Jane Litte's Blog, page 106

Review: Bodyguard (The Bodyguards #1) by Dassy Bernhard

How was he supposed to know that the real-life chairman looked like an actor playing one on TV?

When bodyguard Tang Jun-young saves his clients, a world-famous K-pop boyband, from being kidnapped by stopping the getaway van with his own body, he’s worried that his secret—well, one of them—will be out in the open. Fortunately, everyone’s focus is on the idols, and nobody looks at him too closely—or so he thinks.

Kyo Seung-hyun, the new chairman of the Kyo Group, is looking for a trusted confidan...

JOINT REVIEW: Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Note: Since we had fun reviewing Chasing Cassandra together, Janine and I decided to do a joint review of Devil in Disguise.

Jennie: Before Janine got me into reading the two most recent Lisa Kleypas historical series (the Ravenels and then the Hathaways—Kleypas had a couple of contemporary series in between these), I hadn’t read one of Kleypas’ historical romances since 2006. I checked my book log; I read Devil in Winter in March of 2006 and gave it a B-. (I did read a couple of her contempora...

REVIEW: A Delicious Dilemma by Sera Taíno

It’s hard to remain enemies when you’ve broken bread together

Val Navarro’s first mistake: going out dancing after a bad breakup when the chef should be focused on her family business. Her second mistake? Thinking the handsome, sensitive stranger she meets could be more than a rebound – until she discovers he’s Philip Wagner of Wagner Developments. His father’s company could shut down her Puerto Rican restaurant and unravel her tight-knit neighborhood. When Philip takes over negotiations, Val ...

REVIEW: Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta

Dear C.M. Nascosta,

I saw the buzz about this book on Twitter and I bought it because apparently I’m a sheep. (Ha. Geddit? There are sheep people populating this world but they are not major players in the story.) It’s not the kind of book I would usually pick up – it’s definitely one which was purely as a result of multiple *multiple* Twitter recs. For now at least, it seems to be only available from Amazon.

It’s a longish novella – around category length really and the cover really does give mu...

REVIEW: A Midwinter Match by Jane Lovering

Ruby Oldbridge needs to learn to take her own advice.
A talented counsellor at work in York, she is however floundering in her own life. Her romantic track record is woeful, her finances are in a pickle, and she’s back in a house-share after splitting up with her useless ex.

But one thing Ruby is brilliant at, is helping other people find a way through their problems, and she excels at the job she loves, doing just that.

Happy-go-lucky, Mr Positivity, Zac Drewe also loves his job – the trouble...

REVIEW: Battle Royal x 2 by Lucy Parker

Ready…

Four years ago, Sylvie Fairchild charmed the world as a contestant on the hit baking show, Operation Cake. Her ingenious, creations captivated viewers and intrigued all but one of the judges, Dominic De Vere. When Sylvie’s unicorn cake went spectacularly sideways, Dominic was quick to vote her off the show. Since then, Sylvie has used her fame to fulfill her dream of opening a bakery. The toast of Instagram, Sugar Fair has captured the attention of the Operation Cake producers…and a pri...

Review : In the Best Families (Nero Wolfe, #17) by Rex Stout

Aging millionairess Mrs. Rackham asks Nero Wolfe to find out where her penniless husband has suddenly been obtaining mysteriously large sums of money, a request that leads to murder and to threats against the master detective himself.

Review:

Warning : murder of the dog

Dear readers,

I am a big fan of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. I think I have read in Russian and English most of the novels that Rex Stout wrote about them, some – more than once. Recently I discovered some audiobooks of tho...

REVIEW: Battle Royal by Lucy Parker

CW: parental death, emotional abuse (childhood), cancer

Dear Lucy Parker,

If ever a book was made to please me, Battle Royal is it. It even has cake! I have a soft spot for the grumpy one and the sunshiney one and when he’s also a cinnamon roll? Sign me up. Generally speaking I’m hesitant with books billed as “enemies to lovers”; I dislike mean characters and I need to like the main characters in any romance I’m reading or else I can’t care about their journey to a HEA. Sylvie “detests” Dominic ...

REVIEW: The Next Pharaoh by Sally Watson

General Horemheb is confident of becoming Pharaoh when Ay dies childless. Over-confident? He understands men. But not, alas, women, who are as unpredictable and disobedient as cats. The gods, possibly offended, challenge him with plots, pretenders, disappearances, assassins, magic, and willful women–not to mention an imperious kitten who rides his shoulder and whose goddess he had better not offend! Becoming the Next Pharaoh turns out more complicated than he had supposed!

Dear Ms. Watson,

I ...

REVIEW: Spirits Abroad: Stories by Zen Cho

Nineteen sparkling stories that weave between the lands of the living and the lands of the dead. Spirits Abroad is an expanded edition of Zen Cho’s Crawford Award winning debut collection with nine added stories including Hugo Award winner “If at First You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again.” A Datin recalls her romance with an orang bunian. A teenage pontianak struggles to balance homework, bossy aunties, first love, and eating people. An earth spirit gets entangled in protracted negotiations with...