Posted 11:05 AM by FaerieKissed
The Secret Lover by Julia London

Julia London is one of my favorite romance novelists. This book follows her Rogues of Regency Street series and tells the story of one of the Rogue's younger sister's, Sophie. Like most romances, this story is hardly plausible--Sophie, who is returning to England after leaving in the midst of a scandal, would not have attracted the attention of the widower who was once the catch of the Season. It is plausible that she would make a match with his brother, Caleb, the bastard son--and that is the driving force of the story. Like all of London's books, this is a very enjoyable read. I was surprised though that she didn't bring in more characters from her Rogues series or the two books that came before (all of her books have some characters in common). However, I had a hard time putting this one down.

Posted 1:40 PM by FaerieKissed
The Strawberry Shortcake Murder by Joanne Fluke

This is the second book in the Hannah Swenson series and I enjoyed it as much as the first. While it was predictable in some spots, there was more action and suspense (okay not too much, but keep in mind that this is meant to be a light and entertaining read). This book was the June selection for the Friends of the Library Book Club. I tried a recipe, Apricot Bread Pudding, and really liked it. I had tried a few recipes from Diane Mott Davidson's series, without too much of a result.

Fluke appears to be developing the character of Andrea, Hannah's sister, in this story and Lisa, her assistant, plays a lesser role. Lisa is a young version of Hannah and I'm interested in seeing how their relationship develops. Right now, Fluke is using Lisa's character as a replacement for Hannah at the cookie shop. I'm hoping that this character also receives a larger role in the stories.

Posted 1:27 PM by FaerieKissed
The Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke

This is one of my "comfort" books. I love mysteries and usually those of the culinary variety are light and entertaining to read. Not to mention, I get to try out a few new things! I read this book as a prequel to the Friends of the Library Book Club selection. I really enjoyed it. Fluke's style is very similar to Diane Mott Davidson's but she sets her stories in Minnesota. This particular mystery involves the murder of a man whom most of the town likes, so there appears to be no motive for the crime. As Hannah, the cookie shop owner/amateur detective questions her neighbors, she learns more secrets than what she needs to solve the murder. These secrets come into play in Fluke's second book. Overall, I enjoyed this book and the characters in it. I am looking forward to getting to know them all a little better as the series continues.

Posted 1:57 PM by FaerieKissed
Nowhere Else on Earth by Josephine Humphreys

This book was mediocre. I don't think I'll ever re-read it. It's a story about an Indian settlement in North Carolina towards the end of the Civil War. There are several themes throughout the story, but the main one I felt was that of identity and belonging. Outsiders try to categorize the inhabitants of Scuffletown, a settlement "lost" in the swamps. Rhoda, the narrator, feels that she is somehow an outsider within the settlement and within her own family. Overall, I found this book to be very slow. There is a significant amount of foreshadowing in the prologue, but Humphreys takes her time getting to the events. I enjoyed "learning" a bit about a part of the country that I had never looked at before. I don't think I would recommend this book to anyone who wasn't interested in the Indians along the Lumbee River.