Lethal Licorice by Amanda Flower

 

Bailey King is participating in the Amish Confectionery Competition representing her grandparents candy shop. Who would have thought that the Amish could be so competitive? When Jethro, a pot-bellied pig, goes missing Bailey agrees to help his frantic owner find him. What she doesn't count on is finding a dead body! Especially when evidence starts pointing to Bailey as a possible murderer!

This is the second book in the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries. Amanda Flower doesn't disappoint in this installment! I love the humor that runs throughout the book and is a signature for the author's books. Even though the community is an Amish community there are still many disagreements and a lot of gossip that fly around. Bailey once again sticks her nose into Deputy Aiden Brody's investigation. I found her lurking around listening in on conversations a bit annoying, but how else is a girl supposed to solve a murder? I love the characters in this series and I hope that the next installment will forward Bailey and Aiden's relationship because they definitely need to be together! If you enjoy a cozy mystery then I highly recommend picking up one of Amanda Flower's series, they are well-thought out, filled with humor and always a surprise as to the "who-done-it".

There is a bonus recipe for black licorice at the end of the book. I'm going to try it!

Check out my review of the first book in the series:

Assaulted Caramel

Cold Fury by Susan Sleeman

Six years ago heart-break caused Jackson and Maggie to agree to never see each other again. But when Maggie's life is in danger Jackson, who is now working for Blackwell Tactical, insists on taking lead in the case and protecting Maggie. With their past will Jackson be able to maintain a professional demeanor or will his feelings for Maggie deter him from doing the best job possible to keep her safe? Why is Maggie the target of someone's fury and how will she ever survive being this close to Jackson once again?

I absolutely love the Blackwell Tactical team! They care for each other as a family and they also want to see each team member excel at their expertise. They have each others' back whether it be in danger or in their relationships. Jackson and Maggie have a past, there is no doubt about that with the team. But what that past is, none of them know. I love the way that Alex, another team mate, always has something funny to say to Jackson to try and get him to confess his attraction for Maggie. He made me laugh and I hope that we get to see his story soon. Cold Fury was exciting and kept me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down and stayed up way to late to finish it up. I raced through it and loved every minute of it! I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you are a suspense/romance fan like I am then you will definitely want to pick this series up, I guarantee you will not want to put them down until you finish every last exciting page!

*I received an e-copy from the author for review purposes. All opinions are my own*

Of Things To Come The Abi Hensley Series Book 3 by Miranda Atchley

This is the 3rd book in the Abi Hensley series and it takes place just after WWI. Abi is also saddened by the death of her friend Mrs. Wood. Depression sets in and Abi finds herself with writer's block that lasts for most of the first half of the story. Being pressured by her publisher and from fans and friends that are waiting for another book from her Abi tries a different genre of writing.

All of Abi's friends try to encourage her and help her out of her depression. One poor review sends Abi into a tailspin of doubts and disappointment. Will she be able to set her disappointment aside and get over the crippling writer's block or will Abi need to retire her typewriter and find another career?

It was fun to read about some of the fashion changes in OF THINGS TO COME. The clothing of the 20's and the changes for women's rights fit Abi's independence perfectly. As the reader I would have liked to have seen Abi more involved with the Women's Suffrage movement. There were mentions of Abi going to meetings, but not enough information of her involvement. It was fun getting to read Abi's interaction with old friends. Especially the ones at the boarding house she stayed at when she first arrived in New York. Abi's trip to one of her favorite characters hometown was fun. Abi's parents were a mixture of supportive and annoying! OF THINGS TO COME had it's sweet moments and it's frustrating ones as well. Getting glimpses of the changing times was fun, but Abi's continued writer's block and depression went on a bit too long. I love that Abi is a dreamer and goes after her dreams. I love that she has friends of all ages and that she is generous and kind to those she comes in contact with. I also love her strong character of not letting people(particularly men) walk over her. The ending was a bit abrupt, but definitely was a lead in to book 4.

High Treason by DiAnn Mills

Monica is a CIA agent and Kord is an FBI agent. They are thrown into a protection detail when an assassination attempt on a visiting Saudi prince occurs. Relations are strained between the US and Saudi's and the Prince has a twofold purpose for his visit. His mother has been diagnosed with cancer and is visiting MD Anderson and the Prince is looking into leasing some oil fields to the US. If the Prince was killed on US soil the tenuous relationship would be severed. Monica has experience in the protocol of behavior for women with Saudi men. And Kord is a friend to the Prince and insists on being part of the detail to protect him. Neither Kord nor Monica are happy with the situation at first, but as time goes on they manage to forge a shared respect for each others abilities.

