Sister of Starlit Seas (Virdian Deep: Book 3) by Terry Brooks

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: November 14th, 2023

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Series: Viridian Deep

Child of Light—Book 1

Daughter of Darkness—Book 2

Sister of Starlit Seas—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A rebellious young heroine begins a voyage of self-discovery in the third novel of an epic fantasy series set in the world of Viridian Deep, from the legendary author of the Shannara saga.Auris’s adoptive sister Char has always been the baby of the family—a position that grates on Char, especially when everyone insists on telling her exactly what to do and how to do it. But Char is certain that her headstrong, impulsive behavior, the quality her family sees as her greatest weakness, is actually her greatest the willingness to instantly brave danger and leap to the rescue when anyone she loves is threatened. Char knows she will never grow into the woman she was meant to be under her family’s loving but repressive eye, so a month before she turns fifteen, she runs away and joins a Human pirate crew in the warm southerly regions of her world. Then, three years into her pirate career, her captain—the man she is convinced she loves—is captured by the leaders of the slave trade he has been fighting. When Char leaps in to rescue him, she finds herself thrust into an adventure that will uncover secrets she never suspected about herself, one that will maybe, finally, teach her to look before she leaps.

First Line:

In the late-night hours of the second day of the full moon, I slip from my concealment to begin my latest mission.
Sister of Starlit Seas by Terry Brooks

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of Sister of Starlit Seas varies throughout the book. It started at a medium pace, slowed down while Char was discovering her Merrow side, picked back up during her journey back home, and stayed at a medium fast pace until the end of the book. Usually, I wouldn’t like it when the pace changes up like it did, but in this case, it worked.

POV: Char tells Sister of Starlit Seas in the first person point of view.

Series: Sister of Starlit Seas is the third book in the Viridian Deep series. You can read this book as a standalone. But, as I always do, I suggest reading the first two books before picking this one up. That way, you can understand Char’s relationships.

Trigger/Content Warning: Sister of Starlit Seas has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Slavery (graphic, on and off page)
Depression (minor to moderate, on and off page)
Boating Accident (moderate, on page)
Bullying (minor, on page)
Violence (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
Death (moderate to graphic, on and off page)
Grief (moderate, on page)
Stillbirth (minor, off page)

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Sister of Starlit Seas. There are a few kissing scenes, but it doesn’t go beyond that.

Language: There is no swearing or offensive language in Sister of Starlit Seas.

Setting: Sister of Starlit Seas takes place in The Kingdom of Man and The Kingdom of Fae. There are also underwater scenes in the Merrow territories.

Tropes: Chosen One, Orphan, Good vs. Evil, Magic, Growing Up, Mythical Beings, Self-Discovery

Age Range: I recommend Sister of Starlit Seas to anyone over 16.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

At the age of fifteen, Char ran away from her family. A headstrong girl, Char left her family because she felt smothered. Traveling south, Char eventually joined a pirate crew headed by a Human and lived what Char thought was her best life. Everything was fine until one night, on a daring solo mission to rescue the captain of the ship she was on (who she thought she loved). Char was captured. Tortured by repeated and prolonged dunks in the ocean, Char is amazed when she changes into a fabled being called a Merrow. She is immediately taken in by the Merrow community living in the sea. But her changing brings her more questions than answers. The only two people who could answer those questions were her adoptive mother and biological mother. With her adoptive mother dead, Char realizes that she will need to find her birth mother. She also realizes that her journey must start where she left- her home. Can Char get answers to her questions? Will she find her biological mother?

Main Characters

Charlayne (Char): I will not lie; I found Char annoying and immature for over half of the book. But I also liked her. She was loyal, tried her best to keep her promises, and was, for the most part, a good friend (she had to be reminded at specific points about being a better friend). I enjoyed seeing her character grow throughout the book. By the end of Sister of Starlit Seas, she was a little more mature, less annoying, and definitely less reckless. She learned a few life lessons in her travels that stuck with her.

My review:

I got very excited when browsing NetGalley and seeing Sister of Starlit Seas. See, I loved Terry Brooks in high school and had read The Sword of Shannara so many times that I did have passages memorized. Seeing that it was on Random House and it was a wish, I decided to do it. I had a 50/50 chance of getting it. So, I was thrilled when I got the email saying it had been granted. I couldn’t wait to read this book.

The main storyline in Sister of Starlit Seas centers around Char and her quest to find answers. It was a well-written storyline. I liked that Char wasn’t perfect and had the same issues as a late-age teenager (unrequited love, hormones all over the place, self-involved, and annoying). If I am to be honest, she reminded me of a combination of my sixteen and eighteen-year-old. I liked that the storyline changed as the book went on. It went from an answer about who she was to why her adoptive mother made her forget to a search for her mother to the end game (I can’t say what because of spoilers). The author did that seamlessly.

I loved the fantasy angle of Sister of Starlit Seas. The author took the Merrow myth and incorporated it into the storyline. I was like Char; I thought Merrow and mermaids were identical. Nope, they are not. The use of magic was very understated. I can only think of one scene where magic could have been used. But that didn’t bother me. To me, fantasy isn’t all about magic. It is about the world and beings in that world, too.

The end of Sister of Starlit Seas was a little bittersweet. I was very upset over some of the things the author did, but at the same time, I understood why he chose to write that way. I also saw a little hint that maybe another book will feature Char.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Terry Brooks for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Sister of Starlit Seas. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Sister of Starlit Seas, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Terry Brooks

Never Wager with a Wallflower (The Merriwell Sisters: Book 3) by Virginia Heath

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: November 7th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Regency, Adult, Regency Romance

Series: The Merriwell Sisters

Never Fall for Your Fiancee—Book 1

Never Rescue a Rogue—Book 2

Never Wager with a Wallflower—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

The third and final delightful installment in the Merriwell Sister’s Regency rom-com series.
Miss Venus Merriwell has been waiting for her prince to come since the tender age of fourteen. She wants a man who is selfless, academic like her, and free from all the wretched vices her gambler father enjoyed far too much before he left the Merriwell sisters practically destitute. Unfortunately, after a slew of romantic disappointments, there is still no sign of that prince at twenty-three and the only one true love of her life is the bursting-at-the-seams orphanage in Covent Garden that she works tirelessly for. An orphanage that desperately needs to expand into the empty building next door.
For Galahad Sinclair, gambling isn’t just his life, it’s in his blood. He grew up and learned the trade at his grandfather’s knee in a tavern on the far away banks of the Hudson in New York. But when fate took all that away and dragged him across the sea to London, it made sense to set up shop here. He’s spent five years making a success out of his gaming hell in the sleazy docks of the East End. Enough that he can finally afford to buy the pleasure palace of his dreams—and where better than in the capital’s sinful heart, Covent Garden? The only fly in his ointment is the perfect building he’s just bought to put it in also happens to be right next door to the orphanage run by his cousin’s wife’s youngest sister. A pious, disapproving and unsettling siren he has avoided like the plague since she flattened him five years ago…
While Venus and Galahad lock horns over practically everything, and while her malevolent orphans do their darndest to sabotage his lifelong dream, can either of them take the ultimate gamble—and learn to love thy neighbor?

