Moonstruck by Susan Grant

Peace was for little girls, and Coalition starship admiral Brit Bandar was one tough woman. A mere intergalactic treaty could never get her to trust the Drakken Horde. There was too much bad blood between the Coalition and the Horde and, for intensely personal reasons, Brit wasn't sure that she was through spilling it. But now a peaceful accord had made Finn Rorkken, a notorious Drakken rogue, second in command on her starship, and - through some grand cosmic irony - front and centre in her thoughts... and her heart.

Warleader, pirate... either title sat easily on Finn's battle-hardened shoulders. Though second in command to "Stone-Heart" Bandar? That one would take some getting used to. Peace required as much sacrifice as war, so he'd comply even if his reaction to the gorgeous admiral fell decidedly outside protocol. But would he end up kissing or killing her if the galaxy's tentative truce turned into all-out war? 

A nice blend of sic-fi romance and space adventure. 

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Suzanna is Almost forty and not happy with her life or her marraige. She opens the Emporium in an attempt to fulfill her life.
Suzanna, the abandoned daughter of her fathers first wife feels responsible for her mothers death among other dissatifactions. Through the shop, she makes friends with Jesse and others who help her become herself.

The story is told through a number of different threads that gradually come together. It was a very enjoyable read.

The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian

 Young Alfred is a ten year old African-American boy from Burlington whose life to date has been a trial. Shuttled from foster family to group home, the boy is on the verge of being lost to the kind of despair that can envelop unwanted children. He cautiously enters the Sheldon family circle, barely willing to hope that he can find a permanent place for himself among these kind people, who are still distracted by grief following the disappearance of their twin daughters, drowned two years before in a flash flood. Across the street from the Sheldons live an older couple, who take Alfred under their wings as surrogate grandparents, and it is they who introduce him to the history of the buffalo soldiers, African-American cavalry troopers whose reputation for bravery and honour inspires the child. Just as life seems to be settling into some sort of normal patterns, Terry who has never been unfaithful to Laura finds himself deeply attracted to the solace offered by another woman's arms. Their encounter, brief as it is, finds the woman pregnant with his baby, a child Terry suddenly realizes he urgently wants.

 Loved the parallel story told through the historical snippets at the beginning of each chapter.

Another wonderful, captivating story fromChris Bohjalian.

Dead Girls are Easy by Terri Garey

There's something about almost dying that makes a girl rethink her priorities. Take Nicki Styx—she was strictly goth and vintage, until a brush with the afterlife leaves her with the ability to see dead people.

Before you can say boo, Atlanta's ghosts are knocking at Nicki's door. Now her days consist of reluctantly cleaning up messes left by the dearly departed, leading ghouls to the Light . . . and one-on-one anatomy lessons with Dr. Joe Bascombe, the dreamy surgeon who saved her life. All this catering to the deceased is a real drag, especially for a girl who'd rather be playing hanky-panky with her hunky new boyfriend . . . who's beginning to think she's totally nuts.

But things get even more complicated when a friend foolishly sells her soul to the devil, and Nicki's new gift lands her in some deep voodoo.

As it turns out for Nicki Styx, death was just the beginning. 

A mix of ghosts and voodoo. It was almost like the author changed direction halfway through the book. I liked the way it started, but not so much where it ended up.

Dying For Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson

Meet Goldy Bear: a bright, opinionated, wildly inventive caterer whose personal life has become a recipe for disaster. She's got an abusive ex-husband who's into making tasteless threats, a rash of mounting bills that are taking a huge bite out of her budget, and two enticing men knocking on her door.

Now determined to take control of her life, Goldy moves her business and her son to ritzy Aspen Meadow Country Club, where she accepts a job as a live-in cook. But just as she's beginning to think she's got it made--catering decadent dinners and posh society picnics and enjoying the favors of Philip Miller, a handsome local shrink, and Tom Shulz, her more-than-friendly neighborhood cop--the dishy doctor inexplicably drives his BMW into an oncoming bus.

Convinced that Philip's bizarre death was no accident, Goldy decides to do a little investigating of her own. But sifting through the unpalatable secrets of the dead doc's life will toss her into a case seasoned with unexpected danger and even more unexpected revelations--the kind that could get a caterer and the son she loves. . .killed. 

Although the mystery in this book seems quite implausible, in particular the method of murder, watching Goldy solve the crime is part of the fun of the book. However the best part of the book is the description of food, and the tantalizing recipes scattered through out the book.  

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her -- her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling.

The first chapter is both disturbing and brutal, due to this initially I felt unsure as to whether I wanted to read on. I'm glad I did. Once I got into it I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Seduce Me In Shadow by Shayla Black

Ex-marine Caden MacTavish has shunned his magical heritage all his life, but he will do anything to heal his desperately ill brother, a Doomsday Brethren warrior in mourning for his missing mate. Posing as a photographer, Caden must convince firecracker tabloid reporter Sydney Blair to reveal the source of her recent exposé on a supernatural power clash. Unfortunately, keeping his hands off the sizzling redhead proves as hard as getting them onto the potent and mystical Doomsday Diary he discovers at her bedside. A bloody rebellion led by an evil, power-hungry wizard is imminent. If Sydney divulges the book's existence, she will jeopardize magickind's most deeply guarded secrets and become the ruthless wizard's number one target. Caden has never trusted magic's cruel and dangerous powers, but he will protect Sydney with his life and magic -- even if it means risking his heart.

Light, fun read. Action, romance and a touch of humour.