Happy Read A Book Day!

To celebrate, I wanted to share my reviews of the books I've read in the past month. Happy reading everyone!

Winter's Mourning by Janice J. Richardson
Winter’s Mourning is a lovely continuation of the Spencer Funeral Home series and an enjoyable story to boot.
The main protagonist, Jennifer, once again proves herself to be a compassionate funeral director and trusted friend who goes above and beyond to help those in need. The funeral home setting and emotional situations the characters find themselves in while serving the living and dead, are quite unique and that makes it an even more interesting read!
This time Jennifer’s fighting for her own life and trying to save a young, tragedy-stricken woman. Niagara, Canada is again the gorgeous setting.
I do suggest starting with book one; those who haven’t read it may not fully understand the storyline in this one.
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery and look forward to reading the third book in the series! 4.5 out of 5 stars

Lead Me Into Danger by Daniella Bernett
Lead Me Into Danger is a well-constructed murder mystery set in Venice and London.
Both cities are beautifully described in a way that made me feel as if I was walking alongside the characters.
Emmeline Kirby is a headstrong journalist who puts her own life at risk to uncover the truth about a fellow journalist's death. During her investigation, she is shadowed by her former lover Gregory Longdon. Their romantic interplay reminded me of gentle Cary Grant style films, though the story is set in the present.
I enjoyed the story and characters. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Earth No. 105 by Ame Terra
I laughed my ass off. This is a highly enjoyable science fiction / coming of age story. The characters are well depicted and the story line is complex.
I did get a bit confused towards the end but quite a bit happens; I'm not sure if I missed something or those elements of the plot will be resolved in book two.
The characters do swear like sailors so if dirty language turns you off, I would skip it.
If you are searching for an entertaining read, whether you're a fan of sci-fi or not, I would highly recommend this book!

Sweet Vengeance by Aliya DalRae
Sweet Vengeance is a well-constructed world of vampires, werewolves and sorcerers living amongst us humans in a typical American town.
Good and evil are more subtly expressed than in most of the paranormal fiction I’ve read (admittedly not a whole lot!). There are quite a few reasons to hate the good guy and I found myself sympathizing with the bad guy, until the final chapters of this novel anyway.
Jessica Sweet is incredibly open to this supernatural world and her ‘take it as it comes’ attitude makes it easier for readers to get on board with the story. The author’s lovely sense of humor also shows through in her dialogue and descriptions.
This is a fun and fast-paced paranormal fiction read that will enthrall fans of the genre.

The Shogun’s Queen by Lesley Downer
The Shogun’s Queen provides a fascinating history of Japan as seen through the eyes of a highly placed woman in the age of the shogun, in a time when Westerners were encroaching on the island, forcing Japan to open its tightly sealed borders to foreign traders and settlers.
Rich in detail, the author creates a world of princesses, shoguns and emperors that lives and breathes. There is plenty of intrigue and back door politics. The preparations for war and tactics used by the Japanese to defend themselves are also well described. As a Dutch citizen, it was also interesting to learn more about the relationship between Japan and the Netherlands from a Japanese perspective.
A captivating and engrossing read, The Shogun’s Queen is the perfect book for readers interested in Japanese culture and history.