Toby's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 10 Apr 2025 06:31:43 -0700 60 Toby's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop (Beacon Bakeshop, #1)]]> 54464889 In the first of a new series, after Lindsey Bakeswell catches her celebrity chef fiancé sizzling in the arms of another woman, Lindsey leaves big city Wall Street for small town Beacon Harbor, Michigan to pursue her own passion as a pastry baker--and gets mixed up in someone's sweet taste of revenge...

More interested in kneading dough than adding it up, Lindsey's breakup inspired her to set up the shop she always wanted in a place that always made her happy. She'd spent many childhood summers near this beach community and converting the old run-down lighthouse into a bakery café and home offers a perfect fresh start for Lindsey and her devoted Newfoundland dog, Wellington.

But not everyone in town has a sweet tooth. The preservation society won't have the lighthouse's history sugar coated by lattes and cakes--and a protest group crashes Lindsey's Memorial Day opening. Then her ex-fiancé Jeffrey Plank and his girlfriend Mia Wong arrive to trash the place. In the ensuing chaos Mia chokes on a donut and dies.

An autopsy reveals cyanide in Mia's bloodstream and Lindsey is the police's prime suspect. To clear her name, she's going to need to combine ingredients found in the town's checkered past to uncover the identity of a desperate killer...]]> 280 Darci Hannah 1496731751 Toby 4 4.16 2021 Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop (Beacon Bakeshop, #1)
author: Darci Hannah
name: Toby
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: brain-candy, kindle, library, mystery-thriller
review:
This book took me a bit by surprise � I was not expecting it to be this solid and the ending definitely took me by surprise! The characters were lovable and I adore that the MC has a Newfie named Wellington! Such a good dog.
]]> <![CDATA[Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1]]> 36538793
In Taisho-era Japan, Tanjiro Kamado is a kindhearted boy who makes a living selling charcoal. But his peaceful life is shattered when a demon slaughters his entire family. His little sister Nezuko is the only survivor, but she has been transformed into a demon herself! Tanjiro sets out on a dangerous journey to find a way to return his sister to normal and destroy the demon who ruined his life.

Learning to slayĚýdemons won’t be easy, and Tanjiro barely knows where to start. The surprise appearance of another boy named Giyu, who seems to know what’s going on, might provide some answers…but only if Tanjiro can stop Giyu from killing his sister first!]]> 192 Koyoharu Gotouge 1974700526 Toby 5
Ahhh this was such a good start to the series. ±őłŮ’s very action-packed but also emotionally taxing; it also ends on a cliffhanger so I’m glad I own the next two in the series. ]]> 4.39 2016 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Vol. 1
author: Koyoharu Gotouge
name: Toby
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves: bought-read, fantasy, manga-or-graphic-novel, paranormal-horror, translated
review:
Unread shelf project 2024: book 91.

Ahhh this was such a good start to the series. ±őłŮ’s very action-packed but also emotionally taxing; it also ends on a cliffhanger so I’m glad I own the next two in the series.
]]> <![CDATA[Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire, #8)]]> 16156292
For to the west, another, wider conflagration looms. Napoleon has turned on his former ally, the emperor Alexander of Russia, and is even now leading the largest army the world has ever seen to add that country to his list of conquests. It is there, outside the gates of Moscow, that a reunited Laurence and Temeraire—along with some unexpected allies and old friends—will face their ultimate challenge...and learn whether or not there are stronger ties than memory.]]> 432 Naomi Novik 0345522893 Toby 0 to-read 3.96 2013 Blood of Tyrants (Temeraire, #8)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[League of Dragons (Temeraire, #9)]]> 20404555 The final adventure in the New York Times bestselling Temeraire series that started with the beloved His Majesty’s Dragon which has won fans of Napoleonic-era military history, Anne McCaffrey’s Pern novels, and Patrick O’Brian’s seafaring adventures.

The deadly campaign in Russia has cost both Napoleon and those allied against him. Napoleon has been denied his victory…but at a terrible price. Lawrence and the dragon Temeraire pursue the fleeing French army back west, but are demoralized when Napoleon makes it back to Paris unscathed. Worse, they soon learn that the French have stolen Termeraire and Iskierka’s egg. Now, it is do or die, as our heroes not only need to save Temeraire’s offspring but also to stop Napoleon for good!]]> 380 Naomi Novik 0345522923 Toby 0 to-read 4.11 2016 League of Dragons (Temeraire, #9)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crucible of Gold (Temeraire, #7)]]> 12069434 Ěý
For Laurence and Temeraire, put out to pasture in Australia, it seems their part in the war has come to an end just when they are needed most. But perhaps they are no longer alone in this opinion. Newly allied with the powerful African empire of the Tswana, the French have occupied Spain and brought revolution and bloodshed to Brazil, threatening Britain’s last desperate hope to defeat Napoleon.
Ěý
And now the government that sidelined them has decided they have the best chance at negotiating a peace with the angry Tswana, who have besieged the Portuguese royal family in Rio—and thus offer to reinstate Laurence to his former rank and seniority as a captain in the Aerial Corps. Temeraire is delighted by this sudden reversal of fortune, but Laurence is by no means sanguine, knowing from experience that personal honor and duty to one’s country do not always run on parallel tracks.
Ěý
Nonetheless, the pair embark for Brazil, only to meet with a string of unmitigated disasters that force them to make an unexpected landing in the hostile territory of the Incan empire, where they face new unanticipated dangers.
Ěý
Now with the success of the mission balanced on a razor’s edge, and failure looking more likely by the minute, the unexpected arrival of an old enemy will tip the scales toward ruin. Yet even in the midst of disaster, opportunity may lurk—for one bold enough to grasp it.]]> 325 Naomi Novik 0345522869 Toby 0 to-read 3.95 2012 Crucible of Gold (Temeraire, #7)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Tongues of Serpents (Temeraire, #6)]]> 7038489
Convicted of treason despite their heroic defense against Napoleon’s invasion of England, Temeraire and Laurence—stripped of rank and standing—have been transported to the prison colony at New South Wales in distant Australia, where, it is hoped, they cannot further corrupt the British Aerial Corps with their dangerous notions of liberty for dragons. Temeraire and Laurence carry with them three dragon eggs intended to help establish a covert in the colony and destined to be handed over to such second-rate, undesirable officers as have been willing to accept so remote an assignment—including one former acquaintance, Captain Rankin, whose cruelty once cost a dragon its life.

Nor is this the greatest difficulty that confronts the exiled dragon and Instead of leaving behind all the political entanglements and corruptions of the war, Laurence and Temeraire have instead sailed into a hornet’s nest of fresh complications. For the colony at New South Wales has been thrown into turmoil after the overthrow of the military governor, one William Bligh—better known as Captain Bligh, late of HMS Bounty. Bligh wastes no time in attempting to enlist Temeraire and Laurence to restore him to office, while the upstart masters of the colony are equally determined that the new arrivals should not upset a balance of power precariously tipped in their favor.

