The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sara's closest friend is one she's only met through letters. Their correspondence began due to buying, selling, and sharing books, and it grew to include stories of their lives and especially of Broken Wheel, the tiny town where Amy lived. Once the bookstore in Sweden where Sara worked went out of business, Amy persuaded her to come to America for a long visit. Unfortunately, Sara arrived in town only to discover Amy's house was full of mourners after her funeral.

The locals view Amy's bewildered guest as "their" tourist and take her under their wing. Sara becomes frustrated when they won't let her repay them in any way, so in desperation for something to do and as a way to give back to the community, Sara decides to open a bookstore in a vacant shop Amy had owned. She is convinced that getting this town of non-readers to share Amy's large collection of books is something Amy would have loved and the best thing she could do to compensate them for their many kindnesses. Her efforts are aided by a long-standing rivalry with a nearby town and eventually breathe life into the dying village.

Unfortunately, her visa is only for three months and doesn't allow her to work while she's visiting, so when she comes to the attention of the local immigration authorities, some of the townspeople hatch a plan to keep "their Sara" by marrying her off to an eligible bachelor...to the mortification of both.

This was a wonderful vacation read--quiet and peaceful. I enjoyed getting to know the people of Broken Wheel and watching Sara blossom as a person, groaning when she and Tom failed to recognize their mutual attraction, grinning at the shock of each townsperson when she or he actually enjoyed reading a book Sara had recommended. My sole complaint is with regard to the abruptness of the ending--I actually flipped back to see if I missed something! It seemed like the author was leading up to John having a larger role to play, and then he witnessed that kiss...and then it was the epilogue. Wait, what?! There should have been a couple more chapters to resolve Sara's situation (as well as George's). Still, a very enjoyable read.

For readers' advisors: character and setting doorways are primary. Some swearing and mentions (but not descriptions) of sexual activity. Good choice for book groups, especially thanks to the discussion questions included at the end of the book.

I received a free eGalley (ARC) copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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I'll Always Love You

I'll Always Love You by Paeony Lewis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My daughter and I LOVE this book. The story is about a little bear who accidentally breaks his mother's favorite honey bowl while trying to surprise her by fixing her breakfast. He's afraid she'll be so mad she won't love him any more, so he tests the waters before he confesses by making up various scenarios of misbehavior to see how she reacts. She always responds with "I'll always love you, but you will have to [insert appropriate consequences here]."

I love that this board book shows children they will be loved no matter what mischief they get into, and there are logical consequences for actions--if you get paint on your baby sister, you will have to give her a bath, etc. I also love that it depicts a child telling the truth even when he knows his mother will be upset and that his relief when he knows he's forgiven allows him to think of a solution for replacing the broken bowl. His "flat brain" becomes three-dimensional again (see Jim Petersen's book Why Don't We Listen Better for reference).

This is a great choice for parents and grandparents (or any other adults) to read to little ones.

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Flourless to Stop Him

Flourless to Stop Him by Nancy J. Parra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Gluten-free baker Toni Holmes is close to exhaustion, working too many hours to meet the demand for her GF treats, hoping the extra revenue over the holidays will keep her fledgling business afloat during the leaner post-Christmas months. The last thing she needs is to add "investigate homicide" to her To Do list, but that's exactly what happens when someone frames her brother Tim for the murder of his former best friend.

I liked this one better than the previous two books in the series, mostly because there was more character development. Grandma Ruth still drives me crazy with her irresponsible behavior, but at least she wasn't the focus of this story, and she did finally get Toni to see that she not only could but should ask her family for help with her bakery during her busiest times. That was a surprisingly difficult realization for Toni.

I am delighted that the character development with this one included Toni choosing between her two potential suitors. Hooray! For a while I was afraid Ms. Parra might write herself into a corner with that one, like Janet Evanovich did, so I'm thankful Toni did some soul-searching and made a choice.

One thing that freaked me out in this book was the part where Toni's cousin brings non-GF bread into her house and Toni says not only the toaster but also the dishes and utensils have to be isolated as permanently contaminated because the gluten can't be washed off. What?! Do I need to replace every dish in my kitchen and ban my family from eating gluten in my house?!

However, I got the chance to have an online conversation with the author shortly after reading this book, and I asked about the contradiction between that scene and the one where Toni eats fast food French fries and gets sick from the contamination. Ms. Parra explained that the French fry scene came from a weak-willpower moment in her own life--she has Celiac disease--and that although not everyone is so incredibly sensitive to gluten, she does know people who not only can't use dishes touched by gluten, they can't even walk down the flour aisle in a grocery store. Wow! That made me incredibly thankful to not be nearly that sensitive to cross-contamination. I can't eat most French fries, but at least I have no problems with freshly washed dishes or baking aisles.

Oh, and the mystery? It kept me guessing, although I did start suspecting the right person by the end.

For readers' advisors: character and story doorways. No sex or swearing that I can recall (or if there is any, it's very mild). A little bit of violence at the end, but not at all graphic.

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Murder Gone A-Rye

Murder Gone A-Rye by Nancy J. Parra
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's almost Thanksgiving, and Toni Holmes is not only gearing up for the holiday gluten-free baked-goods rush, she's also trying to decorate a float for the annual Homer Everett Day Parade. Homer was a local celebrity--pro football player and war hero--and the parade is a big deal. But when Grandma Ruth goes to meet with a woman claiming to have information proving Homer wasn't all he was cracked up to be, she finds the body of her would-be informant and is accused of murder. All of which Grandma Ruth finds entertaining, though Toni does not. Toni wants to leave the investigating to the police, but Grandma Ruth's antics in sleuthing force her to get involved, not only to solve the case but also save her grandmother's life.