First Line:

“Do we have an accord, Mr. Sinclair?”
Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing for Never Wager with a Wallflower is medium. It could have been done with a faster storyline, especially towards the end. But overall, it worked. There was some slight lag towards the end, but it didn’t affect how I liked the book.

Series: Never Wager with a Wallflower is the 3rd (and last) book in the Merriwell Sisters trilogy. While you could technically read this book as a standalone, I recommend not doing so. I did, and I got turned around references to the other books. I also couldn’t keep the characters straight (other than Vee and Gal) in my head. I plan on reading the other two books as soon as I can.

Trigger/Content Warning: Never Wager with a Wallflower has trigger and content warnings. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Classism (moderate)
Poverty (moderate)
Abandonment (moderate)
Child Abuse (moderate)
Gambling Addiction (moderate)
Alcohol Consumption (minor)
Pregnancy (moderate)
Childbirth (minor)
Chronic Illness (minor)
Death of grandparent (moderate)
Death of parent(s) (minor)
Murder (moderate)

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in Never Wager with a Wallflower. Some are implied, but most were on page. It was not graphic.

Language: There is no swearing in Never Wager with a Wallflower. There is era-appropriate offensive language.

Setting: Never Wager with a Wallflower is set in London, England.

Tropes: Happy Ending, Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers, The Misunderstanding, Opposites Attract, Rivals, Emotional Scars, Everyone Can See It

Age Range: I recommend Never Wager with a Wallflower to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Miss Venus Merriwell knows what she wants in a husband. She wants someone intellectual, selfless, and who doesn’t have any gambling vices. She also wants a husband who will be passionate about the exact causes as she is like the rundown, overcrowded orphanage she has taught at for the past four years. It badly needs repairs and to be expanded to the building next door. But, if she has to settle, she will. That is why she is trying to catch the eye of London’s dryest, self-involved Lord. Forget a love match; she knows that marrying him will be safe.

Galahad Sinclair is Vee’s enemy. He represents everything that she despises. He runs a gambling hell on the docks of the East End and enjoys needling her every chance he gets. With their clashes fueling family gossip, Vee and Gal are thrown together at every opportunity. When Vee starts to get close to Gal, she sees someone different from the facade he shows everyone. But, when a secret that Gal has comes to the surface, will it kill their blossoming romance?

Main Characters

Venus Merriwell: I liked her, but man, did she have tunnel vision. Her world consisted of her sisters and their families, balls where she would look for prospective suitors, and the orphanage where she tirelessly worked. Her disdain for Gal caught me off because she was sweet with everyone else. There was a point in the book where I wanted to shake her (it was right after she found out Gal had bought the building next door). She was nasty to him, and I couldn’t believe what she said to the boy she had with her. That was almost enough to change my mind about her. But she more than made up for her attitude a few chapters later. I also liked that she loved to read, and Shakespeare was her favorite author. Of course, reading his plays gave her somewhat of an unrealistic view of romance (her journal entries showed that).

Galahad Sinclair: I loved him. Yes, he did some shady things at the beginning of the book. But, I stress this: he had no way of knowing that Vee wanted that building for herself. I liked that the author slowly (and sometimes at a turtle’s pace) had Gal reveal things about himself that saddened and horrified me. Some items, I guessed at, but others shook me. There were points in the book where I did think he made his bed (the whole building fiasco), but he did try to apologize.

My Review:

I enjoyed reading Never Wager with a Wallflower. But I felt a little out of sorts while reading it. This book is the third and last book in the trilogy. I missed a lot of background by not reading the first two books. But I did enjoy Vee and Gal’s very bumpy relationship. That had me on my toes for the entire book.

I loved that the author had journal entries by Vee from 14 to the present day. I liked seeing her thoughts on different situations (from boobs that won’t stop growing to her feelings about Gal). It also gave me good insight into her life growing up, what her father did to her and her sisters, and other storylines that kept popping up in the book.

The main storyline, the love story between Vee and Gal, was well written. As stated above, it was a bumpy enemy to lovers/forced proximity romance. Sometimes, I wondered when the romance would start and Vee’s animosity would end. But that made for a fun read. I also liked that Gal was very much in tune with his feelings for Vee and realized what they were early in the book. On the other hand, Vee fought her feelings until the end of the book.

The orphanage storyline was a little meh to me. While it allowed Gal to explain his formative years to Vee, it didn’t do anything but cause issues between those two. I thought Vee went overboard with her reaction to Gal buying the building next door. The meltdown that she had and the things she said to him was awful.

The end of Never Wager with a Wallflower was okay. It was a little drawn out. I was also weirded out that everyone was okay with what they walked into. I liked the epilogue, but I got confused by it. I had to reread it to understand what was going on.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Virginia Heath for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Never Wager with a Wallflower. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Never Wager with a Wallflower, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Virginia Heath

When I’m Dead (Black Harbor: Book 3) by Hannah Morrissey

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: October 31st, 2023

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Crime, Adult, Halloween, Horror

Series: Black Harbor

Hello, Transcriber—Book 1

The Widowmaker—Book 2

When I’m Dead—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | World Cat

Goodreads Synopsis:

One girl murdered. Another one missing. And a medical examiner desperate to uncover the truth in the latest Black Harbor mystery by acclaimed author Hannah Morrissey.

On a bone-chilling October night, Medical Examiner Rowan Winthorp investigates the death of her daughter’s best friend. Hours later, the tragedy hits even closer to home when she makes a devastating discovery—her daughter, Chloe, is gone. But, not without a trace.

A morbid mosaic of clues forces Rowan and her husband to question how deeply they really knew their daughter. As they work closely to peel back the layers of this case, they begin to unearth disturbing details about Chloe and her secret transgressions…details that threaten to tear them apart.

Amidst the noise of navigating her newfound grief and reconciling the sins of her past, an undeniable fact rings true for Rowan: karma has finally come to collect.

First Line:

You’ll love me more when I’m dead.
When I’m Dead by Hannah Morrissey

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pacing of When I’m Dead was fast. Considering the book takes place within a week of the first murder, I wasn’t surprised. There was a slight lag towards the middle of the book, but I expected it. The lag didn’t affect my reading (I didn’t have to backtrack) or my enjoyment of the book.

