Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

 

A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents’ diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother’s diner, she doesn’t even consider saying no. After all–her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie’s ideas–leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it’s too late.

 

 

Amazon – B&N  – IndieBound

 

Review

I think this is going to be a fun series.  I don’t think that I have read a series set in Alaska, so I enjoyed learning a little more about the state and the landscape.  I have visited Alaska but it has been at least a decade.  The rural setting, the diner, and this picturesque town invite the reader and wishing that it was a real place to visit.  I’m sure there are several small towns like this one in Alaska, just not quite.

The cast of characters is small but complements the story.  Not all characters are given in depth lives in the story, but there is potential for them to become more a part of the cast in future books.  It is a shame that Oliver is killed right off the bat because I felt like there was more to his life that we could have learned about him and his past to understand why he was killed.  When the truth is revealed at the end about the “why” I felt like there should have been a little bit more.  I did figure out the killer only because almost all of the other characters had been eliminated.  Charlie seems to spend a lot of time away from the diner investigating Oliver’s murder, leaving her staff to manage the diner.  I did chuckle at the Trooper swearing in Charlie and friends as deputies.  It didn’t mean a hill of beans but, as Graham said, it made you feel better about nosing around in potentially unsafe places.

If you like cats then you will like Benny.  I was intrigued by this device that would feed him but also had a camera and other electronic toys for Charlie to play with him from the diner.  It was a good way to keep Benny entertained, and perhaps even Charlie and her co-workers.  Benny also saves the day in the end but you’ll have to read the book to find out how.

The story is not fast paced but will get you to where you need to go in due time.

We enjoyed this book and give it 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Camille Minichino is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series. A retired physicist, she’s the author of 28 mystery novels in 5 series, with different pen names. Her next book is “Mousse and Murder,” May 2020, by Elizabeth Logan. She’s also written many short stories and articles. She teaches science at Golden Gate U. in San Francisco and writing workshops around the SF Bay Area.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Nearly Departed (An Eve Appel Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Publisher: Epicenter Press (January 14, 2020)
Print Length: 180 pages

Synopsis

 

Tired of sitting surveillance on insurance fraud, apprentice PI Eve Appel Egret gets her first big case, one where the outcome is important and personal. Eve’s best friend Madeleine has few relatives, so her Uncle Shamus is special, but someone is determined to kill him and has tried several times. Eve is certain she can identify who is after him, but this time she may have taken on more than even our self-confident Eve can handle. Coping with a growing toddler and a teenager, devoting time to the consignment shop and finding someone who can go undercover in a sexual harassment case all vie for Eve’s attention. Eve knows she cannot fail Madeleine. This is more than her favorite uncle’s life. His death would mean devastating loss for Madeleine and call into question Eve’s commitment as a friend and her ability as a PI.

 

 

Amazon – B&N – IndieBound

 

Guest Post

 

Today we have Madeleine from Nearly Departed joining us with some few insights.  Welcome Madeleine!

 

My name is Madeleine Boudreau Wilson, and I’m Eve Apple Egret’s best friend and business partner. The two of us own a consignment shop in a rural Florida community. We’ve been BFFs since sixth grade. Since everyone says we are such different people, you may wonder how we established this relationship and why it has survived for so long.

It’s never easy being a new kid in town, and if you’re the smallest kid in the class and you have carroty red hair like I had, you get picked on. My nickname, and not one of my own choosing, was “Shrimp” not only because of my size, but because one of the bullies thought I looked red like a prawn when cooked. Eve came to my rescue and taught me how to handle bullies. She told me to punch them in the gut, which I did, but since I was so short, my blow landed somewhere south of the gut area and in another more delicate spot. That lucky punch made the bullies back off. I returned Eve’s favor by telling all the girls in the class that Eve’s spikey hairdo had b been specially created for her by a famous New York salon operator. Every sixth-grade school was so jealous they tried to imitate Eve’s do with a similar one of their own. It never worked for them because only Eve Apple can pull off that look.

Eve’s advice in sixth grade is only one evidence of Eve’s take action approach to life. Me? I’m more laid back. Our different approaches to dealing with others provided the opportunity for each of us to learn from the other, although I think Eve never holds back when she feels strongly about something.

