Evvie Drake Starts Over

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evvie Drake's husband died as she was packing up to leave him, and a year later everyone still mistakes her trauma for grief. The truth is, their golden boy was actually emotionally abusive, and now that he's gone, she simply doesn't know what to do next. But no one, not even her best friend Andy, knows the truth. She's got baggage. And bills. Lots of them. So when Andy asks her to rent the apartment off the back of her kitchen to his friend Dean, who used to be a famous pitcher until he inexplicably lost the ability to throw a baseball where he wanted it to go, she agrees. Over the course of the next year, Evvie and Dean grow from acquaintances to friends to lovers, but they each have so much healing to do, can they move forward together?

I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this novel. I didn't want to put it down until Evvie got the therapy she needed and Dean figured out what direction he wanted his life to take now. I loved that the author didn't write easy, magical fixes, and that the romance was slow build. Since I would categorize this book as Relationship Fiction--Evvie's relationships of all kinds were important to the story--I was afraid for a while that Evvie and Dean would permanently go their separate ways.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, story secondary. There are swear words sprinkled throughout and some alcohol consumption, but no violence, and the sex scenes are fade-to-black. Evvie is a survivor of emotional abuse (constant gaslighting and some social isolation), so that might be a trigger for some readers, though it's all in the past, as the perpetrator dies in the first chapter.

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Record of a Spaceborn Few

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The third book in the series is once again set in the same universe but featuring different characters. Only one character, Tessa, connects to book #1–she is Ashby’s sister. The books are essentially stand-alone.

This volume focuses on the mostly humans who live in the Fleet: the generation ships which brought humans into contact with other species after Earth suffered too much environmental damage and had to be abandoned. Hundreds of years after leaving the Sol system, these giant ships are still home to many thousands of people, the ones who chose to live their lives in space rather than seek out other places and planets. The ships orbit a sun given to the Fleet by the Galactic Commons, who admitted humans for membership not all that long ago.

Record of a Spaceborn Few follows a handful of distinct characters as they live, work, and grow aboard one of these ships. We get to witness their personal struggles as we follow their different journeys and stages in life, all the while learning the culture of Exodan spacers. Becky Chambers is a brilliant world-builder.

It’s a completely character-driven story. To say the pace is leisurely is putting it mildly. The characters barely cross paths, yet by the end, I felt like I was ready to sign up for Eyas’ new workshop and live in a hex. An absolutely fascinating exploration of how human culture might evolve to thrive in space. I especially loved how the ships were designed to eliminate hunger and homelessness, caste, and the illusion of rank. Everyone contributes, and NOTHING is wasted.

For readers’ advisors: character doorway is primary, setting secondary. Intermittent swearing. No onscreen violence, although there are some deadly accidents. LGBTQIA people are normal and unremarkable, and nonbinary gender pronouns are routinely used for some characters—xe & xyr, which I wish we’d adopt in real life, as it’s WAY more clear than using plural pronouns.

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Someone to Trust

Someone to Trust by Mary Balogh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This leisurely paced, delightful tale of a couple finding the courage to buck societal norms and say yes to love is a perfect cozy winter read. Elizabeth is nine years older than Colin--a fact which would be unusual but no big deal in modern society but which was practically unheard of in upper class Regency England. Since this is book #5 in the series (reading in order is recommended, as the many characters reappear in all books), I was cheering as two of my favorite secondary characters got their well-deserved HEA together.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eGalley ARC copy!

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A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ove is a man who just wants to kill himself in peace. Is that too much to ask?? Apparently it is, as his efforts are thwarted time and again by new neighbors who can’t back up a trailer, use ladders safely, drive, or read proper signs; a mangy, half-dead cat; a lifelong frenemy being forced out of his home against his will; a man who collapses into the path of oncoming train; and young men who need help fixing a bicycle to impress a girl, or get kicked out for Coming Out. Each time, Ove has to apologize to his wife for not joining her yet, until finally he finds himself firmly enmeshed in the lives of the living.

Like Parvaneh, I grew to love Ove fiercely. He is now one of my all-time favorite characters, and my commutes are not going to be the same without him.

However, I am so glad I listened to the last few chapters of this book at home because amidst the laughter, I cried the Ugly Cry of Uncontrollable Sobs—something I would not want to do while driving, which is how I normally listen to audiobooks.

I’m also glad I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the ebook, because I never would have guessed Ove’s name was pronounced “OO-vuh.” Plus the narrator did an outstanding job with the pacing and the conveyance of Ove’s taciturn grumbles. Ove reminds me of Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino, although with entirely different prejudices (i.e. against French cars, bus drivers, men in white shirts, etc). Ove is only 59, but it’s like he was born an old man...or at least became one as a boy when first his mother and then his father died.

For readers’ advisors: STRONG character doorway and very leisurely pace. It takes most of the book to learn Ove’s history, which is told much of the time in alternating chapters. (The book has a non-linear structure.) No sex, but a smattering of grumpy-old-man swearing. One gay character toward the end, and a mix of at least 3 languages/cultures, not counting the Spanish of Ove & Sonja’s vacation to Spain.

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The Shortest Way Home

The Shortest Way Home by Miriam Parker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Hannah thinks she's got her life planned out: graduate, marry her boyfriend, take a high-powered job in NY, and live the "good life." And then a couple of weeks before graduation, a weekend getaway to wine country in California changes everything. Suddenly she's not sure whether she wants the life she's constructed.

I was expecting a romance, but she ends up breaking up with the boyfriend (smart) and backing off on starting a new relationship with the owner's son (after they sleep together), so it's not a romance novel. It's more of a finding-yourself-after-grad-school story.