Eager to escape this political quagmire, Laurence and Temeraire take on a mission to find a way through the forbidding Blue Mountains and into the interior of Australia. But when one of the dragon eggs is stolen from Temeraire, the surveying expedition becomes a desperate race to recover it in time—a race that leads to a shocking discovery and a dangerous new obstacle in the global war between Britain and Napoleon.]]> 274 Naomi Novik 0345496892 Toby 0 to-read 3.74 2010 Tongues of Serpents (Temeraire, #6)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, #5)]]> 891593
It is a grim time for the dragon Temeraire. On the heels of his mission to Africa, seeking the cure for a deadly contagion, he has been removed from military service - and his captain, Will Laurence, has been condemned to death for treason. For Britain, conditions are grimmer still: Napoleon's resurgent forces
have breached the Channel and successfully invaded English soil. Napoleon's prime objective: the occupation of London.

Separated by their own government and threatened at every turn by Napoleon's forces, Laurence and Temeraire must struggle to find each other amid the turmoil of war and to aid the resistance against the invasion before Napoleon's foothold on England's shores can become a stranglehold.

If only they can be reunited, master and dragon might rally Britain's scattered forces and take the fight to the enemy as never before - for king and country, and for their own liberty. But can the French aggressors be well and truly routed, or will a treacherous alliance deliver Britain into the hands of her
would-be conquerors?]]> 352 Naomi Novik 0007256752 Toby 0 to-read 4.07 2008 Victory of Eagles (Temeraire, #5)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, #4)]]> 129510 Bonaparte’s dragons are already harrowing Britain’s ships at sea. Only one recourse remains: Temeraire and his captain, Will Laurence, must take wing to Africa, whose shores may hold the cure to the mysterious and deadly contagion. On this mission there is no time to waste, and no telling what lies in store beyond the horizon or for those left behind to wait, hope, and hold the line.]]> 416 Naomi Novik 0345496876 Toby 0 to-read 3.98 2007 Empire of Ivory (Temeraire, #4)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Black Powder War (Temeraire, #3)]]> 91989 365 Naomi Novik 0345481305 Toby 0 to-read 3.90 2006 Black Powder War (Temeraire, #3)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)]]> 28876 356 Naomi Novik 0345481283 Toby 0 to-read 4.06 2006 His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Jade (Temeraire, #2)]]> 14069
Now China has discovered that its rare gift, intended for Napoleon, has fallen into British hands–and an angry Chinese delegation vows to reclaim the remarkable beast. But Laurence refuses to cooperate. Facing the gallows for his defiance, Laurence has no choice but to accompany Temeraire back to the Far East–a long voyage fraught with peril, intrigue, and the untold terrors of the deep. Yet once the pair reaches the court of the Chinese emperor, even more shocking discoveries and darker dangers await.]]> 398 Naomi Novik 0345481291 Toby 0 to-read 3.89 2006 Throne of Jade (Temeraire, #2)
author: Naomi Novik
name: Toby
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder on Waverly Place (Gaslight Mystery, #11)]]> 5294308
Only this time, one of the attendees doesn't succeed in speaking to the dead-she joins them. Now, it's up to Sarah and Detective Sergeant Frank Malloy to protect Mrs. Decker from scandal-by determining how a woman was murdered in the pitch dark when every suspect was holding the hand of the person next to them.]]> 296 Victoria Thompson 0425227758 Toby 4 3.87 2009 Murder on Waverly Place (Gaslight Mystery, #11)
author: Victoria Thompson
name: Toby
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: brain-candy, historical, kindle, library, mystery-thriller
review:
Fun, fluffy historical mysteries are one of my absolute favorite subgenres. I’m glad I finally made time to get absorbed enough in one of the Gaslight mysteries to finish it. It was not extremely fast paced but it was enjoyable; the characters were well-drawn and the setting was cozy. I will definitely be reading more in this (very extensive) series.
]]> <![CDATA[City of Lies (Counterfeit Lady, #1)]]> 34286537 From the national bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries comes the first Counterfeit Lady novel—the intriguing start of a historical mystery series featuring woman-on-the-run Elizabeth Miles.

Every woman plays a part—but some are more dangerous than others...

Like most women, Elizabeth Miles assumes many roles; unlike most, hers have made her a woman on the run. Living on the edge of society, Elizabeth uses her guile to relieve so-called respectable men of their ill-gotten gains. But brutal and greedy entrepreneur Oscar Thornton is out for blood. He’s lost a great deal of money and is not going to forgive a woman for outwitting him.

With his thugs hot on her trail, Elizabeth seizes the moment to blend in with a group of women who have an agenda of their own. She never expects to like or understand these privileged women, but she soon comes to respect their intentions, forming an unlikely bond with the wealthy matriarch of the group whose son, Gideon, is the rarest of species—an honest man in a dishonest world.

Elizabeth knows she’s playing a risky game, and her deception could be revealed at any moment, possibly even by sharp-eyed Gideon. Nor has she been forgotten by Thornton, who’s biding his time, waiting to strike. Elizabeth must draw on her wits and every last ounce of courage she possesses to keep her new life from being cut short by this vicious shadow from her past.

]]> 312 Victoria Thompson 0399586571 Toby 0 to-read 3.61 2017 City of Lies (Counterfeit Lady, #1)
author: Victoria Thompson
name: Toby
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Secrets (Counterfeit Lady, #2)]]> 38526543 The latest book in the exciting series featuring woman-on-the-run Elizabeth Miles--from the beloved national bestselling author of the Gaslight Mysteries.

Elizabeth Miles knows that honesty is not always the best policy when it comes to finding justice.

Elizabeth has discovered that navigating the rules of high society is the biggest con of all. So far, her only success is Priscilla Knight, a dedicated young suffragist recently widowed for the second time. Her beloved first husband died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters--and a sizable fortune. While she was lost in grief, Priscilla's pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her and engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Now, about nine months later, Endicott is dead in what appears to be another terrible accident.