Series: When I’m Dead is the third book in the Black Harbor series. Readers can read this book as a standalone. The characters from the previous two books appear in this one, but they are kept as secondary characters. Also, the cases from the previous books are mentioned but kept to just mentions.

Trigger/Content Warning: There are content and trigger warnings in When I’m Dead. If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

Child Death (graphic)
Kidnapping (moderate)
Murder (graphic)
Death (graphic)
Bullying (graphic)
Grief (graphic)
Body Shaming (moderate)
Gore (moderate)
Mental Illness (graphic)
Toxic Friendship (graphic)
Injury/detail of injury (moderate)
Blood (graphic)
Medical Content (moderate)
Adult/minor relationship (minor)
Suicide (minor)
Classism (moderate)
Suicidal Ideation (moderate)

Sexual Content: There is sexual content in When I’m Dead. It is only for one page, and it does get moderately graphic.

Language: There is graphic swearing in When I’m Dead.

Setting: When I’m Dead is set entirely in the fictional city of Black Harbor, Wisconsin.

Tropes: The Red Herring, The Dramatic Reveal, Twist Ending, Ticking Clock, High Stakes, Missing Children

Age Range: I recommend When I’m Dead to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

When Rowan is called to the scene of a gruesome murder, she is shocked to discover that it is a friend of her daughter, Chloe. When she gets home later that night, she finds that Chloe never returned home from the play she was starring in. As she and her husband, Axel, start investigating Chloe’s disappearance and her friend’s murder, she is shocked to learn that Chloe has been keeping secrets from her parents. The more they dig, the more secrets they uncover. Can they find Chloe and solve the murders?

Main Characters

Rowan Winthrop: I could sympathize with Rowan regarding Chloe going missing. But my sympathy only went so far. She was a largely absent parent who prioritized her job over her child, and she knew it. I did feel bad about the guilt she carried over that and the death of a teenager decades earlier.

Axel Winthrop: I wasn’t sure what to think about him. I felt that he made some very questionable choices throughout the book. Like Rowan, he prioritized his job over his child. But, in this case, I got it. Detectives work strange and long hours. I also questioned his behavior throughout the book with suspects.

Chloe Winthrop: I felt awful for Chloe. She was dealing with a lot. A possible learning disability (and don’t get me started on how her parents didn’t know about it), vicious and ugly rumors being spread about her, and her parents never seemed to notice her. I just wanted to hug her.

Libby Lucas: I didn’t like her but felt terrible for her. Classmates teased her relentlessly about her weight (Neck Rolls was a nickname given to her). I had her pegged as the murderer because of how she acted in her chapters. But the more I read about her, the more I understood her. She was Chloe’s haven in the hell that school became.

My review:

When I’m Dead was an interesting read for me. I liked that this was a dark thriller where I couldn’t figure out who the killer was. I was not too fond of the multiple POVs, but they grew on me. They did give me insight into Chloe and the facts surrounding her disappearance. They also gave me insight into the people murdered and how the murders are tied to Chloe.

The main storyline is centered around the murders and Chloe’s disappearance. The investigation into the murders did raise my eyebrows, though. The main detective and the medical examiner knew the victim(s) and, later on, knew what they did to their daughter. I know this is fiction, but I didn’t think it was kosher. I also thought that Axel interrogating suspects was against everything I knew about police procedure. The author does attempt to explain why they were both working the cases. There was a shortage of MEs and police officers. Then there is Libby’s role in everything. She didn’t tell Axel or Rowan everything she knew and, most importantly, defaced evidence in Chloe’s room. Her behavior made me think she was a suspect until it was proven she wasn’t (alibi). But Libby was central in figuring out who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive behind everything.

The mystery angle was well written. The author gave a ton of red herrings and had me thinking different people were the killer/kidnapper. Heck, she even had me thinking that Chloe did it and ran away. But when she revealed who the killer/kidnapper was and the motive, I was shocked. That person wasn’t even on my radar.

The suspense/thriller angle was also well-written. I was kept on the edge of my seat, wondering when Chloe would be found and the killer would be revealed. And at the end of the book, I was on edge with everything happening.

The end of When I’m Dead was great. I liked the twists that the author threw in about the killer. As I mentioned above, I had zero clue about the killer’s motive and who the killer was. I felt that the very end of the book was a little anti-climactic due to everything that happened.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Morrissey for allowing me to read and review this ARC of When I’m Dead. All opinions stated this this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to When I’m Dead, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Hannah Morrissey:

Dream Watcher (Dream Runners: Book 3) by Ann Hunter

Publisher: Rebel House Ink

Date of publication: March 1st, 2022

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Series: Dream Runners

Dream Shatter—Book 1 (review here)

Dream Runner—Book 2 (review here)

Dream Watcher—Book 3

Dream Giver—Book 4

Dream Rising—Book 5

Dream Legacy—Book 6

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

Logan Kent knows too much.

He knows his idyllic life in The Capitol is a lie. He knows a secret society is pulling the strings of their puppet government. And worst of all, he knows they built their utopia upon the stolen dreams of its citizens.

When the rebel faction, Anyone, rises up against The Capitol, Logan escapes The Circle and runs away with Reina, the rebel medicine thief who helped him see behind The Capitol’s lies. But having reached Anyone’s last free base in the country, Logan realizes what he knows is a weapon.

Anyone will use what Logan knows to bring The Circle to its knees. And his biological mother is at the heart of Anyone’s council.

Having a choice is what Anyone has been fighting for. Why they’ve wanted to free others. Free agency is worth dying for; but to Logan, going back across the arid Expanse and Heartlands feels like a suicide mission.

What choice does he have other than to betray his friends and the freedom of every citizen back home?

Fans of The Matrix, Inception, and The Giver have been dreaming of this series for a long time coming.

First Line:

Naressa is my mother.
Dream Watcher by Anne Hunter

Logan Kent has finally reached Base Nain with Reina. But Reina, gravely injured after an attack by The Capitol’s Army, is taken to the hospital to recover. With his knowledge of what The Circle is doing to its citizens, Logan realizes that what he knows could free The Capitol from The Circle. Given a choice of remaining with the Anyone faction and risking a massacre of its people or going home and using his knowledge to help Anyone expose The Circle, Logan chooses to go home. But going home will have risks, and Logan knows what they are. Can Logan accomplish what Anyone wants him to do? Or will everything he risked be for nothing?

I am deeply involved in this series, you all. I figured my enjoyment of it would wear off after book three, but it hasn’t. The author has done a great job hooking me and keeping me hooked on this series.

