The Wrong Door by Bunty Avieson

Pete's dead and Gwennie's life will never be the same. How could Pete, a young, fit man, leave her now? Their lives together were only just beginning. And pneumonia? It was insane, unthinkable, unbearable. Somehow she struggles through the funeral in a daze, and the mysterious mourner in the tight-fitting red dress barely registers in her consciousness. It's only later, when spotting a discrepancy in Pete's tax records, that she begins to wonder. Who was that woman?
The woman in red is Clare Dalton, and she has stumbled into the wrong funeral service. Her brief appearance and signature in the condolence book are all it takes to set in motion a trail of deception, mystery, and buried secrets that connects these two strangers in ways they never thought imaginable. 

 I enjoyed this story. The two storylines eventually came together well. I liked Clare's story more than Gwennie's (annoying name didn't help). It was also a pleasant surprise to find Hat Hill Road, Blackheath mentioned.

Critical Judgment by Michael Palmer

Abby Dolan, a young, hot-shot emergency room physician, has left the big city environs of San Francisco to follow her fiance to a small town where he has taken a job with Colstar, the main source of the town's economy. In her work, Abby quickly comes across several patients with vague but troubling symptoms that she believes are caused by environmental poisoning and may be linked to Colstar. 

An ok read with a bit of a twist at the end. By the time I got to the twist I didn't really care any more.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Victorian language of flowers was used to convey what words could not, from declarations of admiration to confessions of betrayal.

For Victoria Jones, alone after a childhood in foster care, it is her way of expressing a legacy of grief and guilt. Believing she is damaged beyond hope, she trusts nobody, connecting with the world only through message-laden bouquets. 

Really good. Loved the ending, everything not tied up neatly in bow but a real sense of hope. 

Dead But Not Forgotten

Variety of other authors wrote stories about Bon Temps and their favourite characters from the Sooky-verse.

A nice mix of stories.

My Favourite were The Bat Signal and Widower's Walk, though all were good. 

Wool by Hugh Howey

The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the people who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.


This is great story-telling, with well-developed, complex, characters, believable world-building and a plot with lots of action.

Bait by Karen Robards

It's a business trip that takes attorney Maddie Fitzgerald down to New Orleans, but it's hardly business as usual when a man breaks into her hotel room and tries to kill her. Barely escaping with her life, the sexy, stylish thirty-two-year-old brunette calls the police and finds herself face-to-face with FBI agent Sam McCabe. Unnerved by his questions-and his good looks-Maddie is told she's been targeted by a hired killer, one who has eluded McCabe for years.

Apparently, she's been mistaken for another woman, an FBI informant of the same name who was also staying at the hotel that night. McCabe grills her, and then disappears. Shaken, she finishes her business and returns home to St. Louis.

But days later, Maddie is attacked a second time, and again McCabe returns to question her. He convinces her that the only way she'll ever be safe again is if the killer is caught, and the quickest way to nab him is to use her as bait. Maddie reluctantly agrees, and sparks fly and then ignite as McCabe shadows her. But their unexpected romance throws McCabe off his stride-and puts Maddie in the hands of a killer.

An enjoyable romantic suspense, all tied up neatly at the end.  A decent editor could have shortened the book by about a third without loosing any of the the story. 

Devoted In Death by J D Robb

It's a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite...for murder.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.

Now the killers have reached New York, and they've found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl's life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve's husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out...

There is very little mystery here as you already knows from the start just who the killers are. What brought a fresh prospective to this book was the addition of a Deputy who refuses to just let his case slide and there's even dark cop humour to lighten the mood.

And as usual there as the relationship between Roarke and Eve, "his cop".

The Call by Yannick Murphy

The warm, wry, and patient voice of a veterinarian father tells the heartfelt story of his young New England family enduring a moving trial of loyalty, hope, and faith after they are confronted with an unthinkable crisis.

Their 12 year old son is shot and is in a coma after being shot during hunting season.  The hunter was in the woods behind their house.  The story is told by terse, log-like entries.  Weird and unusual, but effective, way of telling the story. The story itself was mostly good with a bit of wierdness included with the appearance of a spaceship that hovers over their house.

Obsession In Death by J D Robb

A crisp winter morning in New York. In a luxury apartment, the body of a woman lies stretched out on a huge bed. On the wall above, the killer has left a message in bold black ink: FOR LIEUTENANT EVE DALLAS, WITH GREAT ADMIRATION AND UNDERSTANDING.