Here in rural Florida two Yankee gals charting a course this conservative southern town is not easy. Once people get to know Eve, they respect her, even like her despite her in your face approach to living. I think I’ve helped make her acceptance here easier because I have a way about me with others. I’m too tiny to be a threat, and my ladylike charm allows me to fit in well. Eve’s manner can offend easily, but I’m there to smooth things over. Don’t get me wrong. Beyond that rough exterior Eve is a thoughtful, kind and loyal person. Like me, Eve believes friends and family are everything. We’re always there for each other.

When Eve enters a room, everyone knows she’s there. When I enter a room, unless I trip over someone or drop something or crash into somebody (despite my ladylike appearance and manner, I’m clumsy), I’m ignored. In fact, I’m so awkward that there are stores in this town who would prefer I not shop in them for fear I’ll destroy their merchandise… or their customers. I ran through a lot of would-be boyfriends until I met my husband, David. Before him, a second date with a guy was rare because I’d managed to step on their feet on the dance floor or knock their drinks out of their hand. One fellow suffered a mild concussion when I accidentally hit him on the head with my purse as we both leaned over at the same time to retrieve his dropped car keys. I backed into a retaining gate at the annual rodeo, popped the latch and freed a herd of bulls, horses and steers. I’ve never been back. I think the rodeo’s sponsors are happy I stay away.

Another reason that Eve and I are such good friends is that I’m patient. She’s not. I put up with a lot from that gal. She likes to plunge headfirst into situations no one with any sense would tackle. She smart, clever and has a nose for sniffing out crime. When she gets an idea into her head, she pursues it, usually by herself although lately because she now has a family of her own to think about, she’s being more cautious. I’ve never been able to talk her into taking baby steps, but then, with her six-foot height, baby steps aren’t part of her DNA. There are times I envy her adventures in crime, but I have twin children, a boy and a girl, to think about. The boy is like his father, smart, handsome and the best child. The girl, who I named after Eve, turned out just like her. Evie is tall and was a handful from the time she was born. How did I get a child so unlike me and my husband and so like my friend? Did I offend someone, and Evie is my punishment for some social faux pas?

Eve mentioned once that we should get into the private detecting business together, pointing out how well we have done with the consignment shop. I have no interest in chasing down murderers, kidnapers and other criminals. I have my hands full just trying to raise my twins. I look ahead to their teenage years and shudder to think that my daughter could follow in Eve’s footsteps. Not that Eve was boy crazy. She was simply competitive with the boys. If driving cars fast was what guys did, then so did Eve. Daring Eve to do something wild meant she would. She was raised by her grandmother who must be some kind of saint to have put up with all Eve’s shenanigans, but I suspect her grandmother was not unlike Eve when she was an adolescent. Some families have renegade genes. I think Eve’s does. Eve now has a daughter of her own, more rambunctious than my daughter and destined to take after her mother. Her daughter will be payback for Eve’s past high-spirited youth. As mothers, we’re both in for some trying years ahead with our kids.

 

About the Author

 

Cows, Lesley learned as a child growing up on a farm, have a twisted sense of humor. They chased her when she went to the field to herd them in for milking, and one ate the lovely red mitten her grandmother knitted for her. Determining that agriculture wasn’t her career path, she took a job as a stripper, book cover stripper for a publishing company, that is. Now after many years as a college professor and university administrator, she has returned to the world of books and uses her country roots and her training to concoct stories designed to make people laugh in the face of murder. “A good chuckle,” says Lesley,” keeps us emotionally well-oiled long into our old age.”

 

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Blog

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

Mia might look like a Millennial but she was born yesterday. Emerging from a coma with short-term amnesia after an accident, Mia can’t remember her own name until the Siri assistant on her iPhone provides it. Based on her cool hairstyle (undercut with glamorous waves), dress (Prada), and signature lipstick (Chanel), she senses she’s wealthy, but the only way to know for sure is to retrace her steps once she leaves the hospital. Using Instagram and Uber, she arrives at the pink duplex she calls home in posts but finds Max, a cute, off-duty postdoc supplementing his income with a house-sitting gig. He tells her the house belongs to JP, a billionaire with a chocolate empire. A few texts later, JP confirms her wildest dreams: they’re in love, Mia is living the good life, and he’ll be back that weekend.