Priscilla had believed Endicott was wealthy, too, but her banker tells her she has no money left and her house has been mortgaged. He also hints at a terrible scandal and refuses to help. Priscilla stands to lose everything, and Elizabeth is determined not to let that happen. She soon discovers that Endicott's death was anything but accidental, and revealing the truth could threaten much more than Priscilla's finances. To save her new friend's future--and possibly her own--Elizabeth, along with her honest-to-a-fault beau, Gideon, delve into the sinister secrets someone would kill to keep.]]> 310 Victoria Thompson 0451491610 Toby 0 to-read 3.90 2018 City of Secrets (Counterfeit Lady, #2)
author: Victoria Thompson
name: Toby
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[City of Scoundrels (Counterfeit Lady, #3)]]> 43984453
When Tom is later reported killed, Elizabeth and Gideon learn that the new will has gone missing after Tom's bride revealed her identity to his family. Unless the new will is found and validated, the original will, which leaves everything to Tom's brother, will prevail and the wife and child will get nothing. If Tom's new bride survives, that is. Some terrible threats have been leveled against her, and Elizabeth and Gideon must figure out a way, legal or not quite, to secure Tom's fortune for his wife and child while saving her life in the process.]]> 327 Victoria Thompson 1984805657 Toby 0 to-read 3.87 2019 City of Scoundrels (Counterfeit Lady, #3)
author: Victoria Thompson
name: Toby
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mother's Day Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #15)]]> 5821565
Even after witnessing the women’s claw sharpening rituals, Lucy never expects to see actual blood spilled—until Tina is shot dead on the public tennis court. Now Lucy is determined to unravel the close-knit knot of suspects. But when the threads threaten to entangle one of her own, Lucy will come face-to-face with a killer who has a thing or two to learn about motherly love…]]> 234 Leslie Meier 0758207050 Toby 4 3.83 2009 Mother's Day Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #15)
author: Leslie Meier
name: Toby
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: brain-candy, kindle, library, mystery-thriller
review:
I am glad that I tackled this series in order � I love the chronology and the ability to “watch� Lucy’s family grow up! This was another solid installment and actually I feel like this was one of the darker books in the series, surprisingly.
]]> Next of Kin (Next, #1) 107525389
Enter Warren, a surly mechanic’s apprentice attempting to get custody of his deaf fifteen-year-old brother after failing CPS� housing evaluation. The two strangers immediately clash but agree to live together until Warren can find housing elsewhere and Chloe can further grow her freelance career.

As their lives intertwine, Chloe and Warren both realise that they’re far more similar than they could have imagined. What started as forced begins to feel natural—and far less lonely. Chemistry soon intensifies beyond what either of them can stand, but they must each decide if what burns between them is worth risking their arrangement and, ultimately, the well-being of their siblings.

With banter, heart, and steam that will have the reader blushing, Next of Kin is a true underdog story of two young adults redefining what family can look like.]]> 295 Hannah Bonam-Young Toby 5
This was such an adorable, big-hearted story. I loved the characters and the unique nature of the plot. This was my first read by Bonam Young but it won’t be my last; I loved the diversity and focus on the very real and very difficult parts of life that aren’t usually written about.]]> 3.71 2022 Next of Kin (Next, #1)
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: Toby
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: bought-read, brain-candy, diverse-reads, romance
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 15.

This was such an adorable, big-hearted story. I loved the characters and the unique nature of the plot. This was my first read by Bonam Young but it won’t be my last; I loved the diversity and focus on the very real and very difficult parts of life that aren’t usually written about.
]]> <![CDATA[5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5)]]> 21445 464 James Patterson 1594831114 Toby 4
Another fast paced entry in the Women’s Murder Club series. This is my favorite series that James Patterson has co-written. All of the characters mesh so well and by now (I’ve read through book 12 I think? I just skipped this one initially because I couldn’t find it when I was reading in order) they are all living breathing people in my brain.]]> 4.07 2006 5th Horseman (Women's Murder Club, #5)
author: James Patterson
name: Toby
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: bought-read, brain-candy, mystery-thriller
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 14.

Another fast paced entry in the Women’s Murder Club series. This is my favorite series that James Patterson has co-written. All of the characters mesh so well and by now (I’ve read through book 12 I think? I just skipped this one initially because I couldn’t find it when I was reading in order) they are all living breathing people in my brain.
]]> <![CDATA[Loose Lips (Ghostwriter Mystery, #2)]]> 211960944
The USA Today bestselling host of the "All About Agatha" podcast injects the spark and fizz of a Golden Age murder mystery into the present-day, as the ghostwriter’s skills are put to the test aboard a bestselling author’s decidedly insalubrious cruise.

Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach. So goes the adage, but sometimes, even a first-rate ghostwriter and successful mystery author needs to make a buck. Even if that means setting foot on a cruise ship, something she vowed she’d never do. To top it off, the “Get Lit Cruise� is being organized by Payton Garrett, a very popular, bestselling author—and the ghostwriter’s long-time frenemy from back in their MFA days.

Over the years, Payton has reinvented herself. She gained a wife while ditching her journalist husband—who is also on board. And she’s acquired a rabid following who eagerly snapped up the invitations sent to a select few of her newsletter subscribers. The guests, all female, will receive personalized instruction from experts in five different writing genres, while basking in Payton’s reflected glow.

Between mentoring guests, flirting with Payton’s ex, and taking bets on how long before someone performs a reenactment of Titanic’s “I’m flying!� scene (answer: not long enough), there’s plenty to keep a ghostwriter occupied. But there’s one activity nobody expected: solving a murder.

When an attendee is found dead under suspicious circumstances and several others suffer symptoms of poisoning, there are numerous motives and suspects to choose from. But could it be that the victim wasn’t even the intended target? As the body count rises along with onboard tensions, no one is safe—except, perhaps, for a killer whose scruples have long abandoned ship. And of course, like every well-plotted mystery, this one has an extra twist . . .]]> 336 Kemper Donovan 1496744543 Toby 0 to-read 3.68 2025 Loose Lips (Ghostwriter Mystery, #2)
author: Kemper Donovan
name: Toby
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Busy Body (Ghostwriter Mystery, #1)]]> 138378622
Her collaborator is impressed by Dorothy's work ethic and steel-trap mind, not to mention the stunning surroundings (and one particularly gorgeous bodyguard). But when a neighbor dies under suspicious circumstances, Dorothy is determined to find the killer in their midst. And when Dorothy Gibson asks if you want to team up for a top secret, possibly dangerous murder investigation, the only answer "Of course!"

The best ghostwriters are adept at asking questions and spinning stories . . . two talents, it turns out, that also come in handy for sleuths. Dorothy's political career, meanwhile, has made her an expert at recognizing lies and double-dealing. Working together, the two women are soon untangling motives and whittling down suspects, to the exasperation of local police. But this investigation-much like the election-may not unfold the way anyone expects.]]> 336 Kemper Donovan 1496744535 Toby 0 to-read 3.46 2024 The Busy Body (Ghostwriter Mystery, #1)
author: Kemper Donovan
name: Toby
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Founding (The Morland Dynasty, #1)]]> 439985 527 Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 0751503827 Toby 4
This was a solid intro to the world of the Morlands. I’m not sure what I’m doing with starting a 36-book series, YOLO I guess! I enjoyed Harrod-Eagles� writing style a lot; it’s detailed and she definitely pulls you into the world that she is describing. I did get bogged down a bit with all of the political content but not terribly so and my confusion thankfully didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the overall story. I was grateful that a family tree was included because I definitely referred back to it often!

