Month: June 2021

Recent Reads: To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn (Bridgertons 5)

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn is about Eloise Bridgerton, who, after the marriage of Penelope to Colin, is feeling a little lost.  When her cousin dies, Eloise does what she spends so much of her days doing, she writes a letter to her late cousin’s husband, and discovers a man that is interesting.

They continue writing for a while, and he suggests marriage one day, Eloise takes her time to think about it – she hasn’t met him, so she couldn’t do it, could she?

This is an enjoyable romance of mistaken identities, confused feelings, and twins that run the house.  I enjoyed it in the same way that I enjoy Georgette Heyer books – a fabulous journey in to the past.  I’m looking forward to the next season of The Bridgertons on Netflix, and will be looking forward to when they get to Eloise’s story!

To Sir Phillip, with Love was published on 1st July 2003 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Julia Quinn on Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for the previous Bridgertons books below:

The Duke and I – Bridgertons 1

The Viscount Who Loved Me – Bridgertons 2

An Offer From A Gentleman – Bridgertons 3

Romancing Mister Bridgerton – Bridgertons 4

Recent Reads: The Plant Propagator’s Bible; A Step by Step Guide to Propagating Every Plant in Your Garden by Miranda Smith

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

The Plant Propagator’s Bible; A Step by Step Guide to Propagating Every Plant in Your Garden by Miranda Smith does what it says on the tin.  It has lots of lovely photos, and tells you all about how to grow plants from seed, dividing, from cuttings and so on.

It’s really helpful, and gives you lots of information like the humidity, the tools you need and the soil you need.

The Plant Propagator’s Bible was published on 29th June 2021, and is available on Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Quatro.

Recent Reads: Changes by Jim Butcher (Dresden Files 12)

Posted on by Pam

My review:?????

Susan, Harry’s semi vampire former lover is back.  She’s shown up as the Red Court has kidnapped her and Harry’s child.  A child that Harry knew nothing about.  And now he needs to get it together to go and save her.

This is a book that changes everything for Harry, and I think the title is very apt. Jim Butcher keeps up the tension, revealing twists that surprised me.  There are characters that you’ve grown to love over time, and some absences, like Michael Carpenter, who has retired from being a Knight of the Sword, due to injury.

Changes by Jim Butcher was published on 6th April 2010, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Jim Butcher on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

My reviews for previous Dresden Files books are below:

Storm Front (book 1)

Fool Moon (book 2)

Grave Peril (book 3)

Summer Knight (book 4)

Death Masks (book 5)

Blood Rites (book 6)

Dead Beat (book 7)

Proven Guilty (book 8)

White Night (book 9)

Small Favor (book 10)

Turn Coat (book 11)

Recent Reads: Werewolves of London by Angie Fox (Monster M*A*S*H 3)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Werewolves of London by Angie Fox is the completion of the Monster M*A*S*H series.  We have Medusa giving birth to her baby and wanting only Petra.  The gods want to get back to their war, and there’s ex boyfriends wandering around.

This is a funny fantasy book, which is fast paced and well written!  Petra is running around trying to solve all the problems that seem to pop up just for her, and it’s enjoyable chaos!

Werewolves of London was published on 23rd February 2021, and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.

You can follow Angie Fox on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.

You can read my review for previous Monster M*A*S*H books at the links below:

Monster Mash

The Transylvanian Twist

I’ve read a number of Angie Fox’s books, from the Southern Spirits series

Southern Spirits, A Ghostly Gift and The Skeleton in the Closet – book 1, 1.5 and 2

Pecan Pies and Dead Guys – book 7 

The Mint Julep Murders – book 8

The Ghost of Christmas Past – book 8.5

Southern Bred and Dead – book 9

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Author Collective 20.

Recent Reads: 10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Women’s Murder Club 10)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

10th Anniversary by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro is to celebrate the book series having been around for 10 years, but also the friendship of Lindsay and Claire.

At the end of the last book, Lindsay had missed calls offering her the lieutenant job that she had had, and then given up.  We were left in suspense as to whether or not she wanted the job, and it turns out that she didn’t want it.  But now she has to get used to having a new boss, who was a new guy in the last book.

Lindsay and Joe get married, which is a good ending for the will they won’t they that has been bubbling in the background.

A teenage girl is found wandering, having recently given birth.  She tells the police that she was abducted, and her baby taken from her.  Meanwhile, Yuki is prosecuting a doctor for killing her husband, but Lindsay is asked by the doctor’s lawyer to talk to her as she’s innocent.

