Pros & Cons by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol4 Comments
I picked up this short prequel to the Fox and O'Hare series just because I wanted something to listen to. It's a quick early meeting between Kate and Nick. Nick has an audacious plan, and Kate right behind him. It's a good introduction to the two if you haven't met them before. If you read the series, as I have, it's still fun. It's a similar formula to the books but Kate is still quite clearly on the opposite side as Fox. Or maybe it's Fox who's clearly on the opposite side. You get a feel for her determinedness and intelligence. You get to see his style and imagination. And of course you get to see a bit of the attraction between them. It's a good short read. Scott Brick is the narrator and as always he makes it a light-hearted adventure. The characters are over the top and he somehow straddles the line between telling the story with a straight...
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Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis

by Carol7 Comments
I kinda wished I hadn't wasted an Audible credit on Simply Irresistable. It was okay, but I could have just put a hold on it at the library and waited. It wasn't worth "I need it"-ness of a credit. I was in the mood for a Christmas romance and it did fit the bill. I haven't read anything by Shalvis before, but her name comes up often enough that I felt pretty safe. Really the book had a lot of things I like, besides the nice coastal town setting and the Christmas season. Maddie and Jax are both good, nice people. Yes, she has trouble trusting, which is understandable, but she' trying to reinvent herself. Yes, Jax keeps some crucial information from her, but he doesn't have a choice, really. Maddie's sisters are great characters, both of whom I'm assuming will get their own love stories later in the series. I enjoyed the dynamics between the three of them. I like how everyone in the...
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#AMonthof Faves: The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo

by Carol11 Comments
Today's topic for A Month of Favorites is a book review or discussion, preferably about a book from from your fave genre or author. A Month of Favorites is hosted by Girlxoxo, Traveling with T and Estella’s Revenge. Today's link-up is at Girlxoxo. My favorite genre is mystery and I just happened to finish listening to The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo this past weekend. It's not my favorite series, but it has definitely improved over the years. This is #6 and I've read all except the novella. When I wrote my review of the first book, I said, " I’m hoping that this is one of those series that gets better as it goes. It definitely has promise and I’m glad I read this because we did get to know Kate and John quite well and got a good feel for the town dynamics." With #5, I stated, "This has been a series that had potential, but it’s finally getting to where...
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The Job by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol2 Comments
I think I mentioned yesterday that I enjoy a little predictability and The Job fits with that. Sometimes I don't want character growth, I don't want change. This is one of those series. It's funny and, if you've read the prior installments, you know the broad outline of how it's going to go. Nick and Kate are the same as they were in #1. He's a bad guy, but working for the good guys at the moment. He's brilliant and sneaky, has a great sense of humor and is just rather sexy. Kate is no-nonsense, tough as nails and could kill you with a straw. And together they are perfect. The are, of course, attracted to each other and the flirtation is a great addition to the story, but I hate to admit that I'm glad they're still in the flirting stage. I don't know that I want to see them have a "real" relationship. I like them as they...
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Foul Play by Janet Evanovich

by Carol6 Comments
"A chicken was murdered yesterday. The investigator thinks there was some fowl play involved." I wish I was good at puns, this review could be full of them. But, alas, no such luck. Here's the basic story:  Amy lost her job to a rooster and is then accused of killing it. Jake rescues her from joblessness and falls in love with her at first sight. Oh, and she's a gorgeous, funny, caring, twenty-six year old virgin, just waiting to be deflowered. This was not a good book, but any stretch. It's goofy, absurd - and fun. We've got instant love, silly situations, and an adventure that includes falling into a dumpster, but it's entertaining and amusing.  The characters are bigger than life, but C. J. Critt does a good job as narrator. She gives the folks, even the secondary characters, great voices, full of personality, and kept me smiling. Yes, some of the conversations and phrasing are bordering on ridiculous, but she lets us enjoy...
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The Monogram Murders by Sophie Hannah

by Carol8 Comments
I have been a Poirot fan for as long as I can remember, so of course I had to pick up The Monogram Murders. I have to admit I was disappointed. As a mystery, it was okay, if you can overlook the horrible  Scotland Yard detective Poirot has paired himself with, Catchpool. He's incompetent and spends way too much time dwelling on events in his childhood, on his weaknesses. The mystery, the way the murders are committed and how the bodies are laid out is interesting enough. There's even a nice little bit that confuses the time of death and the clues fit together well. The mystery itself could have been good, but it relied on the Poirot hook and in that it failed. Maybe give me an original character, or even a better sidekick and I would have felt differently. Poirot is just not Poirot. He's too Poirot, if that makes sense. It's like he's overly conscious of his own mannerisms and...
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