High Treason was filled with excitement as well as quite interesting relationships between the characters. I love that Monica didn't try to change years of tradition by being an overbearing female. She gained respect from the Prince and his entourage through her behavior and ability. I also loved the peek into the life of a Saudi leader. It was interesting to the story as well as an interesting look into that culture. Monica had trust issues and through the story had to work through those. This led to a couple of good spiritual discussions between Kord and Monica as well as Monica and the Prince. I liked that the characters were able to have healthy dialogue without spewing hate. Monica was a very strong female lead and I really enjoyed that. She was strong and determined and ready to run into danger to protect. I liked how Monica and Kord's relationship grew and how they were able to establish a mutual respect for each other. The suspense was timely placed and kept the story moving along at a fast clip. If you are a fan of romantic suspense then I highly recommend this FBI Task Force series, you won't be disappointed!

A Table Before Me (Psalm 23 Mysteries #14) by Debbie Viguie'

While Mark is off chasing down leads to his former partner, Cindy and Jeremiah are once again in the middle of a crisis. A former co-worker has asked Cindy to clear his name of murder. Of course Cindy can't deny a request like that. The question is, is this Jeremiah's past catching up with him? Or do mysteries and trouble just tend to follow Cindy around constantly endangering her life? Add to the fact that people want someone in their circle dead, Cindy's parents and brother arrive for a visit.

Cindy's mother and brother are horrible people! Cindy is a much better daughter than I ever could be with the way she holds her tongue when her mother is so deliberately insulting and hurtful.

A Table Before Me is fast-paced and hard to put down! I enjoyed every moment of it and was caught up in the excitement and drama of every moment.

As with all of Debbie Viguie's books in this series, this one too ends on a cliffhanger that has this reader desperate for the next installment...NOW! While I agree that cliffhangers are a bit fun and leave the reader wanting more, there is also a sense of unfairness in keeping us in suspense for the next installment that usually happens only once a year or longer. I'm a bit torn, if the books were just churned out one after another would they be as good, or would the creativity it takes to write cause the storyline to suffer? I want to see the ending of Jeremiah and Cindy's story, but I also want it done well, soooooooo, it looks like I will have to resign myself to being patient, it looks like we have several more books to go and several more years to get there!

Keturah(The Sugar Baron's Daughters book #1) by Lisa T. Bergren

Keturah and her sisters, Verity and Selah set sail for the island of Nevis to try and redeem their fortune after their father dies. What they find when they arrive is shocking to say the least. Their first encounter on the island is with a slave auction. While their family have always had slaves they were always treated well. Never have the girls been exposed to the human terror and torture of slaves just off the ships. Once they arrive on their plantation another surprise awaits them. Another reason for Keturah to never trust another man. Determined to provide for her family and their slaves Keturah works hard to find an overseer for their plantation. But the men of Nevis are determined that a woman will not run her own plantation so they plot against her. Gray has also come to Nevis to try his hand at raising sugar cane on an adjacent plantation. He has also promised the girls' uncle that he would keep an eye on them. Will the hardships that they face on-island bring them together or will the girls be sent back to England defeated? 

I love Lisa T. Bergren's writing! Keturah reminded me a bit of Scarlet O'Hara! Two strong females determined to make it in a man's world. As the author herself says in the notes at the end of the book, the slavery was hard to depict. It was also hard to read! So many gritty scenes that caused me to want to look away or skip, but were reality for the times. I loved  Keturah, Verity and Selah's characters! All of them strong and ready to take their place on-island.  When faced with adversity they are ready to close ranks and stand together! I was swept away in this story and am now missing the characters and can't wait for Verity's story. 

Mansfield Park Read-Along: Conclusion

We have arrived at the conclusion of MANSFIELD PARK! A lot happened in these last chapters. Thanks so much to our host Amber at Seasons of Humility. Check out her conclusion post, some great ideas and quotes! Here are my thoughts on this last section:

QUOTES:

"The only drawback was the doubt of her aunt Bertram's being comfortable without her. She was of use to no one else; but there she might be missed to a degree that she did not like to think of; and that part of the arrangement was, indeed, the hardest for Sir Thomas to accomplish, and what only he could have accomplished at all." I think we start to see Fanny's value to the family. Even though they think it is only going to hurt her aunt, they all end up missing her ways while she is at home.

"So her poor dear sister Price was left to all the disappointment of her missing such an opportunity, and another twenty years' absence, perhaps, begun." I love how they let Mrs. Norris talk herself out of going with Fanny! But I found this quote funny. I bet sister Price is happy she dodged that bullet!