Eve Dallas is used to unwanted attention. Famous for her high-profile cases and her marriage to billionaire businessman Roarke, she has learned to deal with intense public scrutiny and media gossip. But now Eve has become the object of a singular and deadly obsession. She has an 'admirer', who just can't stop thinking about her. Who is convinced they have a special bond. Who is planning to kill for her - again and again...

With time against her, Eve is forced to play a delicate - and dangerous - psychological dance. Because the killer is desperate for something Eve can never provide - approval. And once that becomes clear, Eve knows her own life will be at risk - along with those she cares about the most. 

 As usual an excellent addition to the series. I always love the relationship between Roarke and Eve. My only criticism would be that it is another where Eve's friends become the target of a serial killer.

The Last To Know by Melissa Hill

Eve knows what she wants. After nine good years and two kids together, it's about time Liam made an honest woman of her. Eve's sister Sam knows more than she should. Sam's always thought Eve was too good for Liam. Then she learns the truth about his business trips to Australia, and her suspicions are confirmed. And Brooke, safe on the other side of the world, knows nothing. Until a mysterious delivery arrives for her and promises to change her life forever. It seems someone doesn't want Brooke to be the last to know ...

A story within a story. Lots of misdirection and twists. A very enjoyable read. 

Ravenswood's Lady by Amanda Scott

As daughter to the Duke of Malmsbury, Cicely knew her duty. She had to obey her father's command to wed the only man who could assure the family's future position and prosperity. Unfortunately, that man was the Viscount Ravenwood. Ravenwood was no stranger to Cicely. She knew him all too well as the arrogant, conceited, totally infuriating male who had been her natural enemy since their childhood days.

So, though Cicely stiffened her upper lip and agreed to give Ravenwood her hand, she secretly made the most dangerous vow that the bride of this elegant, iron-willed lord could make: no matter what seductive wiles Ravenwood might employ, he would never conquer her heart... 

Cicely is a twit and Gilbert isn't any better. Talk to each other for goodness sakes and grow up!

Otherwise a pleasant, light read.
 

The Offer by Catherine Coulter

Sabrina Eversleigh runs away from home after her new brother-in-law attempts to rape her. She would surely have died in a blizzard if Phillip Mercerault had not rescued her. He nurses her back to health only to find that he is not a hero. Instead, he's a gentleman who has compromised a lady. Now there's only one thing left for him to do - marry her.

But Sabrina turns him down, leaving him completely baffled. However, things don't turn out quite the way Sabrina planned, and it is she, then, who must propose, sweetening the pot with a big dowry and an offer of freedom for Phillip. But what's a husband to do when he knows his bride is afraid of men? And more important, what is the bride to do when she follows her husband to his mistress' lodgings and discovers him on the point of indulging?

Phillip and Sabrina have a long way to go before they can sit amicably at the same table together. 

 Stupid man (he REALLY thought spending his wedding night with his mistress rather than his bride was a good idea!), immature girl, all works out in the end. Nice light read that din't take any brain-power. Just what I needed. 

Otherworld Nights by Kelley Armstrong

 The short stories range from adventures whilst on honeymoon for favourite characters in the Otherworld series to the background of what happens when a young demon comes into his power. 

My favourites were Hidden and Vanishing Act. The others were not as good.

Flashback by Michael Palmer

Toby is eight years old. He had a routine operation. It was fine. Now he's gone home to terror. Months have passed. But Toby still bursts into tortured screams. Because something is very wrong. Toby can remember evey moment of the operation. All the trauma. All the pain. He relives evrey horrifying detail of surgery while he's awake. Now someone must expose the unspeakable truth about this hospital. Or else an innocent child will die. And he won't be the last. The next victim is being wheeled into surgery right now.

Medical thriller with some plot twists and a satisfying ending. OK, not great.

My Hundred Lovers by Susan Johnson

A woman, on the eve of her fiftieth birthday, reflects on one hundred moments from a lifetime's sensual adventures. After the love, hatred and despair are done with, the great and trivial acts of her bodily life reveal an imperfect, yet whole self. By turns humorous, sharp, haunting and wise, this is an original and exhilarating novel from one of Australia's premier writers.