As with the last review, Dream Runner has some trigger warnings. They are assault, body horror, and torture. Logan witnesses the king of the Duners brutally assault his right-hand man for Reina’s attempted rape. The king has injuries replaced with cybergenetic parts (his eye changes color with his mood). The Duner who tried to rape Reina is chained to the wreckage of his bike and is refused water. Logan tries to give him some, and another Duner stops him, explaining that he knowingly broke the rules and will suffer the consequences. The Duner king also assaults Logan to make it look like he was tortured while he was gone.

Dream Watcher is the 3rd book in the Dream Runners series. You need to read the first two books to understand what is happening in this one. In other words, you cannot read this book as a standalone. You will be confused (even with the author’s brief rundown at the beginning).

Dream Watcher’s storyline centers around Logan, Anyone, and what This book has a twisty plotline that kept me glued to my Kindle. I did not know what each chapter would hold.

The storyline with Logan, Anyone, and what he knows is twisty. I get why Logan ultimately did what he did: he didn’t want any more people to die because of him. But I wish that I didn’t get the sense that his biological mother was subtly pushing him towards going home. Something about her didn’t sit right with me. Also, I wouldn’t say I liked how Logan was treated when he returned to The Capitol.

I felt so bad for Logan throughout this book. He had one bombshell after another dropped on him. Finding out that Naressa wasn’t his mother. Finding out that Elehnya is his mother and that she got chipped to keep him safe. Finding out that he isn’t chipped. Finding out that Elehnya did something to him so she could speak in his mind. Discovering that Elehyna is the head of Anyone’s council. Realizing that he was in love with Reina. Going home. It was a whirlwind, and even I got dizzy reading it. I thought to myself that the kid needed a break. He needed something good to happen to him. Even when he got back home, he was traumatized.

Reina wasn’t featured much in this book. She was dealing with severe blaster injuries, a dislocated arm, and trauma from nearly being raped. So, the author gave her some time to recoup. She does pop up toward the end of the book, but not how I wanted her to.

The end of Dream Watcher was jaw-dropping. I did not expect what happened to happen. My mouth dropped open, and a “No way” was said. I had to reread what was written because of what happened. Of course, it ended on a cliffhanger, but it was a good cliffhanger this time.

I would recommend Dream Watcher to anyone over 16. There is violence and language. There is no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Ann Hunter for allowing me to read and review Dream Watcher. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Dream Watcher, check these out:

Other books by Ann Hunter:

Blind Fear (Finn Thrillers: Book 3) by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Crime

Series: Finn Thrillers

Steel Fear—Book 1 (review here)

Cold Fear—Book 2

Blind Fear—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Haunted by the death of his best friend and hunted by the FBI for war crimes he didn’t commit, Finn lands on an island paradise that turns into his own personal hell in this gripping follow-up to Steel Fear and Cold Fear —from the New York Times bestselling writing team Webb & Mann . . .

“Webb & Mann have done it again. Blind Fear has it great characters, an amazing plot, and an incredible setting. This novel moves like a hurricane!”—Connor Sullivan, author of Wolf Trap

By day, AWOL Navy SEAL Finn is hiding out on Vieques, a tiny island paradise off the eastern coast of Puerto Rico, living in a spare room behind a seafood restaurant owned by a blind local. By night he scours the dark web, hunting for the rogue officer responsible for the crimes he is accused of committing.

But Finn’s world is about to be turned upside down by a new nightmare, when his employer’s two grandchildren go missing. To find them, he’ll have to infiltrate the island’s dangerous criminal underbelly and expose a shadowy crime network known as La Empresa—even if it means exposing himself in the process.

As the children go on their own harrowing odyssey to stay one step ahead of a cop-turned-killer, a hurricane batters the coastline, cutting Puerto Rico off from the rest of the world. Taking his pursuit to the sea, Finn’s skills and endurance will be tested to their limits to rescue the lost children and escape his own pursuers before the clock runs out. No one is to be trusted. And those who are seemingly his friends might be the most dangerous foes he’s faced yet.

First Line:

They have been out there for hours, climbing the great rock cliffs overlooking Black Sand Beach, then down by the water, poking through the shells and driftwood left by the ebbing tide, cooling off in the sky-blue sea as they drift toward the western tip of their island home.
Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann

After fleeing Iceland, Finn settled on a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico. Living in a spare room behind a seafood restaurant, Finn spends his days helping the blind owner and his nights on the dark web, looking for clues to the identity of the man responsible for the crimes Finn is accused of committing. But that changes when two things happen. The restaurant owner’s grandchildren go missing, and a hurricane is barreling toward the island. Desperate to find the children, Finn must take down a criminal empire called La Empresa and risk exposing himself. But can Finn trust his friends? Or will they be the people who will turn him in?

Blind Fear is a fast-paced book that doesn’t let up on its pace during the book. There was almost no lag (a tiny bit in the middle of the book). That did not distract me from the storyline.

There were three separate storylines in Blind Fear. The first storyline follows the children (Pedro and Miranda), their kidnapping, and their journey across the jungles of Puerto Rico. The second storyline is centered around Finn, his search for the children, and his search for the killer of his friends. The third storyline centers around Monica Halsey and her search for Finn. When I realized that there were three different storylines, I got worried. Usually, one overshadows the other storylines. But this wasn’t the case. Each storyline was well-written, with well-fleshed-out characters. By the time the three storylines came together, they merged seamlessly.

The storyline with the children was well-written and kept me glued to the book. Pedro was a likable kid who kept Miranda, who was younger, safe. He had to make adult choices, some of which weren’t right. But everything Pedro did was to save his and Miranda’s life. He was also very confident that Mimo (Finn) would rescue them.

The storyline with Finn is ongoing, carried over from Steel Fear. I did not read book 2, so I didn’t understand the references to Iceland or what happened there. The author explained what happened later in the book but didn’t detract from this storyline. I liked how Finn juggled four things:

Finding Pedro and Miranda.
Finding out who Papa Bear was.
Staying ahead of the agents.
Exposing La Empresa.

In my experience, something gets dropped or forgotten when a main character has a lot going on. But, in this case, it didn’t happen. The author slowly merged each thing until they were a singular entity.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to classify the storyline with Monica as one of the main storylines. But, as I read the book, the more she came into play, I decided that the storyline was the main one. Monica was different than how she was featured in the first book. She had it out for Finn. She wanted him to serve time for what she thought he did.

The end of Blind Fear was terrific. The authors wrapped up the Puerto Rican storylines in a fantastic way. I loved how every single bad guy got what they deserved. Both Finn and Monica’s storylines were not wrapped up. What the author did instead was a perfect lead into book 4.