These are formulaic books, that are well paced, getting faster as you go on, shown by the chapters getting shorter and shorter.  The twists and turns are well thought out, and keep you guessing as you go along. 

10th Anniversary was published on 2 May 2011 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow James Patterson on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and his website.

I’m afraid I couldn’t find any links for Maxine Paetro for you to follow.

Women’s Murder Club books:

1st to Die   – book 1 

2nd Chance – book 2

3rd Degree – book 3

4th of July – book 4

The 5th Horseman – book 5

The 6th Target – book 6

7th Heaven – book 7

The 8th Confession – book 8;

The 9th Judgement – book 9

Recent Reads: An Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

An Endless Cornish Summer by Phillipa Ashley has Rose who is working in Cornwall for the summer so that she can try to find the man who saved her life.  She had a rare blood issue and a bone marrow transplant saved her life.  She wrote to thank the donor, and got a postcard back, and so she’s come to the place from the postcard!

Rose joins in community life, and is also working locally as she’s an archaeologist, and has a dig nearby.  She’s still on the lookout for her donor, and thinks it’s one of the local boat building brothers.  But how is she going to find out?

This is the story about finding happiness, and has beautiful descriptions of Cornwall.  It is an uplifting romance, and was lovely to read.

An Endless Cornish Summer was published on 24th June 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Phillipa Ashley on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and her website.

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Avon Books UK.

Recent Reads: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (The Thursday Murder Club 1)

Posted on by Pam

My review:

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman is a rolicking good read.  Set in a retirement village, a small group of retirees take over the jigsaw room on a Thursday.  They call themselves the Thursday Murder Club, and they look into cold cases.  One of the founding members was a retired policewoman, Penny, who is now in the hospital on site, as she has dementia.  But the club carries on, with Elizabeth, bossing people around, and with a mysterious background, Ibrahim, a retired psychiatrist, and Ron, known in the newspapers as Red Ron, due to his union ways, and always ready to try to get one over on those in charge.  Joyce is the newest member, and the one who records the story in her journal for us. 

A developer is the first person killed, which starts the investigation for the Thursday Murder Club.  They already have an ‘in’ with the police in the form of PC Donna de Freitas, who came to give a safety talk, and has been charmed and manipulated by the lovely, harmless retirees.  They get her involved in the murder investigation, and so they have a source!

This is a book that everyone was talking about last year, and deservedly so!  It’s got a lot going in, but was a fun read, and I’m looking forward to the sequel, which comes out in September!

The Thursday Murder Club was published on 3rd September 2020 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Richard Osman on Twitter and Facebook.

Recent Reads: Literary Places by Sarah Baxter

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Literary Places by Sarah Baxter takes you on a world tour of places from books, and tells you the name of the place and the book that was set there.  It also has illustrations to set the scene in the city.

It gives you some history of the place, so you have context for why the book was set there, and it also gives a summary of the book.

This is a great book if you want to know more about books such as Ulysses by James Joyce, which was set in Dublin or for the Kite Runner, you can go to Kabul.

Literary Places was published on 5th March 2019, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Sarah Baxter on Twitter and Instagram.

I was given access to this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Quarto.

Recent Reads: Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C Beaton (Agatha Raisin book 4)

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C Beaton (Agatha Raisin book 4) has Agatha and James posing as a married couple!  Yes, they’re investigating another murder!  The leader of a walking group has been found murdered in Sir Charles’ field, and Deborah, a member of the walkers group, who is seeing Sir Charles, wants Agatha and James to find out who did it!

The things Agatha will do to solve a case! 

It’s another entertaining read, with Agatha getting jealous, James getting annoyed, and Agatha still hopeful that James might fall in love with her!

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley was published in 1995, and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

My review of the previous book in the Agatha Raisin series are below:

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death (book 1)

Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (book 2)

Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (book 3)

Recent Reads: Hob; A simpler way to cook – 80 stove-top recipes for everyone by Amy Sheppard

Posted on by Pam

My review:????

Hob; A simpler way to cook – 80 stove-top recipes for everyone by Amy Sheppard has lots of good looking recipes, goes through the items you need in both kitchen kit and also pantry items.

There are photos of each recipe, so you can see what you are aiming for, which I always prefer.

Hob was published on 10th June 2021 and is available from Amazon, Waterstones and Bookshop.org.

You can follow Amy Sheppard on Instagram and Facebook.

I was given access to this book in exchange an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Bloomsbury Publishing.