But as Mia and Max work backward through her Instagram and across Los Angeles to learn more about her, they discover a surprising truth behind her perfect Instagram feed, and evidence that her head wound was no accident. Who was Mia before she woke up in that hospital? And is it too late for her to rewrite her story?

 

 

This book originally slated to be published in May 2020 but has been pushed back to January 2021.

 

Pre-order on Amazon

 

Review

 

This reminded me of a book I read a few years ago where a teen lost her memory and had to figure out who she was from her phone.

Mia wakes up in the hospital with no clue who she is and her only clues are her social media accounts and apps on her phone. Thankfully the nurses are nice at the hospital and charge up her phone for her. Once she is awake, the hospital boots her out with nowhere to go or any clue as to her identity. You have to suspend disbelief because I can’t believe a hospital would do that to someone.

The rest of the book is Mia trying to remember who she is, how she ended up with memory loss, and what she is meant to do in this life.

I thought the book had some really enjoyable parts and some that were just ok. Mia did get on my nerves…how can she wear the same dress for 5 days? I get that she has no money, but there are a few characters that could have loaned her a few bucks to buy a new outfit. I did like that she was appalled once she learned more about her true self and it seems like getting hit on the head and losing her memory maybe wasn’t such a bad thing. It was a path of rediscovery for Mia and to perhaps make a better life for herself.

I’d give this book 3 – 3 1/2 paws.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Sam Tschida (pronounced cheetah) is a rom-com author. She lives with her gang of children, a couple of poorly behaved dogs, and one handsome man. When she’s not writing she is probably making lasagna. Just kidding. Who knows what she’s doing, least of all Sam. The only guarantee is that she is actively brainstorming her next book. And if we’re being honest, it’s pretty likely that she’s not making lasagna, unless it’s the frozen kind. Shout out to Mrs. Stouffers!

Besides living the dream writing books, she edits other peoples’ books and teaches writing classes, but she is a Pisces so we might as well call it what it is, therapy. So boiled down, Sam is an unlicensed therapist who also writes rom-coms.

 

Synopsis

 

From the bestselling author of Sweet Tea Tuesdays comes a story of true love that spans decades.

Lillian Alexander’s father is dying of cancer. When he rambles on in a morphine-delirium, Lillian can’t ignore the feeling he’s trying to tell her something. At his funeral days later, she encounters ghosts from her past who stir long-suppressed memories from the day her mother died twenty-seven years ago. Why, if her mother’s death was an accident, does Lillian harbor guilt, as though she were somehow to blame?

When Lillian and her twin sister, Layla, learn the Stoney family fortune is gone, Lillian fights to save her ancestral home on Charleston’s prestigious East Battery. Desperate to resolve her money problems and get answers to her questions about the past, she tears her father’s study apart in search of clues. She discovers a thumb drive in a hollowed-out hardback copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls. The thumb drive, marked For Lillian in his handwriting, contains her father’s memoir. Secluded in the family’s cottage on Wadmalaw Island, she immerses herself in her father’s account of his stormy relationship with her mother. What she learns sets her on a journey of self-discovery.

Tangled in Ivy is a tale of tortured souls and southern family dysfunction.

 

 

Pre-order on Amazon

 

 

Review

 

I simply love everything I ready by Ashley Farley and this story is no exception.  There is something about her southern stories of women that are strong yet vulnerable and the families that surround them that draw in the reader and perhaps even have them relating to the various characters.

In this story we meet Lillian and Layla, twin sisters that don’t seem to have that close bond most twins, even sisters, might have together.  They are as different as can be and the truth about their mother’s life and her death can either tear them apart even more or bring them together.