I would recommend Blind Fear to anyone over 21. There are no sexual situations but extreme violence and language.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, Brandon Webb, and John David Mann for allowing me to read and review Blind Fear. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Blind Fear, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Brandon Webb

Other books by John David Mann

Playing with Fire (A Carrie and Keith Mystery: Book 3) by Flora McGowan

Publisher:

Date of publication: August 4th, 2020

Genre: Mystery, Romance, Cozy Mystery

Series: A Carrie and Keith Mystery

Material Witness—Book 1

Thirteen in the Medina—Book 2

Playing with Fire—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a prequel to ‘Material Witness’ and ‘Thirteen in the Medina,’ it’s the summer before she met Keith and Carrie’s holiday plans have been thrown into disarray by the political climate.
She ends up taking a trip to Sicily where she meets octogenarian Millie and a local Sicilian, Enzo.
Enzo appears to be following Carrie as she tours around the island; is he smitten, as Millie maintains, or does he have criminal intentions, as suggested by another of her fellow travellers?
And if so, is he responsible for a series of antiquities’ burglaries?
Or is he on the hunt for Excalibur, the legendary sword rumoured to be lost in Sicily, a sword forged by the ancient Roman blacksmith, Vulcan, god of fire?
Carrie and Millie decide to investigate, but their amusement palls when the adventure takes an unpleasant turn as someone, it seems, is playing with fire.

First Line:

The house was located in the midst of Lazio in central Italy, a region containing not only the country’s capital, Rome, with its ancient Forum, the Coliseum, and the more recent Baroque additions of the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps but also the Vatican, the spiritual and physical heart of the Roman Catholic Church; while of the coast sits Ostia with its ancient port.
Playing with Fire by Flora McGowan

Carrie had been planning on traveling to the Middle East when she was forced to look elsewhere to travel because of political unrest in the area. She decided to take a guided tour of Sicily. But her trip wasn’t the laid-back vacation she expected. Instead, she was pursued by a local named Enzo while ushering a King Author obsessed older woman around the island, all while trying to enjoy the island’s history. But, a string of burglaries throws a shadow over the tour. Who is robbing the museums and why?

When I read the blurb for Playing With Fire, I knew I needed to read this book. Not only does it take place in Italy, which is high on my list of places to visit, but it also offers an exciting view of where Excalibur and Camelot were compared to the legend. I am glad that I read this book because it was good. Plus, I loved reading the historical tidbits thrown throughout the book.

Playing With Fire started slowly and took a while to build up pace. But, once it got going, it flowed nicely. The book maintained a medium pace from the middle of the book to the end, which surprised me. I am used to mysteries having a more brisk pace. I liked it because it allowed me to process the information given.

Playing With Fire takes place entirely on the island of Sicily. I loved the author’s visuals of each town and the historical areas Carrie toured. I also liked the smattering of Italian given in the book.

The main storyline of Playing With Fire centers around Carrie, the tour, Enzo, and the burglaries. As I stated above, the book started slow. But, as Carrie traveled around Sicily and the mystery of Enzo/the art thefts deepened, the storyline gradually increased. This storyline was well-written and well-researched storyline. The author did not lose my attention for a moment.

I liked Carrie and admired her for traveling alone. I also liked that she gravitated toward people similar to her (her travel buddies). Millie and Joan were perfect for her. Vanessa, on the other hand, was not. She also had a good head on her shoulders and used it wisely during the book. Her instincts about Enzo and Vanessa were right on, well, for the most part.

The mystery angle of Playing With Fire was a slow burn. I wondered who the thief was. The author did use red herrings and misdirection to keep me from guessing. So, when the thief was revealed, I was shocked. Put it this way, that person was not on my radar.

There was a slight romance angle in Playing With Fire. The author kept it in the background and was brought up occasionally. But I wasn’t surprised at how it played out.

I want to mention King Arthur/Excalibur/Sicily’s history storyline. It was well-researched. I liked that the author threw some doubt as to where King Arthur was buried. I also liked that some of the mystery centered around Excalibur. And the history of Sicily was fascinating.

The end of Playing With Fire was standard. The author was able to wrap up the mystery in a way that satisfied me. I also liked how the author ended the romance storyline.

I recommend Playing With Fire to anyone over 16. There is no language, mild violence, and no sexual situations.

Many thanks to Flora McGowan for allowing me to read and review Playing With Fire. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Playing With Fire, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Flora McGowan

How to Best a Marquess (The Widow Rules: Book 3) by Janna MacGregor

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks

Date of publication: April 25th, 2023

Genre: Historical Romance, Romance, Historical, Regency Romance, Adventure

Trigger Warnings: Bigamy (off page and remembered), Sexism, Misgony

Series: The Widow Rules

Where There’s a Will—Book 0.5

A Duke in Time—Book 1 (review here)

Rules for Engaging the Earl—Book 2 (review here)

How to Best a Marquess—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Beth Howell needs to find her dowry, post haste. After her good-for-nothing first husband married her―and two other women, unbeknownst to them all―she’s left financially ruined and relegated to living with her brother, who cares more for his horses than he does his blood relatives. If Beth fails to acquire her funds, her brother will force her to marry someone fifty years her senior and missing half his teeth. She’d prefer to avoid that dreadful fate. But her now-deceased husband, Meri, absconded with her money mere days after their illegitimate marriage. To find it, Beth will have to leave town and retrace Meri’s steps if she’s to take her future into her own hands.

Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, cares not a whit for social norms and generally growls at anyone in his path. Grayson has had a heart of stone ever since his engagement to Beth Howell went down in flames―long before she married that cad, Meri, and sealed her own fate for good. But now she’s on his doorstep, asking for use of his carriage and accompaniment on the hunt to find her lost dowry. Surely Grayson cannot go on the road with the woman who has occupied his thoughts for the past decade. Yet, knowing she needs him, how can he resist helping her this one last time? And maybe that’s just enough time to change the ending to their over-too-soon love story.

First Line:

The last notes of the supper waltz hung suspended in the air much like Miss Beth Howell’s heart. In that moment, everything stopped. No one moved.
How to Best a Marquess by Janna MacGregor

Miss Beth Howell is on a mission. She is determined to get her dowery back from wherever her deceased husband had hidden it. But, it will be a challenge with a brother determined to marry her to a gentleman fifty years her senior and who cares more about keeping up appearances than his sister. With nowhere else to turn, Beth decides to enlist the help of her first love, Julian Raleah, the Marquess of Grayson. Julian is hesitant to help Beth, not because of her reputation (being married to a bigamist will ruin a girl) but because he has loved her since he first saw her ten years ago. After deciding to help her, Julian and Beth are on an adventure. But, they both must be careful because feelings they have been denying are simmering just under the surface. Will Beth find her dowery? Will they give in to their feelings for each other?

