Book Review: Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book I’ve read by Jane Graves and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I don’t normally read Romance, but I’d say this is more chick-lit than romance.  No matter, it was a fun read.

The premise is straight laced Heather impulsively weds future bar owner Tony.  Copious amounts of liquor were involved.  They set out to dissolve the whole thing, but Heather’s family is so excited over the marriage, that Tony offers to ride out the “marriage” until the annulment comes through, letting Heather be the one to end it all and thus save face.  It goes from there.

The characters in this book were well done and believable, though aspects of the story were totally cliche.  For example, Heather isn’t exactly a twig, though she’s not super heavy.  She also not a beauty though she’s not plain.  Average would be a good description.   Tony is gorgeous and somewhat of a ladies man and maybe a tad shallow.  What I loved most about this book is Tony could have been a complete cad, however, he was a good guy to start with and by the end, he had certainly learned to look beyond the surface.  Heather also grew in similar ways.

As someone who’s lived in Plano, Texas, I also enjoyed the setting.  Overall, while this is a bit of a fluff read, it was an enjoyable read.  Recommended for anyone who’s looking for a super good, light read.


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Book Review: The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

The Fleet Street Murders by Charles Finch

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Charles Lenox series and was a thoroughly enjoyable read.  A good part of this book focused on Charles’ run for Parliament.   I wasn’t sure whether I wanted him to win his seat or not and am not sure I’m happy with the results, but we’ll see.

The mystery was almost overshadowed by the campaign for Parliament, but it was blended well into the overall story.  This I’m sure was helped by likable townsfolk and Lenox’s true passion for being a member of Parliament.  I liked that Charles did not let his unexpected sudden run for Parliament overshadow everything.  His protege (of sorts), Dallington, seeks his help when an acquaintance is accused of murder, and while Lenox seems torn, in the end his need to investigate comes to the front and he does lend his help and direction to Dallington.  Up until the resolution, which was well done, Charles solution almost had overtones of obsession with a particular criminal, however, the ending took it out of the obsession realm and tied up everything nicely.

The main characters are back - his brother, Sir Edmund, McConnell and his wife, Toto, and of course, his manservant, Graham, who is invaluable with his campaign.  This book also introduced some great characters in the town he was campaigning to represent in Parliament.  A side story involved Lenox engagement to Lady Jane Grey, which added a bit of tension on that end, but blended well with the overall story.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it and the series.  

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Book Review: Gem of a Ghost by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Gem of a Ghost by Sue Ann Jaffarian
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

*** Spoiler Alert *** This is the third book in the Ghost of Granny Apples Mysteries featuring Emma Whitecastle and Granny Apples (the ghost). While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the previous books.

The story revolves around the ghost of a young woman who died in the late 1800’s and who did not have an easy life. Since her death, she has haunted a ring, with less than nice intentions. Emma is drawn to the mystery when the ring affects one of the friends of her daughter, Kelly. The mystery takes Emma to Pennsylvania, where the the ghosts of some of the Molly Maguires play a role, albeit a very small role.

This mystery didn’t quite live up to it’s potential and in some ways wasn’t resolved. In fact, the last half of the last chapter seemed to be out of order to me; it just seemed to throw off the flow of the book a bit.

In the previous books, we got to know the ghosts and their story a little more than here. This book introduces a new man, an archeologist, Quinn Keenan. It was almost like a romance competing with a mystery and both suffered from it. While I understand Emma not being sure about whether or not a permanent relationship with the first man she met after her marriage ended, I like Phil and felt like the potential romance with Quinn and Emma’s emotions around the whole thing leaned toward the drama queenish side. It took away a little from the mystery.

The mystery was good and the ending unexpected. However, it was only a partial ending as I hope we’ll know what the true end result of the last act of the ghost in the next book, though I doubt it. While I understand on some level why the end of the mystery was left a little hanging, I found it unsatisfying. I also found the Emma/Quinn ending unsatisfying. And, if I admit it, a little annoying. I read these books for the mystery, but I very much enjoy Emma and Phil’s relationship and I don’t really care to have soap opera elements thrown in. Though I do like Quinn, I hope this potential romance does not continue in future books. Because, yes, while I found this one a bit unsatisfying, I did enjoy the book and do plan to read the next one.


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A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes

A Charming Crime by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first Goodreads win and I’m happy to say that, overall, I enjoyed this book.  This is first in the Magical Cures series featuring June Heal, a novice spiritualist.

As the book opens, June is carrying on her mother’s business of selling herbal remedies.  Through her best friend, Oscar Park, she learns of Whispering Falls -- a place full of interesting people.   She is invited to open a shop there for her cures and learns that she will basically be re-opening her Mother’s shop.  Turns out, in her early childhood, June lived with her mother and father in Whispering Falls, a town populated by Spiritualists and with a lengthy and convoluted set of rules on who can run a shop and who can live there.

I will admit that I had gaps in reading this book due to the holidays, but I felt like the characters were introduced at a rapid pace and I had a hard time keeping track of them.  Personally, I didn’t get a really good feel for the people in the town or even the main characters.  At times, the telling of the story felt rushed.  However, as I became more immersed in the book again, I was drawn into the story; the ending was climatic and had a twist.  So, a decent little mystery.

My biggest pet peeves with this book had to do with the formatting and the lack of editing.  The formatting was double spaced throughout, which was a bit distracting to me.  And, while the grammar was fine, the editing left a little to be desired.  There are numerous instances of the wrong words being used.  The words weren’t mis-spelled, they were simply the wrong words.  For the most part, I could figure out the word and move on.  The worst offender was "Freight and share agony pierced my soul.”  I’m pretty sure it was meant to be “Fright and sheer agony pierced my soul,” but it took me a bit to figure out the sheer part.  I will note that this could have been a pre-publication copy and the errors may not be in the final cut.  

One other thing that drove me a little nuts was June’s obsession with Ding Dongs.  I finally got past that, but there was one scene where she fed some to her cat and chocolate is toxic in cats.  As a cat owner, that totally distracted me from the main story, but fortunately it was only the one time.

Other than the pet peeves mentioned above, I thought this was a good mystery with a very interesting premise.  I do plan on reading future books in this series and would recommend it to those who enjoy a bit of the mystical in their mysteries.


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