I enjoyed the story told from several viewpoints and different time periods.  Learning more about Graham and Ivy’s life together was intriguing and explained so much of the family dysfunction.  Sadly, Lillian and Layla learn all of this after his death, and had they known some of it before he died, perhaps they could have cleared the air of so much.  The sisters might have even come to a better understanding of who they were and why there was such animosity between them that didn’t need to be there.  It takes time to heal the rift, but even with that journey, there were many bumps in the road that added more drama to the story.

I think I stayed up way too late finishing this book but it was so worth it and while this book isn’t due to be published until June, grab it as soon as you can or go ahead and pre-order the book, you will be glad you did.

We give this book 5 paws up!

 

 

About the Author

 

Ashley Farley writes books about women for women. Her characters are mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives facing real-life issues. Her bestselling Sweeney Sisters series has touched the lives of many.

Ashley is a wife and mother of two young adult children. While she’s lived in Richmond, Virginia for the past 21 years, a piece of her heart remains in the salty marshes of the South Carolina Lowcountry, where she still calls home. Through the eyes of her characters, she captures the moss-draped trees, delectable cuisine, and kindhearted folk with lazy drawls that make the area so unique.

 

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FIRST HERD TO ABILENE

 

An H. H. Lomax Western, #5

 

by

 

PRESTON LEWIS

 

Genre: Historical Fiction / Western / Humor

Publisher: Wolfpack Publishing

Date of Publication: February 5, 2020

Number of Pages: 449

Scroll down for the giveaway!

 

 

 

 

HISTORICALLY SOUND AND HILARIOUSLY FUNNY! 

H.H. Lomax meets Wild Bill Hickok in Springfield, Missouri, and is responsible for Hickok’s legendary gunfight with Davis Tutt. Fearing Hickok will hold a grudge, Lomax escapes Springfield and agrees to promote Joseph G. McCoy’s dream of building Abilene, Kansas, into a cattle town, ultimately leading the first herd to Abilene from Texas.

Along the way, he encounters Indians, rabid skunks, flash floods, a stampede, and the animosities of some fellow cowboys trying to steal profits from the drive. Lomax is saved by the timely arrival of now U.S. Marshal Hickok, but Lomax uses counterfeit wanted posters to convince Hickok his assailants are wanted felons with rewards on their heads.

Lomax and Wild Bill go their separate ways until they run into each other a decade later in Deadwood, Dakota Territory, where Hickok vows to kill Lomax for getting him fired.

First Herd to Abilene is an entertaining mix of historical and hysterical fiction.

 

 

 

 

Amazon  *  Barnes and Noble  *  Bookshop.org

 

 

 

 

As the last to return, Silas and I were only two drovers without sleep since the stampede so we spooned down the food as fast as we could, planning to crawl in our bedrolls and get blessed rest.  While we ate, Sainty mounted his horse and rode out to bring Parsons and Mark to the wagon, leaving the cattle unguarded.  Then he motioned to the remuda for Muñoz and Ramírez to join us.  I finished my plate and carried it over to Bitters, then went to fetch my bedding, but Sainty told me to rejoin to the others.

“Men,” he announced, “we lost a hundred and thirty-three steers by my herd count plus another thirteen that had to be shot due to injuries.  We can’t afford more losses that size.”

Everybody nodded.

“Your pay and the Five-D Ranch’s survival depend on reducing our losses and making as big a profit as we can.”

“Hold on,” said Muscher.  “You’re not cutting our pay because of the stampede, are you?”

“No, Chuck, but if we don’t have cattle when we get to Abilene, there’ll be nothing to pay anybody with.”

“Cattle or no cattle, you’ll owes us a dollar a day,” cried O’Henry.”

“You owe me a full day’s work, which I don’t always get, Irish.  We’re in this together, whether we like it or not.  That’s why I need to know what started the stampede so it won’t happen again.

O’Henry spun around and pointed at me.  “Lomax started it.  He farted!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preston Lewis is the Spur Award-winning author of thirty novels. In addition to his two Western Writers of America Spurs, he received the 2018 Will Rogers Gold Medallion for Western Humor for Bluster’s Last Stand, the fourth volume in his comic western series, The Memoirs of H. H. Lomax. Two other books in that series were Spur finalists. His comic western The Fleecing of Fort Griffin received the Elmer Kelton Award from the West Texas Historical Association for best creative work on the region.