I was so flipping happy and a little sad when I realized this book was getting ready to be published. I enjoy reading Janna MacGregor’s historical romances; this particular trilogy had my attention from the beginning. I was sad because the trilogy was ending. I enjoyed reading about wife one and wife two getting their happy ending and wondered when Beth would get hers. Out of the three, I felt that she deserved it the most.

I put down that there are trigger warnings in this book. I was on the fence about even putting them up, but I decided to do. So, here they are:

Bigamy: Beth’s deceased husband married three women around the same time. They only found out about each other when his will was read. Beth mostly remembers Meri with a sense of sarcasm and exasperation, with some anger thrown in (she’s better than me).
Sexism: This is Regency England, and men ruled the roost back then. Women were kept to the background and not allowed to make decisions independently. Their fathers (or male guardians) would secure marriages for them (which is what Beth’s brother, St. John, was doing at the beginning of the book).
Misgony: Several men in the book looked down on women. Most notable were St. John and his friends. I wasn’t shocked by this because it did keep with the time (Regency England).

If any of these trigger you, I suggest not reading the book.

The main storyline in How to Best a Marquess was Beth’s quest to discover what Meri did with her dowery, her relationship (past and present) with Julian, and their love story. It was a well-written storyline that didn’t fail to capture my attention. I did not find myself wanting to put my Kindle down. Instead, I was glued to it. I was rooting (and hoping) for Beth to find her dowery. I also hoped for her and Julian’s relationship to rekindle faster than it did. Not complaining, but the sparks were there from the beginning, and I got antsy with the build-up.

I felt Beth was the strongest of the three women in this trilogy. She lost everything when it came out what Meri did. She was shunned (and ridiculed) by the Polite Society. There was a point in the book where I thought maybe it was in her head, but nope, it wasn’t. She was treated poorly by her brother’s friend’s sisters and then again by the wife of someone Julian was hoping to connect with. I was a little irritated by that. The women (again, mainly Beth) were held accountable for what Meri did. Did she know that he married two other women? Nope, yet people were quick to point fingers at her. And if he were still alive, his friends would have celebrated it. It still makes me irritated even thinking about it.

I loved Julian and was horrified by how St. John treated him ten years ago. He was laughed out of the house when he asked for Beth’s hand in marriage. Why? Because Julian had no money. He was a poor Marquess. So Julian left and worked to rebuild his fortune by becoming a man of science (i.e., engineering, but it wasn’t called that back then). He still had feelings for Beth, and it was those feelings that led him to accompany her on her journey. I loved how Julian stood up to people when they put her down. He didn’t even hesitate and immediately put people in their places. On that alone, Julian was in my good graces. But he also gave Beth her space. Julian knew Meri had damaged her, and she needed time to get over things. He would let her go even if that meant breaking his heart.

The characters from book one and book two did make an appearance throughout How to Best a Marquess. There was also a Duke who kept appearing, that piqued my interest. I hope the author either does a series with him in it or a standalone book.

The sex scenes in How to Best a Marquess was hot. Once Julian and Beth decided to sleep with each other, it was terrific. I mentioned above how I was antsy with the build-up. Well, they didn’t sleep together until almost halfway through the book. The sex was also graphic. Again, I didn’t mind it and felt it added to Julian and Beth’s relationship.

The end of How to Best a Marquess was a whirlwind. Everything happened simultaneously, and I had an issue processing it. I had to reread the ending chapters several times to understand what happened. Of course, my failure to process could have been due to a lack of sleep (I stayed up late to read this book). My favorite part about the ending was the epilogue. I liked seeing where everyone was a year from when the book ended.

I recommend How to Best a Marquess to anyone over 21. There is mild violence and sexual situations but no language. Also, see my trigger warning list.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Paperbacks, NetGalley, and Janna MacGregor for allowing me to read and review How to Best a Marquess. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of How to Best a Marquess, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other Books by Janna MacGregor

No Time to Breathe (Lisa Jamison: Book 3) by Lori Duffy Foster

4 Stars

Publisher: Level Best Books, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Member’s Titles

Date of publication: April 11th, 2023

Genre: Mystery

Trigger Warning: Murder

Series: Lisa Jamison

A Dead Man’s Eyes—Book 1 (review here)

Never Broken—Book 2 (review here)

No Time to Breathe—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Journalist Lisa Jamison wants to blow off some steam after an argument with her boyfriend, so she heads to her friend Ricky’s kickboxing studio for an early morning workout. She expects to find Ricky alone, setting up for his first class of the day, but someone was there before Lisa, uninvited. Ricky is dead, shot only moments before she arrived, and now Lisa is a suspect in his murder. Lisa wants two things: to clear her name and seek justice for Ricky. But the deeper she digs, the more the danger mounts. Can she find Ricky’s killer before the killer eliminates the last obstacle, silencing Lisa for good?

First Line:

Three days ago, the sidewalks of Seneca Springs were covered in a thick blanket of fresh, wet snow.
No Time to Breathe by Lori Duffy Foster

No Time to Breathe takes place a year or so after the events of Never Broken. Lisa is still working at the paper, but layoffs and cutbacks threaten her job. She also lives with her boyfriend, whom she met during her investigation in Never Broken. An argument with her boyfriend sends Lisa on a jog, leading her to her friend Ricky’s kickboxing studio, where Lisa plans to blow off some steam. But Lisa wasn’t expecting to find Ricky dying of a gunshot wound as soon as she walked in. Lisa also wasn’t expecting the police to make her their main suspect. Lisa decides that she needs to do two things: clear her name and find Ricky’s killer. But Lisa is running against the clock because whoever killed Ricky has her next on their list, and they won’t stop until Lisa dies. Can Lisa find the killer before they kill her? What is the motive behind Ricky’s murder?

No Time to Breathe is book 3 in the Lisa Jamison series. While readers can read this book as a stand-alone, I recommend reading the first two books to understand the backstories and relationships shown in the book.

No Time to Breathe is a fast-paced book in Seneca Springs, New York. The book lagged slightly in the middle (when Lisa was juggling everything), but the author got the book back on track.

The main storyline in No Time to Breathe is Ricky’s murder, Lisa’s investigation, and her being a suspect. I was a little irritated at how the police handled his murder. Until the FBI got involved, they were content to pin the murder on Lisa, even though she didn’t have her gun on her (she locked it at home), and some people backed her up on where she was right before the murder. The investigating officer was a jerk to her and didn’t take her seriously. He was a smug idiot when he dropped the fact that she was having an affair with Ricky (she wasn’t), and he wasn’t willing to listen to her. It took two attempts on her life, one which almost killed her, and the FBI getting involved for Officer Jerk to take his laser focus off Lisa and look at the evidence she gathered (and there was quite a bit). Once that happened, the storyline smoothed out, and things went as I thought they would. But still, that officer (well, Detective) was an idiot.