"William was gone; and the home he had left her in was, Fanny could not conceal it from herself, in almost every respect the very reverse of what she could have wished. It was the abode of noise, disorder, and impropriety. Nobody was in their right place, nothing was done as it ought to be. She could not respect her parents as she had hoped. On her father, her confidence had not been sanguine...he swore and he drank, he was dirty and gross." Ack! Can you imagine poor Fanny being used to quiet and decorum being thrown into this zoo? And even as scared as she was around Sir Thomas she much would rather prefer him over this father of hers! 

"Her days were spent in a kind of slow bustle; all was busy without getting on, always behindhand and lamenting it, without altering her ways; wishing to be an economist, without contrivance or regularity; dissatisfied with her servants, without skill to make them better, and whether helping, or reprimanding, or indulging them, without any power of engaging their respect." Ah, Mrs. Price! I think she was overwhelmed by her huge family and lacked the energy to expend in any means of improvement for herself or anyone else. 

"Though Mansfield Park might have some pains, Portsmouth could have no pleasures." Even Mrs. Norris' constant putting down of Fanny is much more preferable to her than the noise and bustle and irritations of her family home. It had to be pretty bad if she would take Mrs. Norris over that! ha!

"So very fond of me! tis nonsense all. She loves nobody but herself and her brother. Her friends leading her astray for years! She is quite as likely to have led them astray." Wow! Fanny has the Crawford's number doesn't she? She knows exactly what they are about and is not duped like Edmund is! Bravo for Fanny!!!

"Never had Fanny more wanted a cordial." I had to laugh at this! Kind of the equivalent to "if I were only a drinking woman I'd poor me a stiff one right now!" bwhahahahahahahaha!

"Fanny's last meal in her father's house was in character with her frist; she was dismissed from it as hospitably as she had been welcomed."

"Lady Bertram came from the drawing-room to meet her; came with no indolent step; and falling on her neck, said, "Dear Fanny! now I shall be comfortable." Fanny leaves her birth home with little notice or fan-fare and gets home to Mansfield and is welcomed by her aunt Bertram with hugs and kisses and appreciation. Good for her!

"She was an altered creature, quieted, stupefied, indifferent to everything that passed." Mrs. Norris is finally brought to the reality of her errors! Maria was her favored niece and oh how she has fallen! But again a bit later she is blaming Fanny for not marrying Mr. Crawford. She says if Fanny had married him this wouldn't have happened. So she didn't learn too much of a lesson! Well, she gets what she wants...her and Maria living together and hating each other and being miserable together!

"It was the detection, in short--oh, Fanny! it was the detection, not the offence, which she reprobated." Oh, poor Edmund. To finally have his eyes opened to Miss Crawford's true character! 

My Thoughts:

And so the end! While I did find that there were some interesting moments in Mansfield Park, it is definitely not my favorite Jane Austen book. I was glad to see that Edmund's eyes were finally opened to Miss Crawford's connivings. I was also glad to see that Fanny was much more appreciated when she returned to Mansfield. I wonder if Mrs. Norris ever did learn her lesson? I wonder if she ever took responsibility for the way Maria behaved? As for the romance between Edmund and Fanny...what romance? It is like after all of the debacles of everyone else they kind of mutually gravitated to each other and the affection they had for each other grew into something more, but it all happened off the pages and the reader was just there for the happy ending. We did get glimpses of Fanny's affection for Edmund, but still it just kind of happened and there we were. So yeah, I'm kind of blah about that whole relationship! Can you imagine the scandal of Maria running off with Mr. Crawford?! I would have thought that his affection for Fanny would have changed his ways, but thankfully Fanny saw him for who he really was and he never really turned her heart or head. It was all about the chase and the game for him. He really had no interest in her heart or Maria's heart. He reaped destruction wherever he went. Evil man!

Questions from Amber's Blog:

1. Do you think Fanny's home and family had changed a lot since she left when she was a girl, or do you think Fanny was the one who changed the most?
I would say that Fanny had changed the most. I think that when we are gone a long time from a place we can forget it's faults(especially being as young as Fanny was when she went to Mansfield). 

2. Just for fun: What sort of conclusion would you give to Susan's story if you were to write a sequel/epilogue for her?
I would think that Susan would need a beau with a bit more spunk than a clergyman would have. The book says she became even more useful than Fanny ever was. Maybe she could have fallen in love with a schoolmaster since she had such a desire to learn things. But then once she came to Mansfield she might be expected to aspire to more than that? Hopefully she would find her happily ever after too :)

3. Which character's growth or consequences (as described in the last chapter) brought you the most satisfaction?

I would have to say Fanny's. She steadfastly stuck to her convictions. With love and affection her sweet nature blossomed even more. But honestly she and Edmund were not my favorite hero/heroine of Jane Austen's pen! 

Well, there you have it! The end of MANSFIELD PARK! If you read it or are reading it be sure to leave a comment about your thoughts! Until the next read-along readers!