 

 

Website ║ Facebook ║ Goodreads

 

║Amazon Author Page║

 

 

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Signed Copies of First Herd to Abilene and Bluster’s Last Stand

 

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Signed Copy of First Herd to Abilene

 

APRIL 28-MAY 8, 2020

 

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CLICK TO VISIT THE LONE STAR LITERARY LIFE TOUR PAGE

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OR GO DIRECTLY TO THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR

4/28/20	Excerpt	The Page Unbound
4/28/20	BONUS Post	Hall Ways Blog
4/29/20	Review	Max Knight
4/30/20	Author Interview	Forgotten Winds
5/1/20	Review	The Clueless Gent
5/2/20	Scrapbook Page	All the Ups and Downs
5/3/20	Excerpt	StoreyBook Reviews
5/4/20	Review	Reading by Moonlight
5/5/20	Author Interview	Texas Book Lover
5/6/20	Review	Bibliotica
5/7/20	Review	Books and Broomsticks
5/7/20	BONUS Post	#Bookish

 

 

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Healthy, delicious recipes from one of the nation’s leading nutrition experts

Looking and feeling our best has more to do with what we eat and drink than anything else. With Joy Bauer’s Superfood!, the Today show nutritionist and #1 New York Times bestselling author offers 150 recipes that taste great and offer health benefits.

With a home cook’s instinct for easy, everyday meals, and a dietician’s understanding of the foods that promote longevity, Joy Bauer’s Superfood! will make readers feel their absolute best.

 

 

 

I received this cookbook from Abrams Books as part of the Abrams Dinner Party.  I don’t think I have been disappointed by any of their cookbooks.  Some I favor more than others, but I usually learn something from each cookbook.

I don’t watch the Today Show so I am not familiar with Joy Bauer or what she shares on television.  That said, she has put together a cookbook that I can see referring to often and using weekly.  Simple dishes that use ingredients that are easy to find and cover a wide variety of possibilities.

There are so many options and so far I have made the Lemon Thyme Chicken Paillard with Citrus Vinaigrette, Loaded Bell Pepper Nachos (great if you are Paleo or cutting carbs), and One-Skillet Enchiladas.  I even took pictures of a few but not the chicken because mine didn’t look as pretty as the picture!  So I’m sharing a picture of the dish from the book.

I never had considered using bell peppers as the “chip” for Nachos, but let me tell you, I’m not sure I’ll go back to using chips now.  I felt healthy eating these…ok so I did use ground beef vs ground turkey, but I use lean ground beef.  Since it is mixed with black beans and other things, you really don’t eat a lot of beef.  I also added green chilies to my beef mixture.  This is Texas after all, and we are all about the spice!  I also used my own homemade taco seasoning, easy to make, and keep vs buying packages of it at the store.

Guacamole is a staple in Texas and the recipe in the book is pretty much how I make it except I use white onions and never thought about adding cumin, but it added a little something extra to the flavor.

The One-Pot Enchiladas (or Enchilada Pie as I like to call it) was also simple to make.  I was glad to see Joy said it was ok to add extra cheese between the layers because cheese makes everything better.  I used corn tortillas vs a whole grain flour tortilla and I think that turned out tastier, but that is just my opinion.  I did not add in the butternut squash since I didn’t have any on hand, but it also made the dish come together faster because I didn’t have to wait for the squash to soften before the final step in the over.

The Lemon Thyme Chicken Paillard was tangy and perfect for spring and summer with its light flavors.  While I personally didn’t serve it with the lettuce mix, I did make risotto as a side dish and spooned the Lemon Vinaigrette over that too.  Took it to another level I tell you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This cookbook would be great for anyone looking to amp up the number of superfoods in their weekly menu.  Simple dishes with a variety of flavors that should please even the pickiest eater.

 

 

Synopsis

 

Karma, a young man, knows very well who his soulmate is. Or so he thinks.

But, really, who is the one?

The posh Angela who he worships. Or is it Sana, the wild racer, who drives him crazy. Or is it Simi, the sensible psychologist, who puts him back together.