There were a couple of secondary storylines that supported the main storyline perfectly. The one that caught my attention was the storyline with her boyfriend, his ex-partner, her and her boyfriend’s relationship, and the relationship he had with his ex-partner. I enjoyed that Lisa and Patrick didn’t have a lovey-dovey relationship. They had issues (mainly due to a lack of time spent with each other), but they were working through them. And when Gloria appeared back in their lives, Lisa wasn’t thrilled about it. Neither was Patrick, but he didn’t share that with Lisa. I thought it would be the making of a messy love triangle, but then the author spun that around and ended that idea pretty fast.

I loved Lisa in this book. Not only was she going to solve Ricky’s murder (and shove it in Officer Jerk’s face), but she was going to keep herself out of jail. I will admit, I was scared for her towards the end of the book (how many times can one be hurt?) Her toughness shone throughout the book. Besides being tough, she was a great friend, and the author showcased it in the book’s last chapter.

The mystery/thriller/suspense angles of No Time to Breathe were terrific. The author did a great job weaving a suspenseful plot that kept me glued to the book. And the mystery angle was excellent, also. I honestly couldn’t figure out who killed Ricky and why. I did figure out a tiny part, but the whole picture was so much more than that. I didn’t see the twist in the plotline, and it left me shaking my head. Mainly because I thought the person behind the killings was already in jail (a tiny spoiler from Book 2). But the biggest twist came with what Lisa decided to do at the end of the book. Again, I wasn’t expecting the storyline to go in that direction, but now that I read it, I can see why the author wanted her to do that.

The end of No Time to Breathe was action-packed and kept me glued to the book (and yes, I know I repeated myself). Again repeating myself, but I was not expecting who the killer was or the reasons behind it. The author did wrap those storylines up, and I cannot wait to read book 4!!

I would recommend No Time to Breathe to anyone over 21. There is language, violence, and mild sexual situations.

Many thanks to Level Best Books, IBPA, Member’s Titles, NetGalley, and Lori Duffy Foster for allowing me to read and review No Time to Breathe. Any opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of No Time to Breathe, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Lori Duffy Foster

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library (Lakeside Library Mystery: Book 3) by Holly Danvers

Stars: 3

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Date of publication: August 8th, 2023

Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery

Series: Lakeside Library Mystery

Murder at the Lakeside Library—Book 1

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library—Book 2

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library—Book 3

Purchase Links: Kindle | B&N | Kobo

Goodreads Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Ellery Adams, Rain Wilmot must find a novel solution in order to catch another killer—before her book club members are picked off one by one.

Summer is in full swing as tourists flock back to the Northwoods and travel to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. For Rain Wilmot, owner of the Lakeside Library, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back her mother’s summer book club. But the summer sun starts to really heat up when one of the club’s members, Lily Redlin, is found dead in her own home not long after the first meeting.

Alongside her sidekick and neighbor Julia Reynolds and the charming Jace Lowe, Rain discovers that the murder is seemingly inspired by the book club’s recent selection of Agatha Christie’s classic mystery novel, Sparkling Cyanide. But who would kill Lily, and more importantly, why?
The deeper Rain goes into the story, the more confusing and complicated the plot becomes. Was Lily murdered to cover up a tragic accident involving an old classmate years earlier? Or were the rumors true—did Lily really possess priceless original Laura Ingles Wilder manuscripts, and someone killed her for them? And who stands to gain the recently inherited piece of waterfront property that Lily received from a long-lost relative?

With a long list of suspects and motives, Rain realizes that all leads come back to people involved in the book club. Rain and her friends take a page from Agatha Christie’s book by hosting a reenactment of the club’s first meeting to flush out the killer. Will Rain’s plan succeed—or will this librarian’s book be checked out for good?

First Line:

Rain Wilmot stepped from the log cabin and was immediately met with golden sunshine.
Read to Death at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers

Rain decided that summer was the perfect time to return her mother’s book club to the library. The first book was Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie. After things got a little heated with a new member, Lily, during the meeting. Concerned, Rain and her best friend track Julia to her house and find Lily dead. With few leads, Rain and Julia start their investigation. Everything points back to who was at the book club that night. Who killed Lily? And what was the motive?

I decided to read more cozy mysteries a few months back. I love reading mysteries but tend to read psychological mysteries (usually paired with psychological thrillers) or police procedurals. So I downloaded a few from a publisher I occasionally review for. Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is the first book out of the five that I downloaded.

Read to Death at the Lakeside Library is the third book in the Lakeside Library Mysteries. When I started reading this book, I was expecting this book to confuse me. Beginning a series on book three isn’t ideal for me. Why? The storylines are usually harder to follow, and the characters from previous books appear. I am happy to say that it wasn’t true in this case. The author briefly references the previous two books but focuses on this book’s storyline. Readers can read this book as a standalone, but I recommend reading the earlier books for more of Rain’s back story.

I liked Rain. She had a rough couple of years, from what was revealed. I also liked that she was a good friend. My only quibble with her is that when she found clues (like the book or the notes), she didn’t go to the police immediately (and I will go further into that). I also loved that she owned a library and put her heart and soul into it!!

I found Julia annoying throughout the book. She wasn’t afraid to lean on her brother, a detective on the local police force, for information. She also didn’t hesitate to hide or tell Rain to hide evidence. It drove me nuts. But I did think she was a good friend. Rain was Julia’s best friend, and she wouldn’t let her investigate Lily’s death alone.

The main storyline is Rain investigating Julia’s death. I loved that the author modeled her death after Agatha Christie’s book and a recent real-life murder involving eyedrops. But I was slightly irritated by how Rain and Julia conducted their investigation (and the second investigation into Patrick’s death). They broke into houses (Lily’s), they stole evidence (the manuscript and the cassette tape), Julia leaned on Jace (her brother) for information about the case, and they withheld evidence from the police. I kept thinking that the evidence they collected would never be allowed in court because of that. I was surprised at who the killer was, though. It was not even remotely who I thought it was.

There was a secondary storyline that Rain and Julia were investigating. It involved a woman from their book club, the death of her classmate decades earlier, and the murder victim. How they were tied together made for a neat twist.

There was a romance angle to Read to Death at the Lakeside Library. I gathered that this romance started in book one, but they didn’t get together until this book. Rain was too busy investigating Lily’s murder and getting into shenanigans with Julia for it to go beyond that. This is a clean romance with a few kissing scenes.

