that, the form that the demons took seemed plausible for the storyline. I would give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

M. K. Theodoratus - Noticing Jamilla: A Tale of Andor

Thursday, June 8, 2017

23. Noticing Jamilla: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus (2014)
The Tales From the World of Andor Series Book 2
Length: 18 pages 
Genre: Short Story
Started/Finished: 8 June 2017
Where did it come from? From Amazon 
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 19 May 2017
Why do I have it? I like short stories and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

The residents of the world of Andor live in a parallel realm very much like our own. However, the major difference between our world and that of Andor - is that the curtain between the physical world and the supernatural one is much thinner than we would think. As a result of this, the residents of Andor are quicker than most people to ascribe a supernatural or magical motive to everything that happens.

Cassy Mae has always known that her mother had left her hometown of Docket's Diggings right after graduation. As a matter of fact, her mother had preferred to live all the way across the country in the bustling city of Santo Francisco - with its high crime rate and cheap motels - rather than live in her hometown. Ma may not have ever wanted to return, but Cassy Mae really has no say in the matter. After her mother's death, she finds herself being shuttled back to Docket's Diggings and living with her elderly GrammyJo - doing her best to get through her last year of high school, and occasionally helping out at her grandmother's beauty salon.

Life may not have worked out exactly how she may have wanted it to, but that was just how it happened. Living with her mother may not have been an absolutely ideal situation either, but that really didn't matter - Cassy Mae was strong and fully capable of taking care of herself. Her mother had run away to escape from GrammyJo's magical juju, and so Cassy Mae is determined to have nothing to do with that sort of thing, herself. She had already learned from an early age that telling anyone - particularly her mother - that she could 'see colors' around people only led to trouble.

So, Cassy Mae has perfected her ability to hide in plain sight; keeping her talent to herself and trying not to become too much of a target to her classmates. So far she has managed to stay somewhat under the radar while at school, but staying clear of GrammyJo's various magical workings is proving to be slightly more difficult. She just finds the entire situation to be seriously disturbing, so she does her best to ignore it. However, the sudden arrival of 'The Markem' and her family threatens Cassy Mae's deepest-held secret - and she soon discovers that there is much more to fear in life than her GrammyJo's amulets and incantations.

Lydia Markem - a mysteriously wealthy transplant from Santo Francisco - seems to thrive on the townspeople's admiration of her and her family. It's true that the locals have never seen anyone quite like The Markem before, so they are dutifully awed by such affluence. However, her recent arrival has also brought with it a strange malaise that follows The Markem everywhere she goes. Cassy Mae can't decide if her GrammyJo's suspicions are influencing her own attitude, but she can't see anything around the woman: no colors, no darkness, no dullness - just...nothing!

As if that isn't alarming enough, The Markem's niece has also come to town. Although, she's much nicer than the rest of her family. Jamilla Markem seems charming, innocuous, and totally non-threatening - actually, she's completely different from her aunt in Cassy Mae's personal estimation. Surely GrammyJo is mistaken, Jamilla couldn't possibly hurt anyone.

However, Jamilla's strange fascination with her new friend abruptly takes a much darker turn. She insists on making Cassy Mae her special companion, and latches herself on to the girl like a shadow. Soon Cassy Mae finds herself caught between her grandmother's spells and the obsessive attentions of a stalker.

I must say that I really enjoyed reading this particular book. Although at eighteen pages long, it's more of a short story, I suppose. Having said that, I still found the story to be intriguing and well-developed for its length. I would give this book a definite A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Duncan Whitehead - The Best Man: A Dark Comedy

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

22. The Best Man: A Dark Comedy by Duncan Whitehead (2015)
Length: 35 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started: 5 June 2017
Finished: 6 June 2017
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Duncan Whitehead as I downloaded a copy of this book for free from his website.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 April 2017
Why do I have it? I like short stories and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Brad Chance is quite the catch, at least according to his sister Claire. Not only is he handsome, fit, charming, and hilariously funny; but he is also a plastic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of children with facial deformities. However, although Brad is a successful doctor, a philanthropist, and an all-around nice guy; he still hasn't found 'the one'. He's looking for the same type of love that his sister so obviously shares with her husband...and apparently not having much luck in finding it.