This was an unconventional creative form of memoir written by Susan Johnson. The 100 loves each take up a brief chapter and are sensually described.
The loves include people (lovers, parents, grand-parents) , objects (her favourite house, a bridge in Paris) and moments (mud squishing between in her toes, lying on her back in the grass looking up through the branches of a tree covered in blossom) written in an original , easily read way.

It was very well done, very well written, very evocative.

Girl In Translation by Jean Kwok

Kimberly and her mother find themselves in New York looking for a better future than the life they'd known in Hong Kong. They are, unfortunately, at the mercy of Kimberly's aunt and uncle as they are quite indebted to them for arranging green cards and for taking care of medical bills for Kimberly's mom (who has had TB) as well as paying for their accommodations to New York.

When the story starts Kimberly is a middle school age girl who speaks and reads some English but not enough to create any real level of understanding of her surroundings. Her mother speaks almost no English. They've just arrived and their mother's sister (herself with a story that I won't spoil) has arranged an apartment and a job. The apartment is a heat-less, roach and rodent infested slum tenancy, and the job working at a sweatshop making pennies for long hours. The Chinese culture is front and center here and it is interesting to understand why Kimberly and her mom would agree to these conditions. 

 A moving, inspiring, captivating story. 

Maybe This time by Jennifer Crusie

Andromeda (Andie) Miller decides that she needs to make a clear break from her past - from her ex-husband North Archer that is - so that she can move forward in her new relationship. She intends to just tell him to stop sending her alimony (and give him 10 years worth of uncashed checks) and be done with him. Instead, she finds herself agreeing to help him with his 2 wards - 2 children of his cousin who are only living with a housekeeper in a very Gothic house. The other nannies have quit and North is hoping that Andie will get things straightened out so that he can get the kids moved away from that house.

Modern gothic with ghosts, murders, a creepy housekeeper, quirky characters and romance. 

Lone Wolf by Jodi Piccoult

Edward Warren, twenty-four, has been living in Thailand for five years, a prodigal son who left his family after an irreparable fight with his father, Luke. But he gets a frantic phone call: His dad lies comatose, gravely injured in the same accident that has also injured his younger sister Cara.

With her father's chances for recovery dwindling, Cara wants to wait for a miracle. But Edward wants to terminate life support and donate his father's organs. Is he motivated by altruism, or revenge? And to what lengths will his sister go to stop him from making an irrevocable decision?

A bit too much about wolves eating habits and it didn't grab me emotionally as most of her books do.

The One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

 It is the story of Jess, a single parent, who is struggling hard to make both ends meet. She has two children - her daughter Tanzie, who is just eight, and her stepson, Nicky, who is a teen. They are amazing kids but with their own imperfections.

When Tanzie is offered the opportunity to gain a scholarship to the school of her dreams, Jess works hard to seize the chance. But in the process she fumbles leading to slip-ups and what follows is a rollicking disaster of imposing magnitudes - ensuing in a journey of a lifetime and the opportunity to change all their lives. Will Jess take control of the situation or will she let it slip by?

One Plus One is also the story of Ed whose life is falling apart at its seams. When a chance encounter brought them together, he is well aware that Jess and her two kids are the last things he needs. But he is drawn into their world, plunging his own into a deeper abyss. Yet, he is determined to help them out.

A beautifully written, touching story. 

Connections by Sheila O'Flanagan

 A collection of short stories all set at the same time in a Caribbean Resort. The different stories are title after the room numbers of the people staying there.

There's Tara, who's arrived with the man she wants to marry only to find that a rejected lover is planning to get in the way; Grainne, who's been sent with her husband by their children to celebrate their anniversary, and who thinks the time has come to move on. Rudy's on an idyllic break with his young son which is set for an unexpected ending.

I finished it because I was at work and didn't have anything else to read.

Chasing The Valley: Borderlands by Sky Melki-Wegner

In this world is the country of Taladia which is ruled over by a really nasty king who is set on conquering all the surrounding lands so he can make even more people miserable. Danika and her friends have escaped death and destruction and are heading for Magnetic Valley, an almost mythical land where everything is beautiful and peaceful. They have survived getting out of the city, now they have to survive the borderlands. They are being hunted by the king's special troop of hunters who have everything to gain by capturing the group; on top of this little set back of being hunted there are smugglers with ulterior motives and a huge army between the group and their destination.

In Taladia everyone has a magical ability, when they reach their late teens their ability becomes known and a little tattoo appears on the back of their neck that reveals the ability. Danika is just learning hers - it is night. She can create an illusion spell to hide herself and the others, and she can melt into darkness and get through solid things. Others in her group can control animals, start fires and become one with birds.