Now, on to book two!]]> 3.90 1980 The Founding (The Morland Dynasty, #1)
author: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
name: Toby
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: bought-read, epics, family-drama, historical
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 13.

This was a solid intro to the world of the Morlands. I’m not sure what I’m doing with starting a 36-book series, YOLO I guess! I enjoyed Harrod-Eagles� writing style a lot; it’s detailed and she definitely pulls you into the world that she is describing. I did get bogged down a bit with all of the political content but not terribly so and my confusion thankfully didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of the overall story. I was grateful that a family tree was included because I definitely referred back to it often!

Now, on to book two!
]]> <![CDATA[Seeds of Murder (The Gardener Mysteries #1)]]> 170330408 Steph Williams has landed her dream gardening job working for the wealthy, gated community of Beaulieu Heights. With her beloved dog Mouse for company, she's quite content to be left alone to tackle the weeds and tend the flowers.

If she happens to overhear secret feuds while working in the gardens, or refused access to a locked shed, she knows not to question it - after all, gardeners should be seen and not heard.

Until she is accused of blackmailing the residents with notes disclosing their darkest secrets. Now she's forced to swap her gardening gloves for a detective's notebook, with just ten days to clear her name.

But when Steph's investigation leads her to discover a freshly dug grave in one of the gardens, she soon realises that the residents are hiding more than it seems - and they'll just about do anything to stop their secrets from being unearthed...

Will Steph be able to catch the perpetrator and nip this case in the bud before it becomes too late?

Seeds of Murder is the start of a brand-new gardening murder mystery, perfect for fans of Peter Boland, Fiona Leitch and The Potting Shed Mysteries .]]> 259 Rosie Sandler 1471414388 Toby 4
This was an audiobook that I’d purchased on sale from Chirp and I am not at all sad about it!! The narrator was quite good (I’d give them 4.25/5 or so) and the story was intriguing. I really liked how detailed the characters were; I felt like I knew them all by the end despite the cast of side characters being fairly large.

I have books 2 & 3 on audio as well and will probably listen to them soon.]]> 3.87 Seeds of Murder (The Gardener Mysteries #1)
author: Rosie Sandler
name: Toby
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: audiobook, bought-read, brain-candy, mystery-thriller
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 12.

This was an audiobook that I’d purchased on sale from Chirp and I am not at all sad about it!! The narrator was quite good (I’d give them 4.25/5 or so) and the story was intriguing. I really liked how detailed the characters were; I felt like I knew them all by the end despite the cast of side characters being fairly large.

I have books 2 & 3 on audio as well and will probably listen to them soon.
]]> Chef's Kiss (Chef's Kiss, #1) 59345243 A high-strung pastry chef’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com.

Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.

To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.

Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).]]> 308 T.J. Alexander 1982189088 Toby 4
This was a sweet and fluffy romcom although the romance part didn’t even happen til the last 20 pages. Definitely a slow burn but I didn’t mind; we got a lot of character development. It was cute and I will definitely read other books by Alexander!]]> 3.67 2022 Chef's Kiss (Chef's Kiss, #1)
author: T.J. Alexander
name: Toby
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: bought-read, brain-candy, lgbtq, romance
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 11.

This was a sweet and fluffy romcom although the romance part didn’t even happen til the last 20 pages. Definitely a slow burn but I didn’t mind; we got a lot of character development. It was cute and I will definitely read other books by Alexander!
]]> <![CDATA[How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia]]> 17465514 272 Kelsey Osgood 1468306685 Toby 4 3.39 2013 How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia
author: Kelsey Osgood
name: Toby
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: bought-read, nonfic, psychology
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 10.
]]> <![CDATA[Swan for the Money (Meg Langslow, #11)]]> 6090428
Meg Langslow’s eccentric parents have a new hobby: growing roses and entering them in highly competitive shows. Dad’s gardening skill and Mother’s gift for selecting and arranging the blossoms should make them an unbeatable team---and Meg is relieved they’ve taken up such a safe, gentle hobby. She even volunteers to help when the Caerphilly Garden Club sponsors its first annual rose show. But after a few hours of dealing with her parents� competitors, Meg is worried. Rose growers are so eccentric that they make Meg’s family seem almost normal, and so competitive that they will do nearly anything to take home the show’s grand prize---making them prime suspects when Meg discovers that someone is attempting to kill the wealthy woman on whose estate the competition is being held. Of course, the intended victim had other enemies---her treatment of her farm animals had aroused the interest of several animal welfare activists, including Meg’s zoologist grandfather. Meg tries to leave the detecting to the local police and focus on protecting her parents� chances to win the coveted Black Swan trophy, but she soon finds herself compelled to solve the crime before any more rose growers die.

±őłŮ’s Swan for the Money, two for the show, three to get ready... now go, Meg, go!]]> 306 Donna Andrews 0312377177 Toby 3 4.00 2009 Swan for the Money (Meg Langslow, #11)
author: Donna Andrews
name: Toby
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: brain-candy, library, mystery-thriller
review:
This was a lighthearted and fluffy mystery - perfect for the very weird and stressful past couple weeks. A LOT happened in this book and it seemed a bit scattered, which is ultimately what resulted in a 3/5 star rating rather than a little higher.
]]> London (Shadowseer, #1) 56617943
When Kaia, arrested, faces an even worse punishment, Detective Pinsley, 45, notices a strange marking on her arm and thinks she might be the key in solving a peculiar, mysterious case. Bodies are turning up dead in London, and Pinsley wonders whether it’s the work of a deranged serial killer, or of something� else. The methods of murder seem impossible, as does the murderer’s ability to escape death.

Kaia is given a choice: help solve the case, or be shipped off to Bedlam, the notorious insane asylum.

Unlikely partners, each mistrusting the other, Kaia and Pinsley embark to scour the dark corners and cobblestone streets of 19th century London in search of clues.

Yet what they find may shock and horrify even them.]]> 187 Morgan Rice Toby 0 to-read 3.86 2021 London (Shadowseer, #1)
author: Morgan Rice
name: Toby
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> April's Grave 2049228 156 Susan Howatch 0330239554 Toby 0 to-read 3.29 1973 April's Grave
author: Susan Howatch
name: Toby
average rating: 3.29
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ultimate Prizes (Starbridge, #3)]]> 469877

From the Paperback edition.]]> 480 Susan Howatch 0517067722 Toby 0 to-read 4.20 1989 Ultimate Prizes (Starbridge, #3)
author: Susan Howatch
name: Toby
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Glamorous Powers (Starbridge, #2)]]> 11251 512 Susan Howatch 000649692X Toby 0 to-read 4.19 1988 Glamorous Powers (Starbridge, #2)
author: Susan Howatch
name: Toby
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1988
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Glittering Images (Starbridge, #1)]]> 41021562 Glittering Images is narrated by The Revd Canon Dr Charles Ashworth, a Cambridge academic who undergoes something of a spiritual and nervous breakdown after being sent by the Archbishop of Canterbury surreptitiously to investigate a menage a trois in the household of the Bishop of Starbridge. Ashworth is helped to recovery, and to realise the source of his problems by Fr Jonathan Darrow, the Abbot of the Granchester Abbey of the Fordite Monks.