That is until he meets someone while escorting his ten-year-old nephew and two of the boy's young friends to a Broadway show. Jenny Blythe seems like she is the perfect woman for Brad, and he can't help but hope that he will get the chance to see her again sometime soon. Suddenly, his life seems to be looking up for Brad, and he couldn't possibly be any happier. Until a twist of fate changes everything, and Brad finds himself living every man's worst nightmare.

After returning from completing some charity work abroad, Brad is shocked to meet up with his college roommate and best friend. Mike Bayless may well be a playboy, a flagrant womanizer, and a staunch commitment-phobe; but he also has a very important question to ask Brad when he finally returns home. He really needs a best man, and Brad seems like the obvious choice for the position. However, when Brad knows everything about Mike - from his darkest secrets to his strangest foibles - at the end of the day, who will really be the best man?

With a plot twist so shocking that it will leave readers speechless - and a sucker punch ending that will ultimately set their minds reeling - Mr. Whitehead once again delivers the perfect balance of dark humor, irony and tragedy.

I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I had no inkling how the story would develop and could not help but feel slightly sorry for the characters. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and I would give this book an A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Duncan Whitehead - You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato, She Says Murder: A Short But Sweet Mystery

Saturday, June 3, 2017

21. You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato, She Says Murder: A Short But Sweet Mystery by Duncan Whitehead (2015)
Length: 16 pages
Genre: Short Story
Started/Finished: 3 June 2017
Where did it come from? Many thanks to Duncan Whitehead as I downloaded a copy of this book for free from his website.
How long has it been on my TBR pile? Since 25 April 2017
Why do I have it? I like short stories and have read and enjoyed several books by this author in the past.

Dotty Wedgewood and Winnie Aiton have been close friends for years. They both have so much in common and enjoy each other's company immensely. When a shared love of gardening leads both women to enter the same competition, just how far will either of them go to win First Place? This mystery explores just how far someone can be pushed until they reach their breaking point.

Actually, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. It was an easy read for me and I must say that I wasn't really expecting the plot twist. I give this book a very strong A!

A! - (90-95%)

May you read well and often

Reading Wrap-up For May at Emeraldfire's Bookmark

Thursday, June 1, 2017


Hello everyone out there and I hope that you all had a terrific reading month for yourselves. I am known as Emeraldfire around the Internet and this is my new personal reading blog.

Anyway, I started out May with about two hundred unread books lying around the house and ended the month with...umm...uncountable amounts of books unread. All of the books that I acquired this month came from Amazon and an author.

Let me try to break down the influx for you:

Changes to the TBR pile

Rereads
- The Ghostcrow: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus

Read from my TBR pile (Yes! I am a reading machine :))
- Night For the Gargoyles by M. K. Theodoratus
- Hear That Damn Owl?: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- Spell Breaker by Joni Parker

Added to my TBR pile (oh well, you win some and you lose some! :))
- Gossamer by Joni Parker
- Noticing Jamilla: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- Doom Comes For a Sold Soul: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus

Taken off my TBR pile and sent to a new home (Yay! Happy Dance! :))
- The Ghostcrow: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- The Gordonston Ladies Dog Walking Club by Duncan Whitehead
- Night For the Gargoyles by M. K. Theodoratus
- Hear That Damn Owl?: A Tale of Andor by M. K. Theodoratus
- Spell Breaker by Joni Parker

Well, there it is...the breakdown! All in all, a very good reading month for me, considering. Here's a further breakdown:

Books Read: 4
Pages Read: 426
Grade Range: A+! to A!

So, there you go! The reading month that was May. I hope that you all had an equally good reading month; if not a little better. :) See you all next month! :)

May you read well and often