A wonderful blend of adventure, science fiction and magic.  It didn't matter that I didn't read the first in the series, you can pick up the background throughout the story. I'd like to find out what happens next.  

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

Grace Covy is an ordinary 39 year old mother of two children. Grace has a loving relationship with her husband and is devoted to her children. She has a part-time job, however, does not feel she has been as successful in her career, as she might have wished. In a split second, Grace's world changes dramatically, while visiting during sports day at her children's private school. Jenny, her beautiful 17 year old daughter, is the on-site nurse for the day, and is inside the school when the catastrophic fire starts. Without a moments hesitation, Grace runs into the building to save her daughter.

Both mother and daughter sustain life-threatening injuries and are in a coma in the hospital. Similar to the movie "Ghost" and the book "The Lovely Bones" mother/daughter come to realize, they can leave their bodies and move freely around and talk, but only with each other. No, they are not dead, perhaps relegated to that place in-between life and death where one awaits their fate. During this out of body experience, Grace learns that the school fire was not an accident, but an act of arson. Grace also learns that Jenny may still be in danger.
 

Good book. Great idea.  I think I've just recently read too many sad books where main characters die .

Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs

 A collection of all-new and previously published short stories featuring Mercy Thompson and the characters she calls friends… 

There was only one story I had read before, all the rest were new to me.

My favourites were Gray and Alpha and Omega, though there were none that I din't enjoy or skim over. 

Souvenir by Therese Fowler

What if the only person who could help was the one whose heart you'd broken?

A captivating and heartrending novel of lost love, family secrets and betrayal from a major new talent.

'Memories are like spinning blades; dangerous at close range.'

Meg Powell and Carson McKay were soulmates. Until Meg inexplicably walked away and straight into the arms of another man.

While Meg set about building a career and a family – and trying her best to forget Carson – he poured his soul into the music that was to make him an international superstar.

Now, twenty years later, Meg is forced to confront the past and hidden truths in the pages of her late mother's diaries – little knowing that her teenaged daughter Savannah is playing with fire, creating a secret life on the internet that sucks her into a dangerous world.

Then Carson arrives back in town – just as Meg finds out startling news which will change her life for ever.

I was ready to give up on this book after the first couple of chapters.  I didn't, but only because I was at work with nothing else to read.  I am so glad I kept reading.  It turned into an excellent read, with wonderful characters and an intriguing storyline.  Very sad towards the end, but well finished on a note of hope.  Loved it!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 Despite the tumour-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. 

A beautiful, honest, heartrending story of life, death, and love.  Had me laughing and crying, at times while reading the same page.  A beautiful, brilliant read.

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bail Cates

Katie Lightfoot's tired of loafing around as the assistant manager of an Ohio bakery. So when her aunt Lucy and uncle Ben open a bakery in Savannah's quaint downtown district and ask Katie to join them, she enthusiastically agrees.

While working at the Honeybee Bakery—named after Lucy's cat—Katie notices that her aunt is adding mysterious herbs to her recipes. Turns out these herbal enhancements aren't just tasty—Aunt Lucy is a witch and her recipes are actually spells!

When a curmudgeonly customer is murdered outside the Honeybee Bakery, Uncle Ben becomes the prime suspect. With the help of handsome journalist Steve Dawes, charming firefighter Declan McCarthy, and a few spells, Katie and Aunt Lucy stir up some toil and trouble to clear Ben's name and find the real killer.. 

Witches, mystery and a hint of romance....with recipes. Very enjoyable light and silly read.

Death of a Hussy by M C Beaton

Maggie Baird is neither kind nor generous, but she is very, very rich. So it's no real surprise that when her car catches fire, with her inside it, there are five likely candidates for the role of murderer. All had been houseguests at her luxurious highland home - Maggie's timid niece and four former lovers, one of whom Maggie was intending to pick for a husband. All five of them are broke and all had the opportunity. So sorting through this embarrassment of suspects will require all of PC Hamish Macbeth's celtic common sense and insight into human nature. 

Great title, pity about the story.  Unlikeable characters, including the supposed hero. Baddie was a bit of a surprise but by the time I got to the end of the book I didn't really care whodunit.