The end of Read to Death at the Lakeside Library was action-packed. I was not expecting who the killer was. And I wasn’t expecting this person’s motives (yes, there are two). As much as Rain and Julia annoyed me, I look forward to reading book 3.

I recommend Read to Death at the Lakeside Library to anyone over 16. There is mild language and mild sexual scenes. There is also violence.

Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books, NetGalley, and Holly Danvers for allowing me to read and review Read to Death at the Lakeside Library. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Read to Death at the Lakeside Library, then you will enjoy reading these books:

Other books by Holly Danvers:

A Guide to Being Just Friends (Jansen Brothers: Book 3) by Sophie Sullivan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: January 17th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Adult, Fiction, Womens Fiction, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Clean Romance

Series: Jansen Brothers

Ten Rules for Faking It—Book 1

How to Love Your Neighbor—Book 2 (review here)

A Guide to Being Just Friends—Book 3

Goodreads Synopsis:

A playful and emotional romantic comedy from the author of Ten Rules for Faking It

Hailey Sharp has a one-track mind. Get By the Cup salad shop off the ground. Do literally everything possible to make it a success. Repeat. With a head full of entrepreneurial ideas and a bad ex in her rearview, her one and only focus is living life the way she wants to. No distractions.

Wes Jansen never did understand the fuss about relationships. With a string of lackluster first dates and the pain from his parents’ angry divorce following him around, he’d much rather find someone who he likes, but won’t love. Companionship, not passion, is the name of the game.

When Hailey and Wes find each other in a disastrous meet cute that wasn’t even intended for them, they embarrassingly go their separate ways. But when Wes finds Hailey to apologize for his behavior, they strike a friendship. Because that’s all this can be. Hailey doesn’t want any distractions. Wes doesn’t want to fall in love.

What could possibly go wrong?

First Line:

Salad paid the bills. At least, it was supposed to.
A Guid to Being Just Friends by Sophie Sullivan

I’ll admit this; I didn’t read the blurb when I accepted the invite from St. Martin’s Press. I saw the title and the cover (in the widget email they sent) and made my decision from that. To be clear, I rarely accept books based on the title and/or cover. So, I was a little hesitant when I saw it next on my reading schedule. But, once I realized what series this book was a part of, I was excited to read it.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the 3rd (and final) book in the Jansen Brothers series. While readers can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the first two books before picking this one up. I recommend this so you, as a reader, can understand some of the relationships discussed in this book.

There are some trigger warnings that I want to warn you about in this book. Hailey (the main character) is fresh out of an emotionally and verbally abusive relationship. In one scene, her ex tries (and stress tries) to verbally abuse and manhandle her, but Wes stops it. Wes’s parents are divorced, and Hailey’s family is dysfunctional (her parents love each other and ignore her). If any of these triggers you, I recommend not reading this book.

A Guide to Being Just Friends is a medium to fast-paced book that takes place entirely in San Verde, California. The pacing of the book fluctuates during it.

As mentioned above, A Guide to Being Just Friends is Wes and Hailey’s love story. Hailey has just opened a restaurant that only serves salad (By the Cup) and is focused only on getting it off the ground and making money. She has no room for a relationship or wants one after what her ex-boyfriend has done to her. Wes couldn’t agree more with her. He is still dealing with the wounds of his parent’s divorce and has been on several not-so-great first dates. All he wants is companionship. So meeting Hailey and developing feelings for her was not part of his master plan (the same goes for Hailey). While being in a relationship is not in the cards for either of them, they will settle for being just friends. But their feelings grow, and being just friends is starting to sound not so great. Will Hailey and Wes wake up and see that the person they want the most is standing in front of them? Or will they forever be just friends?

I like going into a book and knowing at least one of the characters. For me (and I don’t know about you), it made connecting with the other main characters easier. I also liked seeing a different side of that character than what was portrayed in other books.

Hailey: I liked her. She was super focused on getting her business off the ground and wouldn’t let anything or anyone distract her. She was also one of the sweetest people in the book and didn’t deserve the treatment she got from her parents, ex-boyfriend, and Ana. I also liked that she overcame all the self-doubt and self-esteem issues that her ex gave her. Of course, since this is a romance, I wanted to shake her when it came to Wes. But I understood why she was holding herself back.
Wes—I was talking about him in the above paragraph. I liked seeing little glimpses of him in the previous two books. I did have a view of him from what I read. So it was nice for that view to be expanded and for how he acted explained. Wes had a lot on his plate, a lot of pressure from his father and Ana (the CEO of a company he’s trying to buy). Plus, he had awful luck on the relationship front. The blind dates the author showed were horrible. I did like his character growth, though. By the end of the book, he wasn’t afraid to do what was right for him (and yes, that involved Ana and her meddling ways!!)

The secondary characters were interesting. They should be since they were all previous characters in the other two books. A couple of new characters were introduced (Hailey’s cousin and her group of friends), and I hope the author decides to create another series in this world. I would love to see some of those people get their HEAs!!

A Guide to Being Just Friends fits perfectly into the romance genre. I liked that this romance took months to ignite and just as long to get off the ground. I love those types of romances. They seem more genuine, and (because I am a weirdo) I can picture them lasting in real life.

There is sex in A Guide to Being Just Friends. But it isn’t graphic. The author sets the mood, starts the sexual encounter, and ends the chapter. The next chapter is the following day with a satisfied hero and heroine. I am a fan of smut and graphic sex scenes, but sometimes it is nice to let my imagination do what it does best. And it did its best in this book. Also, there were only a couple of sex scenes.

The main storyline is Wes and Hailey’s romance. As I said, the author made this into a slow-burn romance, and I liked it. She also made it as realistic as possible. Hailey and Wes went through what I considered the usual ebb and flow until everything exploded. There was only one thing that I disagreed with: Ana. She was a vindictive, nasty person. What she did to Hailey (and let’s not forget what she tried to do) was pretty low.

Several secondary storylines enriched the main storyline. The secondary storyline that stands out to me the most was the landlord raising the rent on the apartments and shops where Hailey had her business. I loved how the author kept me wondering what would happen there and then melded it into the main storyline. It was perfect!!

The end of A Guide to Being Just Friends made me an emotional mess. I cried during the big reveal scene. I was mad because of what Hailey assumed was happening between Ana and Wes. I was happy because that assumption wasn’t true. And the epilogue. It was freaking perfect!!! I couldn’t have asked for a better epilogue than that.

I would recommend A Guide to Being Just Friends to anyone over 21. There is language, mild violence, and very mild sex scenes. Also, see my content warning above.

I want to thank St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Sophie Sullivan for allowing me to read and review A Guide to Being Just Friends. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading A Guide to Being Just Friends, then you will enjoy reading these books:

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