In The Solarium

  4/5 ⭐ Followed by notoriety she never asked for, Natalie is looking for a way out of the darkness and evil that seems to find her. Even if that means leaving her job on the police force. Let me just start with holy cow, the imagery and language Blanchard sets us up with is... *chef's kiss, perfection. Very rarely do I feel like I am there in the scene following, watching the characters as the story unfolds. But here, I am walking with Natalie as she goes to interview potential witnesses or as she is driving along the snowy landscape of her hometown. It’s mesmerizing. I was disappointed that this was yet another story with a love triangle. And as it was introduced so early on, I knew it was going to be a prominent plot point to the story. But it made me cringe every time an interaction happened between Natalie and the one man she wasn't in a relationship with, Luke, her childhood friend, and boss. That right there should be a good sign that it wouldn't work. Too much histo...

5/5 ⭐ I love Japanese mystery novels. I can't quite put my finger on it but they offer something that just appeals to me. That being said, of course, I had to read the first Kindaichi mystery! I have read the manga adaptation about his grandson called 'Kindaichi Case Files' (there are actually a few different series and even an anime) and that sort of spurred my interest in them but when I saw that it was being republished I had to read it. Because I am used to Kindaichi being referred to as a grandfather, I was pleasantly shocked to see him presented as a younger man with unkempt hair and semi disheveled clothes. I was amused at his habits of scratching at his head and his hair becoming even more unruly. His stutter that would become more prominent the more excited he got. It was fun. That's the best word for it. As for the story itself, I was hooked. I have always appreciated Japanese culture and history so the little details and explanations for what everything was v...

  5/5 ⭐ I am not the biggest fan of historical fiction, but there was something about this one that just captivated me into reading it all in one day. Maybe it was the fact that the present-day scenes were more frequent than the flashbacks to the past. Maybe it was the museum and artifact talk that made my little nerd heart happy. I really can't put my finger on what it was. But I was left at the end of this with the biggest satisfied grin on my face. It opens with the scene that changes the life of one of our main characters, Margot, on the night of a party that went horribly wrong. And the friendship that bloomed between her and Josephine, a resistance fighter, in a prison cell during World War II. Back in the present time, Evie is tasked with preparing Josephine's possessions for showcase in an exhibit to honor her life and work as a popular mystery author. Exploring her past raises more questions than answers as Evie, her son, Hugo, and the museum curator Clement search for...

5/5 ⭐ It's hard to put into words what I was left feeling after finishing Almond. This was one that I had on my TBR list for a long time before I was given the chance to read it and once I started, I couldn't put it down. As a psychology student, I was vaguely familiar with the condition Yunjae had. It was something we had talked briefly about in my neuropsychology class when we were studying parts of the brain. But that was brief and only talked about it in a clinical sense. Reading Yunjae's thoughts and how he looked at things and how he 'felt' about things was fascinating. At times I laughed at his bluntness and how uninterested he seemed. Other times I cried for how sad he must have been without knowing how to feel. To grieve. I think it does raise the question is it ever a good thing to not feel emotions. To keep a clear head and not be reactive. And after reading this, I think the answer is no. To not feel is to not live. To not experience. And if anything Yun...

4/5 ⭐ I was a little nervous when I started it that I wasn't going to like it because some of the dialogue is a bit much but I was pleasantly surprised! The setting was wonderfully designed and you felt like you were there in Las Flores, walking downtown and visiting the cute and quaint places Abby visits in her quest to solve the murder of French-Canadian pastry chef Jean-Louis Bonheur. She is aided by the victim's brother and her former colleagues in the police department to uncover the truth. And the victim's adorable and excitable dog, Sugar. I liked how the book was dotted with recipes for not only baked goodies but other things like doggie treats, chicken wraps and how to treat a bee sting. I wasn't the biggest fan of all the cheeky dialogue between Abby and her best friend Kat. Or when it was used elsewhere. There is an overabundance of nicknames used. It felt over the top and after a while it was annoying. But that was probably the only part I wasn't a fan o...

  4/5 ⭐ The second installment in the Secret, Book & Scone Society features more book quotes, more baked goodies, and more murder. I hadn't planned on picking up the second one so soon but when my hold came for it I jumped on and ended up reading it all in one day. I enjoyed that while this is still clearly a cozy mystery there is enough grit and non-coziness about it that makes it feel different than the rest. It is a good middle ground between a traditional cozy and traditional mystery in my opinion. Nora and her friends are having an uneventful night when a mysterious young woman shows up at the bookshop. Rail thin and quiet as a mouse, the newcomer is not talking about what secrets she holds. With her arrival, a new appraisal store opens offering residents a way to make some quick cash but the difference in the business partner's personalities gives Nora a reason to pause. And of course, we get some more romantic tension built up between Jed and Nora. They finally get t...

5/5 ⭐ Filled with a fantastical description, feisty characters, and a devious plan concocted by three spurned witches, this book is hard to put down. I am notorious for being picky when it comes to fantasy and romance stories, so finding one that was a combination of both that I loved was thrilling. Emmy Harlow has finally returned home in order to fulfill a centuries-long tradition in her family. I don't know if it was just me but I could feel the struggles Emmy was facing from page one. Harper managed to make her feel alive and genuine, which I am coming to find appeals to me when reading. Emmy fled her hometown nearly 10 years earlier and the wounds are still hurting. She's a little lost, a little pissed, and a little in love. Her homecoming is something she struggles with throughout most of the main story. The longing for a home but not knowing if it is the place she grew up in, the magical and wonderful Thistle Grove. Or if it is magicless, solitary Chicago to which she fl...