Or maybe there is no one for him because Karma’s deeds in his all-consuming quest as he scours the world have broken so many rules that, one day, karma, the immortal and unrelenting collector of soul-debt, comes calling for Karma, the mortal, himself.

The novel demonstrates the lengths one is willing to go to, the rules one is willing to break and the soul-debt one is willing to accumulate in the quest for a soulmate. Truly, everything is fair in love, even if not in war.

Will Karma the mortal outwit karma the immortal? Or will karma wipe Karma away…

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

Every once in awhile, Grandfather would muster enough strength to pick up his stick and take a walk to the orchard, along with me, whenever he needed a fix; Lalita’s husband was his supplier.

Grandfather would pay for the joint of marijuana, once Lalita’s husband had prepared it for him. After that, we would sit under the shade of a mango tree, while Grandfather took lazy puffs from his joint, a big toothless grin spreading across his face and making him look like a laughing Buddha, except Grandfather was thinner. Once the Marijuana had taken full effect, he would close his eyes, lean against the tree trunk and talk about the good old days; the days of his youth and strength, when he had led our townsfolk in the freedom struggle. He talked proudly of the time spent in the local prison along with fellow patriots. He often mentioned a letter which Mahatma Gandhi himself had written, personally thanking Grandfather for his efforts, though no one else in the family had ever seen that letter.

The only other freedom fighter I knew of was a young toffee seller, a dark-skinned and handsome man, Veerasamy. Tied to an upright stick, attached to his bicycle, was a toffee doll, dressed in an old pink frock. He would pull some toffee from the doll, fashion it into a watch, a ring or a bird and sell to children in town. While moulding our toffees into the shape we desired, Veerasamy talked about equality; for the poor, for women and the children. What we needed was evolution and not revolution he would say. In his free time, he did solo acting plays at the town centre, being for a while the oppressor and for a while the oppressed. A police constable had whacked him with the cane once for being a nuisance in public, which was when the toffee man’s performance had held up traffic.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Before I tell you more about myself, I want to answer a question that might arise in your mind. Given there are already so many writers (some might think too many), the question is: Why should I write at all?

Simply, I write because I was not allowed to write. Or read, any book which had the word love in it. In my family, it was believed that reading about love lead to rebellion. I myself picked up the pen when my only child was six-months old. At that time, I was without a job. I wrote because there was a lot that I wanted to tell my child, even if one day in the future, to make sense of this world. Writing also helped me keep hope alive, one page at a time, as I went from one fruitless interview to another.

As my child took first steps, I reached a milestone of my own. I completed my first book; the story of a young man’s quest to find answers to life’s questions. A boutique publisher in Paris loved it and translated my work into French. I even found a job soon after.

I am choosing to write under a pen-name because I am at a stage in my life where I prefer and love anonymity. Once my child is older, I intend to write under my own name.

Many thanks for reading my post and I hope you enjoy reading my novels.

 

Happy Reading!

Karma

 

 

 

 

 

Book title: Hands Off – a billionaire romance

Series: Love in the Suburbs, #3

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Romance, billionaire romance, Humor, Small town romance

Published: March 20, 2020

 

Synopsis

 

I am done with men. D – O – N – E. DONE!

I don’t care how much billionaire Roman Cadwell pushes (and, oh boy, does the sexy man push ALL my buttons), I am not dating him. Especially not when he’s wearing a golden band around his ring finger. I do not get involved with married men. Call it my line in the sand. If a man can’t be faithful, I want not one single thing to do with him.

But what if Roman isn’t really married? What then? No, no, no. I will not fall into Lying McLiarson’s trap.

Only every time the man touches me, my body forgets I’m a good girl and wants to give in. Hands off, Mr. Lying Pants, before I forget I’m a good girl.

Although – no one said I had to be a good girl forever.

Author’s Note: This romantic comedy contains absolutely, positively NO cheating. None. But it does have a whole bunch of witty dialogue and a super sweet happily ever after. And maybe more drama than the author originally intended. What can she say? The characters have minds of their own.

Hands Off is the third book of the Love in the Suburbs series but can be read as a standalone novel.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

 

This author always knows how to make me laugh – from the characters to their thoughts and their words and deeds.

