Review: The Bone Hacker

The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

Yet another great book in the "Bones" series! In this installment, Tempe is headed to Turks and Caicos to help out with an investigation that may be tied to an investigation she is working on in Montreal. I enjoyed reading about a new, exotic location that I have never been to. This one kept me on my toes with the end being mostly a surprise! I always love it when the ending is something I can't figure out right away.

View all my reviews

Review: The Women of Chateau Lafayette

The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This was the story of 3 women at different points in history, all with a tie to Château de Chavaniac (aka Château Lafayette). Adrienne Lafayette was Marquis de Lafayette’s wife and lived at the Château in the 1770s. Beatrice Chanler was a New York socialite who purchased the Château during WWI to use as an orphanage and school. Marthe Simone grew up and then taught at the Château during WWII. The three women were all brave and amazing women.

I had no idea what Lafayette and his wife endured during the French Revolution and after. It was interesting to learn more in this book.

As always, I was excited to get to the end of the book and learn what was real and what was fictionalized. It amazed me that Beatrice was a real person. Marthe was not a real person, but she embodied many of the women living through WWII in France.

View all my reviews

Review: Famous for a Living

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it

This was an interesting story of two polar opposites when it comes to social media... the influencer and the guy who doesn't even have a smart phone! Cat is a social media maven who has a fall from grace and needs to find a way to get her life back together. Zaiah is a park ranger at Kannery National Park in Montana where Cat's uncle works and has invited Cat to come and get away from it all.

It was extremely interesting seeing behind the scenes information about how the influencer life goes while it's on it's highs and it's lows. I had absolutely no way to relate to it, but it was kind of fun to learn about.

Cat spends time working at Kannery National Park with her uncle and a rag tag bunch of employees and volunteers. Her job? Figuring out how to make Kannery National Park relevant and a place that people want to visit. Little does she know that her uncle is hoping she can save the jobs of all who work there.

Throughout her stay she and Zaiah get to know each other and start falling for each other. Do opposites really attract? Why does Zaiah really hate social media so much? It was a fun read and I will be looking for others by Melissa Ferguson.

View all my reviews

Review: The House in the Orchard

The House in the Orchard by Elizabeth Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 out of 5 stars - It was ok

This was a very weird book that I honestly couldn't figure out the story for. Set in 2 different time periods, with the earlier time period mostly being put together based on a childhood diary from the home's previous owner. I read the whole thing and then got to the end and just felt like scratching my head in confusion. It was well written and interesting, I just couldn't figure out the point.

View all my reviews

Review: Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride: A Novel

Nonna Maria and the Case of the Missing Bride: A Novel by Lorenzo Carcaterra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I have to say, I absolutely LOVED Nonna Maria. Who wouldn't love a little old Italian grandma who solves mysteries and knows how to get everything done in her little island??

This was a great little mystery story with both a "stranger" to uncover and a murder in the midst. There were twists and turns that I definitely did not expect. I hope to be able to read more books featuring Nonna Maria!

View all my reviews

Review: Long Story Short

Long Story Short by Serena Kaylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

While I had a little bit of a hard time relating to the main character, due to the differences in personality, I was completely engrossed in her story. She was expected to come completely out of her comfort zone and attend a theater camp (totally also not my cup of tea). She is expected to make friends at this camp (also a difficult task for me sometimes). She needs to prove to her parents that she can handle going away to a college on the other side of the world at a young age and she won't just bury herself in books and school. A social life is also necessary to be a well rounded person.

I enjoyed the story and I enjoyed figuring out how she would complete each task on the list of "normal teenager" actions that her parents gave her.

View all my reviews

Review: A Tempest at Sea

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 out of 5 stars - If you ask me, I'll tell you to read it.

I enjoyed the intrigue of this book and I was honestly surprised by the twists at the end. Not only was the murder mystery solved, but there was an extra little twist at the end.

I liked getting to see how the identity of Charlotte and Mrs Watson would be kept secret while also still digging for the truth. Having more people they had to keep their identity from, including Charlotte's own family members, was an extra wrinkle in the disguise game.

View all my reviews