Obedience by Jacqueline Yallop

Sister Bernard has lived in a grey-stone convent in rural France for more than seventy years. In that time, a once youthful and lively cloister has gradually emptied, until only Bernard and two other nuns remain. Now, the three women pack away their few possessions into wooden boxes, preparing to leave the building that has been their home for decades.

For the nuns, the closing of the convent means more than losing a home; the walls have shielded them from a changing modern world, for Sister Bernard the quiet monotony of the religious life has protected her from memories of the past - the disgrace of when she was a young woman in wartime France; when her devotion to God faded in the face of her need for a young Nazi soldier; and when she experienced the full horror and violence of war.

Left me feeling very sad. She was betrayed by everyone, even the boy she loved, the Mother Superior of her convent and the local priest.

A Year At The Races by Jane Smiley

Every horse story is a love story,” writes Jane Smiley, who has loved horses for most of her life and owned and bred them for a good part of it. To love something is to observe it with more than usual attention, and that is precisely what Smiley does in this irresistibly smart, witty, and engaging chronicle of her obsession.

In particular she follows a sexy filly named Waterwheel and a grey named Wowie (he “tells” a horse communicator that he wants it changed from Hornblower) as they begin careers at the racetrack. Filled with humor and suspense, and with discourses on equine intelligence, affection, and character 

I enjoyed the bits about the horses personalities and incidents involving her horses. I skimmed over the bits about different racecourses, costs involved in owning racehorses and some of the dryer stuff about research into horses personalities.

Overall an interesting if not enthralling read.

The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson

When Eve falls for the secretive, charming Dom, their whirlwind relationship leads them to Les GenÉvriers, an abandoned house set among the fragrant lavender fields of the south of France. Deeply in love and surrounded by music, books, and the heady summer scents of the French countryside, Eve has never felt more alive. But as verdant summer fades to golden autumn, the grand house's strange and troubling mysteries begin to unfold—and Eve now must uncover its every secret . . . before dark history can repeat itself.

From the first words I was enchanted with wonderful descriptions.

There are two stories in alternating chapters of the book, one about modern-day Eve and her lover Dominic, who have bought a rundown but charming farmhouse Les Genevriers, and the other about Benedicte Lincel and her family, the house's former owners perhaps a half century or more before.

Benedicte's story was stronger, more compelling and more interesting than Eve's. Dom's mystery was a bit overdone and I got to the point where I really didn't care about it. It was Benedicte's story that kept me reading. 

Still Life by Joy Fielding

Beautiful, happily married and the owner of a successful interior design business, Casey Marshall couldn't be more content with her life. Until a car slams into her at almost fifty miles an hour, breaking nearly every bone in her body, and plunging her into a coma. Lying in her hospital bed, Casey realizes that although she is unable to see or communicate, she can hear everything. She quickly discovers that her friends aren't necessarily the people she thought them to be - and that her accident might not have been an accident at all. As she struggles to break free from her living death, she begins to wonder if what lies ahead could be even worse.

An ok read, by the time of the big reveal of who arranged for her to be hit it was no huge surprise.

Priceless by Charlie Daniels

 Charlie Daniels started her career as a streetwalker when she was a seventeen-year-old single mother. Since she had virtually no qualifications, the streets seemed to offer the best way to get a comfortable and exciting life. Eventually she was forced to hand her over daughter to her own foster mother, just as she herself was given away nearly 20 years before. Charlie became one of the most successful Madams in the country, with a string of 50 girls working for her. By the time she was in her thirties, she had reached the pinnacle of her profession—but she had also realized just how shallow and meaningless her life was, and how much she wanted to get her daughter back before it was too late. 

I enjoyed this book. There were times I didn't understand Charlie or what she was thinking (ie some of her boyfriends, choice of career etc), but she is a strong woman, and I enjoyed reading her story. I admired the honesty and how she wasnt afraid to make herself sound bad. I am glad she has been able to sort her life out and use her experiences to help others. 

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

When Harold Fry nips out one morning to post a letter, leaving his wife hoovering upstairs, he has no idea that he is about to walk from one end of the country to the other. He has no hiking boots or map, let alone a compass, waterproof or mobile phone. All he knows is that he must keep walking. To save someone else's life. 

A moving, honest, emotional journey. Loved it. 

Dead Ice by Laurel K Hamilton

Someone is producing zombie porn. I've seen my share of freaky undead fetishes, so this shouldn't bother me. But the women being victimised aren't just mindless, rotting corpses. Their souls are trapped behind their eyes, signalling voodoo of the blackest kind.