I have no idea what's up with the title, as the main character seems to take the LONGEST way to figure out where home is and to come to terms with where she's from & call her mom back. Hannah had so much growing up to do--I never did quite grasp her need to flee her humble roots.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. Contemporary setting, leisurely pace.

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Princess Elizabeth's Spy

Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book #2 in this series was enjoyable to read in many respects, but it had so many issues, I wish there had been another round of revisions before it went to print.  For example:
* There was a continuity issue wherein Maggie read a newspaper account of a supposed suicide in a London hotel, then a few scenes later magically knew the young woman had been murdered, but shortly thereafter still thought it was a suicide.  Huh?
* Also, as other reviewers have pointed out, the plot parallels the TV show "Alias" WAY too closely.  I am a huge "Alias" fan, but the TV show did it first and better!
* I liked Hugh, and if Ms. MacNeal hadn't so abruptly had John join the RAF between books & get immediately shot down, the romance would have worked a lot better.
* For a brilliant, logical woman, Maggie sure overlooked the obvious and jumped to too many (wrong) conclusions.  She is new to spying, so a touch of that would be fine, but not constantly.
* The subplot about who killed Lily was rather a dud after the careful opening setup.  Like the author meant to go one way, changed her mind mid-book, and never went back to adjust the scenes/story/plot to fit.
* Maggie often seemed less mature in this book.  I kept trying to figure out how old she was because it felt like she'd regressed.

There are other things, but you get the point.  Still, I like the series overall and am already listening to Book #3.

For readers' advisors:  character, story, and setting doorways.  Some profanity throughout.  Some violence (a pretty high body count--mostly gunshots and one beheading).  Allusions to sex but no actual sex scenes.  Still WWII England in all but a few scenes.  Leisurely pace until the very end.

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Cooking for Ghosts

Cooking for Ghosts by Patricia V. Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What happens when four women with four very different life histories meet online and decide to open a restaurant aboard a haunted ship? Lives change, decades old mysteries come to light, and more than food spices up the kitchen.

This book had a little bit of everything: ghosts, romance, mystery, culturally diverse characters, murder, and relationships of many kinds--between friends, parents and children, husbands and wives, newly formed couples, and with ghosts. It's set almost entirely on the Queen Mary, a once-grand ship now permanently docked in Long Beach, California. The ship is both haunted by ghosts and sentient in her own right, taking an active role in the events of the story.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, once I got into it. The women's histories are revealed slowly, and the story is told from nearly everyone's point of view at some point. I highly doubt that Rohini's storyline would have wrapped up so tidily in real life--too many loose ends were glossed over, such as where Naag was staying & what did he leave behind--but I was glad it ended as it did. Likewise, as improbable as it was that all four women ended up paired off, I'm glad no one was left alone & lonely.

For readers' advisors: character and setting are primary doorways. Profanity is sprinkled throughout. There is some sexual content, but no explicit sex scenes. Violence occurs but isn't graphic. The pace is fairly leisurely most of the time, speeding up a bit at the end. It's primarily magical realism. (The author is a big fan of Sarah Addison Allen, as I learned after I finished reading.) One minor character is gay.

This first book in the series is about 3.5 stars, but I'll round up to 4 because I'm looking forward to reading the next two.

The publisher sent me a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Copycat Killing

Copycat Killing by Sofie Kelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been raining so much in Mayville Heights that buildings all over the small town are flooding. When Kathleen Paulson and her friend Maggie stumble across the body of mask-maker Jaeger Merrill floating in the basement of the artists' co-op, Kathleen suspects he didn't slip on the stairs and drown by accident. Since Maggie recently argued with Jaeger about the future direction of the co-op, Kathleen fears Detective Marcus Gordon will believe Maggie killed him, and she vows to find the real killer. Jaeger turns out to have a shady past, so Kathleen begins investigating who knew about it.

Kathleen is FINALLY starting to do the sensible thing and call Marcus when she discovers something or figures something out, but it's taking her an unreasonably long time to learn that Bad Things Happen when she doesn't do it right away. And it's taking ridiculously long for her to learn to trust that he will do his job well by following the evidence and isn't actually out to railroad her friends. Honestly, what is her hangup? They are never going to be able to advance their budding relationship if she doesn't learn to have more faith in him!

I did enjoy the story, despite my frustration with the main character(s). I'm looking forward to the next books in the series.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. The pace is fairly leisurely. There is no profanity, sex, or onscreen/graphic violence.

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Sleight of Paw

Sleight of Paw by Sofie Kelly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's winter, and Mayville Heights' winter festival is in full swing, giving library director Kathleen Paulson a perfect opportunity to best detective Marcus Gordon at hockey, to his great surprise. For beloved retired principal Agatha Shepard, winter is not so kind, however, and Kathleen is incensed when Marcus seems to believe her friend Ruby may have killed the elderly woman. Kathleen and her two magical cats start their own investigation, heedless of the danger.

This leisurely paced cozy mystery was thoroughly enjoyable right up until the climax of the story, when Kathleen's truly idiotic actions had me growling in frustration and dropping my rating from 4 to 3 stars. Seriously, why does she have such trouble trusting Marcus? She admits he's a good man and a good police officer, following the evidence wherever it leads, in search of the truth, not just an arrest. So what is her deal? Work WITH him, for crying out loud!

Also, I'm baffled by Kathleen's paranoia about having anyone see her talking to her cats or taking them places. People do that All. The. Time. Unless they actually see a cat walk through a solid door or disappear and reappear, it shouldn't be an issue. Get over it, and stop taking up time in the story worrying about what people might think!

I suspected the killer from the very beginning, but I wasn't totally sure until the end, so that was good.

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary. Would be a "clean read" except for a few instances of mild swearing such as "crap on toast," so I think I'll go ahead and tag it as such. No sex or graphic violence.

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