An outstanding storyteller, Susan Howatch has created a novel of spirituality and morality where the loyalties and passions of four people are played out against their dedication to religion and the path of right.
"Passionately eloquent...[A] tale of God, sex, love, self-analysis and forgiveness."
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER]]> 446 Susan Howatch Toby 0 to-read 4.05 1987 Glittering Images (Starbridge, #1)
author: Susan Howatch
name: Toby
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1987
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Cashelmara 236709 720 Susan Howatch 0751535354 Toby 0 to-read 4.09 1974 Cashelmara
author: Susan Howatch
name: Toby
average rating: 4.09
book published: 1974
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Salt Houses 30971664 Ěý
Salma is forced to leave her home in Nablus;ĚýAlia’s brother gets pulled into a politically militarized world heĚýcan’t escape;ĚýandĚýAlia and her gentle-spirited husband move to Kuwait City, where they reluctantly build a life with their three children. When Saddam HusseinĚýinvadesĚýKuwait inĚý1990, Alia and her familyĚýonce againĚýlose their home, their land, and their story as they know it,Ěýscattering toĚýBeirut,ĚýParis, Boston, and beyond. Soon Alia’s children begin families of their own, once again navigating the burdens (and blessings)Ěýof assimilation in foreign cities.ĚýĚý
Ěý
Lyrical and heartbreaking,ĚýSalt HousesĚýis a remarkableĚýdebut novel that challenges and humanizes an age-old conflictĚýweĚýmightĚýthink we understand—one that asks us toĚýconfrontĚýthat most devastating of all truths: you can’t go home again.Ěý
]]> 312 Hala Alyan 0544912586 Toby 0 to-read 4.00 2017 Salt Houses
author: Hala Alyan
name: Toby
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Arsonists' City 48930261
The Nasr family is spread across the globe—Beirut, Brooklyn, Austin, the California desert. A Syrian mother, a Lebanese father, and three American children: all have lived a life of migration. Still, they’ve always had their ancestral home in Beirut—a constant touchstone—and the complicated, messy family love that binds them. But following his father's recent death, Idris, the family's new patriarch, has decided to sell.

The decision brings the family to Beirut, where everyone unites against Idris in a fight to save the house. They all have secrets—lost loves, bitter jealousies, abandoned passions, deep-set shame—that distance has helped smother. But in a city smoldering with the legacy of war, an ongoing flow of refugees, religious tension, and political protest, those secrets ignite, imperiling the fragile ties that hold this family together.
Ěý
In a novel teeming with wisdom, warmth, and characters born of remarkable human insight, award-winning author Hala Alyan shows us again that “fiction is often the best filter for the real world around us� (NPR).]]> 464 Hala Alyan 035812655X Toby 0 to-read 4.31 2021 The Arsonists' City
author: Hala Alyan
name: Toby
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dinner Lady Detectives (Dinner Lady Detectives, #1)]]> 59358383
Margery and Clementine are enjoying a peaceful middle-age together in the small, idyllic town of Dewstow, and eagerly awaiting retirement from their work on the front line serving meals to the students at Summerview secondary school.

Their calm life is shattered when their kitchen manager is found dead in the school’s walk-in freezer. The police are adamant that it’s an open-and-shut case of accidental death. Margery and Clementine are convinced there’s something far more nefarious going on, and they take it upon themselves to investigate.

As they inch closer to the truth, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep the pair quiet. Will the perpetrator get their just-desserts before their time runs out?]]> 290 Hannah Hendy 1800326483 Toby 4
This was a cute, fluffy little cozy mystery that was quietly queer. I enjoyed the two MCs, Clementine and Margery, who are both dinner ladies at a school and who are both in their 60s. Margery is a little more calm than Clementine, who is often very impulsive. I enjoyed how they tempered each other. Their bumbling around was a bit excessive but still on the cute end of excessive. I’m excited to see what they are up to in the next few books in the series.]]> 3.21 2021 The Dinner Lady Detectives (Dinner Lady Detectives, #1)
author: Hannah Hendy
name: Toby
average rating: 3.21
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: bought-read, diverse-reads, lgbtq, mystery-thriller, sick-or-stressed
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 9.

This was a cute, fluffy little cozy mystery that was quietly queer. I enjoyed the two MCs, Clementine and Margery, who are both dinner ladies at a school and who are both in their 60s. Margery is a little more calm than Clementine, who is often very impulsive. I enjoyed how they tempered each other. Their bumbling around was a bit excessive but still on the cute end of excessive. I’m excited to see what they are up to in the next few books in the series.
]]> Ikarys the Damned 219718405
Jaded and scorned by the divinities he once devoted himself to, Ikarys seeks knowledge from other, less savory entities. On the morning of the Anointing Ritual, an ancient tradition, Ikarys is visited in his dreams by an unnamed figure that warns of devastation should Ikarys continue down the path he's on. After Ikarys dismisses the messenger, he discovers his library was ransacked in the night. The first of many oddities.

As the ritual unfolds and secrets come to light, Ikarys finds himself receiving everything he ever asked for, and so much more.]]> 237 Taylor Hubbard Toby 0 to-read 4.29 Ikarys the Damned
author: Taylor Hubbard
name: Toby
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)]]> 42815556 A gifted tailor in disguise.
Three legendary dresses.
The competition of a lifetime.

On the fringes of the Great Spice Road, Maia Tamarin works as a seamstress in the shop of her father, once a tailor of renown. She dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well.

When a royal messenger summons her ailing father to court, Maia poses as his son and travels to the Summer Palace in his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to save her family from ruin and achieve her dream of becoming the imperial tailor. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

The competition is cutthroat, and Maia's job is further complicated by the unwelcome attention of the court enchanter, Edan, who seems to see straight through her disguise. But nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three gowns so dangerously beautiful, it will take a quest to the ends of the earth to complete them . . .

Book 1 in the Blood of Stars duology]]> 392 Elizabeth Lim Toby 0 to-read 3.97 2019 Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars, #1)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Toby
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars, #2)]]> 36683940
But the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing . . . glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red, losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. ±őłŮ’s only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

YA fantasy readers will love the sizzling forbidden romance, mystery, and intrigue of Unravel the Dusk.]]> 355 Elizabeth Lim 0525647023 Toby 0 to-read 3.76 2020 Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars, #2)
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Toby
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Running Dream 8354134 An award-winning and inspiring novel.Ěý When Jessica's dreams are shattered, she puts herself back together—and learns to dream bigger than ever before.