 This book was much better than recent books in this series. This book had much more plot and character development with less sex than recent additions to the series.

I am enjoying watching Anita's powers grow and watching her poly relationships grow and develop.

The Man Who Loved Books Too Much by Allison Hoover Bartlett

"Gilkey is an obsessed, unrepentant book thief who has stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of rare books from book fairs, stores, and libraries around the country. Ken Sanders is the self-appointed "bibliodick" (book dealer with a penchant for detective work) driven to catch him. Bartlett befriended both outlandish characters and found herself caught in the middle of efforts to recover hidden treasure. With a mixture of suspense, insight, and humor, she has woven this entertaining cat-and-mouse chase into a narrative that not only reveals exactly how Gilkey pulled off his dirtiest crimes, where he stashed the loot, and how Sanders ultimately caught him but also explores the romance of books, the lure to collect them, and the temptation to steal them. Immersing the reader in a rich, wide world of literary obsession, Bartlett looks at the history of book passion, collection, and theft through the ages, to examine the craving that makes some people willing to stop at nothing to possess the books they love.

I enjoyed the look behind the scenes at book collectors. An interesting read. 

The Accidental Sorcerer by K E Mills

 
For the life of him, Gerald Dunwoody can't seem to keep a job or a roof over his head. When disaster strikes again it looks like his days of being a wizard are over for good ... until his friend Monk, genius of the government's secret research department, helps him to get appointed as Royal Court Wizard to the King of New Ottosland. His offsider, Reg, an ensorcelled bird with a mysterious past, isn't so sure this is a good idea. But Gerald's choices are limited. It's New Ottosland, or starve. But once Gerald arrives it quickly becomes clear that King Lional isn't the vain, indolent young man he first appeared to be. And with the passing of time, it becomes even clearer that Lional's plans may not, in fact, be in Gerald's best interests...

A mostly lighthearted, fun fantasy. The ending was a bit dark, but I suppose leaves the way open for more in the series. I enjoyed it more than I had expected at first, but wouldn't rush out to look for more in the series. 

Juliet by Anne Fortier

 When Julie Jacobs inherits a key to a safety-deposit box in Siena, Italy, she is told that it will lead her to an old family treasure. Soon she is launched on a winding and perilous journey into the history of her ancestor Giulietta, whose legendary love for a young man named Romeo rocked the foundations of medieval Siena. As Julie crosses paths with the descendants of the families immortalized in Shakespeare’s unforgettable blood feud, she begins to realize that the notorious curse—“A plague on both your houses!”—is still at work, and that she is the next target. It seems that the only one who can save Julie from her fate is Romeo—but where is he?

This book is a somewhat entertaining modern day re-telling of the story of Romeo and Juliet, complete with warring families, a look at Italian history, and, of course, love. The story alternates between long passages telling the ancient story, and Julie's passionate relationship with Allesandro--Romeo. Her sister Janice joins her and the danger ramps up as the sisters close in on the prize. They can't depend on any friend or foe being who he seems to be.

The historical sections were interesting. I didn't much like any of the modern day characters.  It was all made the more complicated because everyone in the modern timeline had at least 2 names, English, Italian and nicknames. Nobody told the truth to anyone else and most were just nasty people.

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

Nearly 18 years old, Molly Ayer knows she just has one chance. Just months from 'aging out' of the welfare system and close to being kicked out of her foster home. A community service position helping an elderly woman, Vivian Daly, clear out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie or worse. Vivian has led a quiet life on the coast of Maine, but in her attic, are the vestiges of a turbulent past. As Molly helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, she discovers they aren't as different as they seem. 

Told in beautifully evocative prose, the story unfolds in alternate perspectives, revealing what has happened to each of them, and how the parallel lines of their lives now converge to spotlight the similarities between them.

It was a story with a perfect ending. 

Loved it.

Festive In Death by J D Robb

Personal trainer Trey Ziegler was in peak physical condition. If you didn’t count the kitchen knife in his well-toned chest.

Lieutenant Eve Dallas soon discovers a lineup of women who were loved and left by the narcissistic gym rat. While Dallas sorts through the list of Ziegler’s enemies, she’s also dealing with her Christmas shopping list—plus the guest list for her and her billionaire husband’s upcoming holiday bash.