Bailey has some hangups but has caught the eye of Roman, a millionaire, possibly billionaire. Nothing she seems to say or do seems to deter him from winning her heart. Roman may be rich but he is really down to earth. He does some things that seem sneaky or deceitful, but I think it was him trying to protect Bailey. I really enjoyed watching their love story come to fruition.

The whole gang is back in this book – Frankie, Shelby, and of course Grandma. Grandma is a hoot and a half. She is definitely nosy and tries to manage everyone’s life and wants everything to be happy and in love, much to Grandpa’s dismay. I think he just keeps his mouth shut and lets her do what she wants since it keeps her happy.

I’m not sure if it was this book or I just don’t remember the last book, but Shelby seems to be over the top in her words and actions. Maybe it is because she has Jackson and feels more comfortable interfering in everyone else’s life? Or maybe Grandma has rubbed off on her.

I thought this might be the last book but I’m excited to see there is at least one more that tells us Luke and Violet’s story…and I think there is quite a story there so I can’t wait to delve in and find out what has these two on the outs with each other.

We give this story 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic before returning to the law. But practicing law really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out running a B&B wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where, in between tennis matches and failing to save the world, I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

 

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Synopsis

 

When it comes to preparing meals, choosing between healthy and convenient can be a real struggle. Until now.

Popular bloggers and cookbook authors Six Sisters’ Stuff have gathered more than 100 of their top most-requested healthy recipes that combine their fast-and-easy cooking style with fresh ingredients for delicious and family-friendly meals. Whether you are serving a full three-course meal, grabbing a quick afternoon snack, or need to take a dish to a potluck, there is a recipe here that will fit your lifestyle and busy schedule as well as satisfy your taste buds.

With each recipe coming in at under 500 calories, this cookbook offers a great place to start for people who are looking to lose weight, who would like to prepare meals using more natural foods, or who are simply working to maintain a more balanced lifestyle.

With Healthy Eats with Six Sisters’ Stuff, it’s never been easier to provide healthy snacks and meals for on-the-go families.

 

Book Design: © Shadow Mountain

Cover Photo: © Shutterstock/Elena Eryomenko

Art Direction: Richard Erickson

Cover Design: Emily Remington

Typesetting: Rachael Ward

 

 

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Review

 

I love to cook and right now during this pandemic, I feel like I am cooking more than normal.  I don’t think I really am but it just feels that way.

I was excited to receive this cookbook in the mail and as usual, these sisters know how to put together a cookbook and make it simple so that cooks of any skill level could use these recipes.  I might even be able to convince my husband to try his hand at some of these dishes.  As you leaf through this cookbook, the brilliant color photos leap off the page and many times I found myself stopping and gazing (okay, maybe drooling) over the photos and adding the recipe to my queue to prepare.

The cookbook is divided into sections for Breakfast, Lunch, Main Dishes, Side Dishes, Snacks and Desserts.  This book covers pretty much any possibility when it comes to mealtime.  With a wide variety of options, you are bound to find a recipe for even the pickiest eater.

I’m always looking for new ideas for main dishes and found quite a few I wanted to try here at home.  I had most of the ingredients on hand so it was easy to whip up the dishes.  Everything turned out delicious and we were quite content.  So far I have tried these dishes: Grilled Cajun-Lime Chicken, Honey-Lime Grilled Chicken, Garlic Steak Kabobs, and the Lemon-Garlic Salmon.  Side note, I think the lemon garlic sauce for the salmon would be divine on chicken too.  For the lime, I did substitute bottled lime juice because I forgot to purchase limes on my grocery run, but it still turned out well.  Even though I’m in Texas, our grill hasn’t been used in a while (yes I know, that is blasphemy) but I had a grill pan I used on the stove.

As I was leafing through the book while writing this review, I stumbled across a Loaded Bell Peppers breakfast recipe and I think I might have found my next dish to try one weekend morning.  There is also a Dark Chocolate Zucchini Cake that looks good.  I wonder if I could make that and not tell my husband about the zucchini and he would eat it?  Something to think about.  I also just stumbled across Baked Cinnamon Apple Crisps, what a healthy snack, and just 2 ingredients – apples and cinnamon.  I could go on and on but I keep finding new possibilities to try and this cookbook is going to be a staple in my repertoire.