Jessica thinks her life is over when she loses a leg in a car accident. She's not comforted by the news that she'll be able to walk with the help of a prosthetic leg. Who cares about walking when you live to run?

As she struggles to cope with crutches and a first cyborg-like prosthetic, Jessica feels oddly both in the spotlight and invisible. People who don't know what to say, act like she's not there. Which she could handle better if she weren't now keenly aware that she'd done the same thing herself to a girl with CP named Rosa. A girl who is going to tutor her through all the math she's missed. A girl who sees right into the heart of her.

With the support of family, friends, a coach, and her track teammates, Jessica may actually be able to run again. But that's not enough for her now. She doesn't just want to cross finish lines herself—she wants to take Rosa with her.

Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award]]> 339 Wendelin Van Draanen 0375866671 Toby 0 to-read 4.29 2011 The Running Dream
author: Wendelin Van Draanen
name: Toby
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Poor Relation, #1)]]> 1831861 152 Marion Chesney 0312082312 Toby 3
This was a fluffy regency novel about found family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not a topic one typically finds, and Marion Chesney (aka MC Beaton of Agatha Raisin fame) writes wonderful tongue-in-cheek narratives. Can’t wait to continue this series.]]> 3.68 1992 Lady Fortescue Steps Out (Poor Relation, #1)
author: Marion Chesney
name: Toby
average rating: 3.68
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: bought-read, brain-candy, historical, kindle
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 8.

This was a fluffy regency novel about found family and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Not a topic one typically finds, and Marion Chesney (aka MC Beaton of Agatha Raisin fame) writes wonderful tongue-in-cheek narratives. Can’t wait to continue this series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Final Strife (Ending Fire, #1)]]> 54440543 Red is the blood of the elite, of magic, of control.
Blue is the blood of the poor, of workers, of the resistance.
Clear is the blood of the slaves, of the crushed, of the invisible.

Sylah dreams of days growing up in the resistance, being told she would spark a revolution that would free the empire from the red-blooded ruling classes� tyranny. That spark was extinguished the day she watched her family murdered before her eyes.

Anoor has been told she’s nothing, no one, a disappointment, by the only person who matters: her mother, the most powerful ruler in the empire. But when Sylah and Anoor meet, a fire burns between them that could consume the kingdom—and their hearts.

Hassa moves through the world unseen by upper classes, so she knows what it means to be invisible. But invisibility has its uses: It can hide the most dangerous of secrets, secrets that can reignite a revolution. And when she joins forces with Sylah and Anoor, together these grains of sand will become a storm.

As the empire begins a set of trials of combat and skill designed to find its new leaders, the stage is set for blood to flow, power to shift, and cities to burn.

Book One of The Ending Fire Trilogy]]> 640 Saara El-Arifi Toby 0 to-read 4.20 2022 The Final Strife (Ending Fire, #1)
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Toby
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Battle Drum (The Ending Fire Trilogy, #2)]]> 62628927 The Final Strife, the continuation of a visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by Africa and Arabia.

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Wardens' Empire. But when she is accused of a murder she didn't commit, her reign is thrown into turmoil. She must solve the mystery and clear her name without the support of her beloved, Sylah.

Sylah braves new lands to find a solution for the hurricane that threatens to destroy her home. But in finding answers, she must make a decision, does she sacrifice her old life in order to raise up her sword once more?

Hassa's web of secrets grows ever thicker as she finds herself on a trail of crimes in the city. Her searching uncovers the extent of the atrocities of the empire's past and present. Now, she must guard both her heart and her land.

The three women find their answers, but they're not the answers they wanted. The drumbeat of change thrums throughout the world.

And it sings a song of war.

Ready we will be, when the Ending Fire comes,
When the Child of fire brings the Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum,
The Battle Drum.
Ready we will be, for war will come.]]> 560 Saara El-Arifi 0593356977 Toby 0 to-read 4.32 2023 The Battle Drum (The Ending Fire Trilogy, #2)
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Toby
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Ending Fire (The Ending Fire Trilogy, #3)]]> 202102011 Rebellions are like fires—something needs to burn to make a flame. Return to the Wardens� Empire in this riveting conclusion to the visionary fantasy trilogy inspired by the mythology of Africa and Arabia.

The Wardens� Empire is falling. A vigilante known only as the Truthsayer is raising an army against the wardens. Sylah and Hassa must navigate the politics of this new world, all the while searching for Anoor.

Across the sea, the Blood Forged prepare for war, requesting aid from other governments. Jond’s role as major general sees him training soldiers for combat, but matters of the heart will prove to be the hardest battlefield.

The Zalaam celebrate the arrival of the Child of Fire, heralding the start of the final battle. Anoor’s doubts are eclipsed by the powers of her new god. Soon the Zalaam will set off on their last voyage—and few expect to return.

Do you feel it? Cresting the horizon? The darkness drawing in, the shadows elongating . . .

The Ending Fire comes.]]> 512 Saara El-Arifi 0593357000 Toby 0 to-read 4.05 2024 The Ending Fire (The Ending Fire Trilogy, #3)
author: Saara El-Arifi
name: Toby
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[“You Just Need to Lose Weight�: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People]]> 60808740 The co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast and creator of Your Fat Friend equips you with the facts to debunk common anti-fat myths and with tools to take action for fat justice

The pushback that shows up in conversations about fat justice takes exceedingly predicable form. Losing weight is easy—calories in, calories out. Fat people are unhealthy. We’re in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Fat acceptance “glorifies obesity.� The BMI is an objective measure of size and health. Yet, these myths are as readily debunked as they are pervasive.

In “You Just Need to Lose Weight,� Aubrey Gordon equips readers with the facts and figures to reframe myths about fatness in order to dismantle the anti-fat bias ingrained in how we think about and treat fat people. Bringing her dozen years of community organizing and training to bear, Gordon shares the rhetorical approaches she and other organizers employ to not only counter these pernicious myths, but to dismantle the anti-fat bias that so often underpin them.

As conversations about fat acceptance and fat justice continue to grow, “You Just Need to Lose Weight� will be essential to ensure that those conversations are informed, effective, and grounded in both research and history.

]]> 205 Aubrey Gordon 0807006475 Toby 0 to-read 4.34 2023 “You Just Need to Lose Weight”: And 19 Other Myths About Fat People
author: Aubrey Gordon
name: Toby
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Who Have Never Known Men 60457992 Deep underground, thirty-nine women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before.


As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl—the fortieth prisoner—sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground.