Feeling less than festive, Dallas tries to put aside her distaste for the victim and solve the mystery of his death. There are just a few investigating days left before Christmas, and as New Year’s 2061 approaches, this homicide cop is resolved to stop a cold-blooded killer.

I enjoyed the story from the murder to the unmasking. How the characters interacted, how the investigation unfolded, the dialogue and the combination of investigative and personal relationships kept me engaged throughout the story. 

LOVE this series. More for Eve and Roarke's relationship then the murder/investigation side.

Frantic by Katherine Howell

n one terrible moment, paramedic Sophie Phillips’ life is ripped apart – her police officer husband, Chris, is shot on their doorstep and their ten-month-old son, Lachlan, is abducted from his bed. Suspicion surrounds Chris as he is tainted with police corruption, but Sophie believes the attack is much more personal – and the perpetrator far more dangerous...

While Chris is in hospital and the police, led by Detective Ella Marconi, mobilise to find their colleague's child, Sophie's desperation compels her to search for Lachlan herself. She enlists her husband's partner, Angus Arendson, in the hunt for her son, but will the history they share prove harmful to Sophie's ability to complete her mission?

It had me hooked from the first page and I was totally engrossed throughout. I loved that it was set in Sydney with familiar surroundings, I also loved the insight into being a paramedic. I wanted to yell at the 2 main characters, Chris and Sophie, to Talk to each other.  If they had they would have solved the whole thing a lot earlier.  Interfering mothers-in-law are also a bad thing.

Beach Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

How does it feel to live and work in the world's most beautiful and luxurious tropical island resort, surrounded by white sandy beaches and aquamarine seas? 

How does it feel to exist in the lap of luxury when you're thousands of miles from anywhere else? 

And when the guests are some of the richest and most demanding people in the world, where do you find the energy every day to smile, smile and smile again? 

"Beach Babylon" takes you behind the scenes of the world of the five-star tropical island resort. Do all of the stories which take place behind closed doors of the exclusive spa have happy endings? What do the world's richest people expect from room service during their fortnight in paradise? What does the windsurfing instructor do to keep sane after hours? 
With a cast of millionaires, celebrities, hangers-on and prostitutes, "Beach Babylon" takes you to a world where luxury is the norm and where excess somehow isn't always enough...

Amusing look behind the scenes at an island resort that caters to the mega-rich. 
 

Willowswood Match by Gayle Buck

A most painful experience in love sent beautiful young Miss Miranda Wainwright from her home in America to the estate of her aristocratic cousins in England. Here she could start a new life, far from humiliating memories of betrayal... Burned once by a man's lying lips, Miranda vowed never again to put her heart and her fate in romantic jeopardy. Then she met the arrogant if undeniably dashing Viscount Wythe - and her iron-clad declaration of independence had to meet the test of passion's fire in the person of this lord who was everything that Miranda both distrusted and desired... 

Light, fluffy read. 

Dead Heat by Bronwyn Parry

Set in outback NSW in Australia, Park Ranger Jo Lockwood stumbles across the body of a brutally murdered man. Detective Nick Matheson arrives to investigate and it is soon discovered that Jo has seen the killers face. Jo is in danger as the killer doesn't want her to testify against him so Nick and Jo must solve the crime and find the murderer before he executes Jo!

Great suspense with a touch of romance that kept me turning the pages. Loved the setting of outback NSW, the descriptions of the bush and the small town. I want to read more by this author. 

Burning Dawn by Gena Showalter

 A tormented past has left Thane with an insatiable need for violence, making him the most dangerous assassin in the skies. He lives by a single code: no mercy. And as he unleashes his fury on his most recent captor, he learns no battle could have prepared him for the slave he rescues from his enemy’s clutches — a beauty who stokes the fires of his darkest desires.

Elin Vale has her own deep-rooted scars, and her attraction to the exquisite warrior who freed her challenges her every boundary. But Thane’s unwavering determination to protect her means she must face her greatest fears — and enter a world in which passion is power, and victory means breathtaking surrender. 

A great tortured hero who learns to love, a good heroine with her own baggage who learns to let go of the past. I enjoyed the cameo appearances by characters from other books in this series and couple of characters from her Lords of the Underworld series. 