We give this 5 paws up

 

 

 

Some of the recipes in the book

Breakfast

Blueberry Breakfast Cookies
Chocolate-Banana Blender Muffins
Red Potato Turkey Bacon Bake
Blueberry Protein Pancakes
Scrambled Egg Breakfast Muffins
Breakfast Tostadas
Bagel Thin Egg White Breakfast Sandwiches
Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowl

Lunch

Flat bread Veggie Pizza
Buffalo Chicken Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Skinny BBQ Chicken Tostadas
Cajun Chicken Sausage Bake
Make-Ahead Bean and Rice Burritos
Sweet Potato Taco Bowls
Grilled Salmon Salad
Shredded Beef and Sweet Potato Tacos

Main Dish

Grilled Cajun Lime Chicken
Lemon Garlic Salmon
Garlic Steak Kebabs
Egg Roll in a Bowl
Teriyaki Pork Stir-Fry
Pizza Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Shrimp Protein Bowl with Mango Salsa
Easy Chicken Street Tacos
Cauliflower-Crust Pizza

Sides

Garlic-Lime Sweet Potato Fries
Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus
Honey-Roasted Carrots
Homemade Naan
Honey Dijon Brussel Sprouts

 

About the Sisters

 

 

 

The Six Sisters—Camille, Kristen, Elyse, Stephanie, Lauren, and Kendra—started their blog in 2011 as a way to keep in touch after they moved out of their house and started lives and families on their own. In just a few years, their blog has become one of the top blog sites for women, with millions of visitors each month enjoying the Sisters’ family stories, recipes, and tips for running a home. The sisters live in California, Texas, and Utah.

 

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Seas the Day (A Seafood Capers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (April 21, 2020)
Hardcover: 282 pages

 

Synopsis

Caterer River Holloway cooks like a dream and is known on Shell Island as a “finder” of things. Which is why a desperate mother begs River to track down her grown son, Chili Bolz, who’s vanished.

Deputy Lance Hamlyn can’t find the missing man, so he teams up with River. The missing person case boils over into something frightening when Chili’s mother falls victim to a brutal assault. Worse, her dying words incriminate River’s friends in both kidnapping and, now, murder. River soon finds herself caught in an unsavory recipe for disaster.

Despite catering events and the return of her absentee boyfriend, River finds the number of suspects growing longer than her food shopping list. Along the way she befriends a black cat who becomes her crime-solving partner. River must locate Chili and discover who killed his mother before her own goose is quite literally cooked.

Maggie Toussaint serves up a fun and captivating read in Seas the Day, the first in her Seafood Capers series.

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Wonderful start to a new series.

River is one tough, smart, and dedicated woman. She believes in supporting friends and family no matter what and has a kind heart as we learn during a discussion with Pete about what she would do if she had a million dollars. It is obvious how much she values friendships when she starts looking for Chili, a pseudo big brother at the behest of his mother, Estelle. What River doesn’t realize is that she will be put into some precarious positions in her search.

There is an interesting mix of characters, some are from River’s past since this is a small island, and some are new to the island. While the “bad guy” character becomes obvious due to the character’s words and actions, the culprit could have been anyone and I had a few characters in mind to pin the deed upon. Not all characters are as they seem and there are a few surprises when it comes to her family friends – Estelle, Chili, and Kale. (I did chuckle at their names, how did they get named after foods?!)

River and Pete have an interesting relationship and I feel like there is so much we don’t know and at times I wondered if this might be a spinoff book where these characters were introduced somewhere else. Hopefully, future books will share more of their history so we can better understand them.

There are some recipes at the end of the book that sounds delicious and this comes from someone that doesn’t eat seafood! But I bet I could make some substitutions and have a delicious meal.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes cozy and paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with twenty fiction novels published. A three-time finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, she’s won three Silver Falchions, the Readers’ Choice, and the EPIC Awards. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.

 

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Giveaway

 

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