Jacqueline Harpman was born in Etterbeek, Belgium, in 1929, and fled to Casablanca with her family during WWII. Informed by her background as a psychoanalyst and her youth in exile, I Who Have Never Known Men is a haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic novel of female friendship and intimacy, and the lengths people will go to maintain their humanity in the face of devastation. Back in print for the first time since 1997, Harpman’s modern classic is an important addition to the growing canon of feminist speculative literature.]]> 175 Jacqueline Harpman 1945492627 Toby 0 to-read 4.11 1995 I Who Have Never Known Men
author: Jacqueline Harpman
name: Toby
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Quiet Librarian 214175092 After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota whoĚýwants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.]]> 320 Allen Eskens 0316566314 Toby 0 to-read 4.21 2025 The Quiet Librarian
author: Allen Eskens
name: Toby
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Roses Underneath (The Anna Klein Trilogy #1)]]> 57526847
2014 Finalist, Foreword Reviews� INDIEFAB Book of the Year Awards

2014 Notable Indie Book, Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Indie Book

It is August 1945 in Wiesbaden, Germany. With the country in ruins, Anna Klein, displaced and separated from her beloved husband, struggles to support herself and her six-year old daughter Amalia. Her job typing forms at the Collecting Point for the US Army’s Monuments Men is the only thing keeping her afloat. Charged with securing Nazi-looted art and rebuilding Germany’s monuments, the Americans are on the hunt for stolen treasures. But after the horrors of the war, Anna wants only to hide from the truth and rebuild a life with her family. When the easy-going American Captain Henry Cooper recruits her as his reluctant translator, the two of them stumble on a mysterious stash of art in a villa outside of town. Cooper’s penchant for breaking the rules capsizes Anna’s tenuous security and propels her into a search for elusive truth and justice in a world where everyone is hiding something.

]]> 419 C.F. Yetmen 0615883907 Toby 0 to-read 4.31 2014 The Roses Underneath (The Anna Klein Trilogy #1)
author: C.F. Yetmen
name: Toby
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[What is Forgiven (The Anna Klein Trilogy #2)]]> 57526895 "In What is Forgiven, C.F. Yetmen brings history to brilliant life. Her rich characters remind us that complex, nuanced hearts beat on both sides of a war-torn country, and that even in the midst of World War II, forgiveness might be the bridge that will unite us." � Amanda Eyre Ward, author of The Jetsetters and The Nearness of You

Anna Klein is faced with tough choices about her future. Her plum job working as a translator for Captain Henry Cooper, one of the American Monuments Men, means she has a house and an income, as well as hands-on access to some of the world’s most precious art. But her life is falling apart on all her family is displaced, the boy in her care is being sought by authorities, and she must resolve to finally end her marriage. When she realizes that someone has tampered with two important paintings taken from a Jewish collector—paintings she was charged with safeguarding—Anna is determined to solve the crime. But without hard evidence and no motive, she can prove nothing and as State Department big wigs threaten to shut down the Monument Men’s operation, she and her boss are under special scrutiny. As all signs begin to point to an inconvenient suspect in the crime, she has to play it by the book to keep her job and return the art to its rightful owner, if she can find him.]]> 410 C.F. Yetmen 0998889016 Toby 0 to-read 4.55 What is Forgiven (The Anna Klein Trilogy #2)
author: C.F. Yetmen
name: Toby
average rating: 4.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[That Which Remains (The Anna Klein Trilogy Book 3)]]> 57723013 IPPY Gold Medal, Historical Fiction, 2022This enthralling climax to the series has all the trappings of a great summer complex WWII history, requited love, and the chance to live through the eyes of a passionate woman as she grows into the person the reader can applaud. - Claudia Fontaine Chidester, author of Trusted Post-World War II Adventures of a Fearless Art AdvocateIn February 1946, Anna Klein and her boss Henry Cooper face major changes at the Monuments Men Collecting Point. With Cooper's dreaded re-deployment looming and their feelings for each other intensifying, Anna has to decide between him, her family, and her marriage. A future with Cooper means giving up everything she knows and running away from her own past, which isn't at all what it seemed. Meanwhile, a destitute artist asks for her help in finding paintings he sold before the war. But his story doesn't pan out, leaving a despairing Anna running against the clock with more questions than she may have time to answer.]]> 370 C.F. Yetmen 0998889032 Toby 0 to-read 4.66 That Which Remains (The Anna Klein Trilogy Book 3)
author: C.F. Yetmen
name: Toby
average rating: 4.66
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dying to Retire (Murder, She Wrote, #21)]]> 334385
"]]> 252 Jessica Fletcher 0451211715 Toby 3 audiobook, mystery-thriller 3.81 2004 Dying to Retire (Murder, She Wrote, #21)
author: Jessica Fletcher
name: Toby
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2004
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: audiobook, mystery-thriller
review:
This was fluffy and fun. I listened to it and the narrator was phenomenal with Maine accents and accents in general; it really brought the story to life.
]]> Six Stories (Six Stories, #1) 32188043
2017. Enter elusive investigative journalist Scott King, whose podcast examinations of complicated cases have rivaled the success of Serial, with his concealed identity making him a cult internet figure. In a series of six interviews, King attempts to work out how the dynamics of a group of idle teenagers conspired with the sinister legends surrounding the fell to result in Jeffries� mysterious death. As every interview unveils a new revelation, you’ll be forced to work out for yourself how Tom Jeffries died, and who is telling the truth.]]> 225 Matt Wesolowski Toby 3 bought-read, mystery-thriller
2.75 stars.

This one was a bit of a letdown. The whole book is written as a podcast transcript which - surprisingly - took me a longer time to read than a standard narrative style novel. The story was okay but did not blow me away like I anticipated. I have book 2 and maybe 3 too, so I’ll read them at some point but I’m not going to be in a rush to get to the rest of the series. ]]> 3.74 2016 Six Stories (Six Stories, #1)
author: Matt Wesolowski
name: Toby
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: bought-read, mystery-thriller
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 7.

2.75 stars.

This one was a bit of a letdown. The whole book is written as a podcast transcript which - surprisingly - took me a longer time to read than a standard narrative style novel. The story was okay but did not blow me away like I anticipated. I have book 2 and maybe 3 too, so I’ll read them at some point but I’m not going to be in a rush to get to the rest of the series.
]]> <![CDATA[The Naked Earl (Naked Nobility, #4)]]> 236684 348 Sally MacKenzie 0821780751 Toby 3 3.62 2007 The Naked Earl (Naked Nobility, #4)
author: Sally MacKenzie
name: Toby
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: brain-candy, historical, kindle, library, romance
review:
This was utter fluff but I liked it okay. It wasn’t quite as good as the first two books in some aspects (I didn’t like the hints at light BDSM among side characters since that just seemed to take the spotlight off the main characters) but better in other aspects (I liked that we got more info about the recurring side characters).
]]> <![CDATA[The Naked Marquis (Naked Nobility, #3)]]> 643472 The Man Is Practical
As marriage proposals go, Charles Draysmith's suit is as romantic as the moors in December. Emma Peterson might be only a vicar's daughter, and he the new Marquis of Knightsdale, and perhaps he would rather marry her than endure the marriage mart. But when he suggests how much he'll enjoy securing an heir, well, a lady can only endure so much.