The potential love triangle between Toni, Brad, and Sam continues in Book #2, thanks to Toni's insistence on taking a year off from relationships after her divorce. Toni will have a hard time choosing there, I think. Both men are fantastic.

Grandma Ruth's character is both amusing and irritating to me. She's supposed to be fearless and eccentric, but her lack of consideration for other people--their feelings and their property--is appalling. She rides roughshod over everyone. You'd think after 90+ years on this earth, she wouldn't be quite so self-absorbed. Other reviewers have referred to her as an elderly teenager, and I totally agree. I'm not sure why Ms. Parra describes her as being well-respected when it doesn't seem like she behaves in a manner worthy of respect.

As for the mystery itself, I came close on guessing the old secrets and current killer but had a few details wrong, so that was a nice surprise.

For readers' advisors: story and character doorways. No sex, bad language, or on-screen violence.

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Death Before Decaf

Death Before Decaf by Caroline Fardig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Juliet Langley is turning 30, back in Nashville after having everything but the kitchen sink stolen from her by her cheating fiance. Her best friend, Pete, has hired her to manage the coffee shop he inherited from his father. She and Pete both worked there in college, so she already knows some of the staff, and before her fiance robbed her blind, she had owned a very successful cafe.

Unfortunately, none of the staff are happy she's coming in to overhaul the failing business, and she gets into an argument with the head cook, whom she finds murdered later that night. Things go downhill from there. Soon Juliet finds herself at the top of the suspect list, semi-dating a film studies professor who isn't what he seems, chasing down crazy people in an attempt to find the real killer, and learning she may not have given the deceased cook enough credit.

This has been advertised as perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, and I think that's fairly accurate, although Juliet is far more competent than Stephanie has ever dreamt of being. Both do some pretty stupid stunts in order to chase down leads, but Jules is smarter overall.

As for the love triangle, I'm hoping it won't last beyond this first book. Janet Evanovich sort of wrote herself into a corner with no good way out, but so far Caroline Fardig hasn't made the same mistake, as the final scene of the book indicates. I do, however, want to see more of Ryder, and I'm really hoping he finds someone great in the next book.

The book starts at a relaxed pace, setting up the characters and their history, and then it accelerates until it's fairly racing. The funeral scene is snort-out-loud funny--reminiscent of a Lula/Grandma Mazur "incident."

For readers' advisors: story doorway is primary, character secondary. A fair amount of swearing, right from the get-go, which is why I didn't label it as "cozy mystery," since most cozies have cleaner language. The swearing was on the milder side, as swearing goes, but still, not everyone's cup of tea, so it's something to take into consideration when suggesting to readers. A bit of sex but not described.

I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Should've Said No

Should've Said No by Tracy March
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.

Lindsay has lived her entire life in Richmond, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., but after a year of unemployment since being laid off from the Smithsonian Museum, she agrees to take a position in the tiny town of Thistle Bend, Colorado, getting their Heritage Museum up and running. She doesn't plan to stay more than a year or so, and definitely doesn't plan on falling for a sexy handyman cowboy...who happens to be the wealthy director of his family's trust--the same family who has been feuding with hers for over a century.

No one but her great-aunt and uncle know Lindsay is related to the Karlssons, and the closer she gets to Carden Crenshaw, the harder it is for her to keep that secret. Both sides want Lindsay to uncover the truth about the feud, each certain it will bring vindication, each hoping to influence her to portray their side in a positive light in the museum exhibits. What she does discover surprises everyone.

It was a solidly enjoyable book with some very steamy make-out & sex scenes. I didn't understand why there was a three-month time gap between the truth being discovered and Lindsay & Carden reconciling, though. And I really wished Tracy March had included the reveal scene between Lindsay and the two families. Ah well, I had fun imagining on my own how that might have played out. I had guessed part of the reason for the feud pretty early on, but I didn't guess the twist, so kudos to Ms. March for that!

For readers' advisors: character doorway is primary, setting and story secondary. See above about steaminess. A little bit of swearing (mostly the occasional "damn").

I received a free ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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Paladin

Paladin by Sally Slater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Samantha of Haywood has always been a tomboy, but after a demon kills her mother, she decides to become a Paladin--a demon-slaying warrior. There are no female paladins, however, so Sam practices in secret for two years, then runs away from home, chops off her hair, disguises herself as a boy, and invents a new heritage in order to begin her training. She is assigned both a mentor and a roommate. The first is her hero and the man who saved her life. The second is a half demon/half human whom the other students taunt and fear. After the trio save the training fortress from a demon attack--the first in its history--they are sent on a quest to learn more about a new fighting force rising in the East, the Uriel. Their orders are to capture the leader of the Uriel and bring him to meet their High Commander, but all is not as it seems, and new information shifts allegiances.

I'm so glad this is the first in a new YA fantasy series! I absolutely loved it and stayed up way past my bedtime because I couldn't put it down. Sally Slater did an outstanding job building the relationships between Sam, Tristan, and Braeden, and I can't wait to read the next book.

There were a few puzzling things here and there, such as how Sam managed to keep her sword practice truly a secret in a castle full of servants, why she thought her father didn't care about her in the slightest, and how she could hope to maintain her masquerade while traveling when her companions would know she never had to shave and did have to (presumably, unless on this world reproduction is different) deal with menstrual cycles which are never mentioned, but these were minor in comparison with the overall arc of the story.

For readers' advisors: Most YA fiction has story as the primary doorway, but this book was more about character development and world-building, although plot was also strong. There was a small amount of swearing (mostly "shite"), and a some sexual innuendo (primarily during the scene when Tristan decides Sam needs to "become a man" and drags both trainees to a brothel...which doesn't go so well). Otherwise it's a pretty "clean read." This would be an excellent read-alike for fans of Tamora Pierce, particularly her Alanna the Lioness series.

Many many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a free Advance Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

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