The Royal Snuff Box by Barbara Hazard

Lady Julia was a beauty who stood out even in a London filled with lovely ladies. For a rake like Robert Hammond, she was an appealingly available female to be conquered with all his seductive skills. For an upright gentleman like the Earl of Bradford, she was a young woman whose show of virtue clearly masked the most devious designs. And for the Prince of the Realm himself, she was a subject from whom he expected the most proper obedience to his own most improper wishes.

Clearly Lady Julia had to be on guard against the strength of the passions she inspired... and against her own unexpected weakness... 

Light, entertaining reading.  Better than I had expected.

Under The Wintamarra Tree by Doris pilkington

Doris Pilkington Garimara was born on traditional birthing ground under the wintamarra tree. This is her life story, which follows on from her mother Molly's story in 'Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence', the book on which the internationally released film was based. Doris begins with the historic migration of her Mardu ancestors from the West Australian desert to the cattle stations and settlements on its fringes.
Generations later, living in the workers' camps with her family on Balfour Downs Station, three-year-old Doris' life is forever changed when she is removed by the authorities to Moore River Native Settlement. This institution, for children judged as identifiably of mixed race, was the place Molly had so famously escaped from a decade before.
The life of an institutional orphan, as seen through the eyes of a child, is movingly revealed. In contrast are lighthearted incidents when young Doris' vitality and independence test the patience of the staff. Leaving behind the regimentation of assigned routines and endless regulations, Doris goes to Perth to train as a nurse's aide but the racist culture of an institutional upbringing leaves an indelible mistrust of her own people. This is the obstacle she has to overcome when as a wife and mother she makes the courageous but difficult choice to find her mother and father, and to begin the journey to reclaim her Mardu heritage.' 

Fascinating, compelling reading. Knowing the areas she mentioned (Pilbara, Geraldton and Perth) in the book added a depth to the book.

Nerd Gone Wild by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Ally Jarrett has been a good girl all her life, mostly to keep from worrying her grandmother. But now her grandmother's dead, and Ally has inherited a fortune, so she travels to Porcupine, Alaska, to try her hand at wildlife photography. Ally doesn't know that her grandmother's personal assistant, and executor of the estate, Mitchell Carruthers, former PI, is supposed to be her bodyguard. To keep his mission secret, Mitch has donned the geekiest of nerd clothes. But Ally soon sees through his facade and insists that she doesn't need his help. But her sleazy uncle is after Ally's fortune, and he'll stop at nothing to get it. In the third book in Thompson's hysterically funny series, following Nerd in Shining Armor and The Nerd Who Loved Me, a riotous cast of colorful characters--including Ally's oversexed landlady, who specializes in roadkill casseroles; her uncle's dominatrix girlfriend; and the world's worst sculptor--fill the pages with hilarious situations, and hot, creative sex.

Much better than I had expected.. Very funny.  The Domme scene was well done.

Savage Awakening by J. D. Tyler

A group of former Navy SEALS, the Alpha Pack is a top-secret team of wolf shifters with Psy powers combating the greatest dangers in the world. But sometime those dangers are more intimate than they bargained for...

After a mission goes wrong, Aric Savage is taken prisoner. Half-dead and despairing, he makes a stunning discovery: his Pack mate Micah Chase, who was reported dead, is a fellow captive. When the Alpha team goes into full-rescue mode, accompanying them is an absolute stunner with sable hair--and a spine of solid steel.

LAPD officer and Psy Dreamwalker Rowan Chase has one priority: her brother Micah's recovery. Still, she can't help but be drawn to Aric, the ruggedly handsome wolf shifter who pleasures her as no man ever has--however fleeting their affair is destined to be. But when Aric's life is endangered, Rowan must ask herself what she's willing to sacrifice in the name of love, for the man fated to be her Bondmate. 

Interesting characters, a believable shifter world, lots of action, humour and love make for a very enjoyable read. I'll be looking for more in this series. 

The Dinner by Herman Koch

Paul Lohman and his wife Claire are going out to dinner with Paul's brother Serge, a charismatic and ambitious politician, and his wife Babette. Paul knows the evening will not be fun. The restaurant will be over-priced and pretentious, the head waiter will bore on about the organically certified free-range this and artisan-fed that, and almost everything about Serge, especially his success, will infuriate Paul.

But as the evening wears on it becomes clear that tonight's dinner will be even more difficult than usual. There is something the two couples have to discuss. It's about their teenage sons and the very bad things they have been doing.

And it's about how far two sets of parents will go to save their children from the consequences of their actions. 

A disturbingly good, uncomfortable read.