But The Lady Is Passionate
There's something about a woman throwing pottery at a man that piques his interest. Perhaps his proposal lacks grace, Charles thinks. But it does seem a perfect solution. He acquires a wife; his young charges have the mother they so desperately need, and Emma gains security and position. You see? Simple. Practical. Sensib- oh no, not the ceramic dog...
He will have to confess the truth to calm her down. And the truth is, he's madly in love...]]> 349 Sally MacKenzie 0821778323 Toby 4 3.82 2006 The Naked Marquis (Naked Nobility, #3)
author: Sally MacKenzie
name: Toby
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: brain-candy, historical, kindle, library, romance
review:
This was a fun and fluffy regency romance featuring a side character (Draysmith) from the first book. I really enjoyed the storyline as well as the characters. I think one of the unique things about this book was the FMC’s “sexual awakening� - but I mean more how she is willing to become more comfortable with herself and her own body in a way (that is not inherently only sexual) that I think women today still struggle with, due to societal pressures and similar.
]]> <![CDATA[The Albion Initiative (Newbury and Hobbes, #6)]]> 52378551 George Mann's Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery series concludes in this thrilling final volume as our Victorian special agent heroes discover a grand plot to that threatens the state of the world.

The time has finally come.

Queen Victoria has given the order for her agents to move against the Secret Service -- to eliminate the fledgling organisation with extreme prejudice. Caught in the middle of the conflict, Newbury, Veronica and Bainbridge are forced to face up to the truth: that the Queen no longer represents the best interests of the Empire. Now rogue and in league with the Queen's enemies, they must enact the "Albion Initiative" a desperate plan to break Prince Edward out of Bedlam and install him on the throne in the Queen's stead. But with the Queen's executioner and his army on their trail, as well as a possible traitor in their midst, can they do enough to stop the malign tyrant from destroying everything they once swore to protect?

With everything falling apart around them, Newbury and Veronica must uncover the macabre truth behind the crown, and in doing so, unravel the very foundations of the Empire.

Newbury & Hobbes Investigations
#1: The Affinity Bridge
#2: The Osirus Ritual
#3: The Immorality Engine
#4: The Executioner's Heart
#5: The Revenant Express]]> 352 George Mann 0765334100 Toby 0 to-read 4.16 2022 The Albion Initiative (Newbury and Hobbes, #6)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Revenant Express (Newbury and Hobbes, #5)]]> 16001052 The grand adventure continues in George Mann's Newbury & Hobbes steampunk mystery series, as a Victorian special agent races across a continent to save his beloved's life on board The Revenant Express.

Sir Maurice Newbury is bereft as his trusty assistant Veronica Hobbes lies dying with a wounded heart. Newbury and Veronica's sister Amelia must take a sleeper train across Europe to St. Petersberg to claim a clockwork heart that Newbury has commissioned from Faberge to save Veronica from a life trapped in limbo.

No sooner do they take off then sinister goings-on start to plague the train, and it is discovered that an old villain, thought dead, is also on board and seeking revenge. Can Newbury and Amelia defeat him and get the clockwork organ back to the Fixer in time to save Veronica? And can they do so without Newbury going so far into the dark side of occult magic that he can never return?

Meanwhile, Sir Charles Bainbridge is the only one of their team left in London to struggle with a case involving a series of horrific crimes. Someone is kidnapping prominent men and infecting them with the Revenant plague, leaving them chained in various locations around the city. But why?

It's a rousing chase to save both London and Veronica. Will these brave detectives be up to the task?

Newbury & Hobbes Investigations
#1: The Affinity Bridge
#2: The Osirus Ritual
#3: The Immortality Engine
#4: The Executioner's Heart
#5: The Revenant Express

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 256 George Mann 1466808144 Toby 0 to-read 3.79 2019 The Revenant Express (Newbury and Hobbes, #5)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Executioner's Heart (Newbury and Hobbes, #4)]]> 16001043 336 George Mann 1781160058 Toby 0 to-read 3.86 2013 The Executioner's Heart (Newbury and Hobbes, #4)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Immorality Engine (Newbury and Hobbes, #3)]]> 6467009
Veronica and Newbury’s dear friend Bainbridge, the Chief Investigator at Scotland Yard, tries to cover for him as much as possible, but when the body of a well known criminal turns up, Bainbridge and Veronica track Newbury down in an opium den and drag him out to help them with the case. The body is clearly, irrefutably, that of the man in question, but shortly after his body is brought to the morgue, a crime is discovered that bears all the dead man’s hallmarks. Bainbridge and Veronica fear someone is committing copycat crimes, but Newbury is not sure. Somehow, the details are too perfect for it to be the work of a copycat. But how can a dead man commit a crime?]]> 355 George Mann 190672718X Toby 0 to-read 3.94 2010 The Immorality Engine (Newbury and Hobbes, #3)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Osiris Ritual (Newbury and Hobbes, #2)]]> 6066181
A steampunk mystery adventure featuring immortality, artifacts, and intrepid sleuths Sir Maurice Newbury and Miss Veronica Hobbes

Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentleman Investigator for the Crown, imagines life will be a little quieter after his dual successes solving The Affinity Bridge affair. But he hasn't banked on his villainous predecessor, Knox, who is hell-bent on achieving immortality, not to mention a secret agent who isn't quite what he seems....

So continues an adventure quite unlike any other, a thrilling steampunk mystery and the second in the series of Newbury & Hobbes investigations.
]]> 348 George Mann 190672704X Toby 0 to-read 3.83 2009 The Osiris Ritual (Newbury and Hobbes, #2)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Affinity Bridge (Newbury and Hobbes, #1)]]> 3472342
But beneath this shiny veneer of progress lurks a sinister side. For this is also a world where ghostly policemen haunt the fog-laden alleyways of Whitechapel, where cadavers can rise from the dead and where Sir Maurice Newbury, Gentleman Investigator for the Crown, works tirelessly to protect the Empire from her foes.

When an airship crashes in mysterious circumstances, Sir Maurice and his recently appointed assistant Miss Veronica Hobbes are called in to investigate. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard is baffled by a spate of grisly murders and a terrifying plague is ravaging the slums of the city.

So begins an adventure quite unlike any other, a thrilling steampunk mystery and the first in the series of "Newbury & Hobbes" investigations.]]> 350 George Mann 190500589X Toby 0 to-read 3.60 2008 The Affinity Bridge (Newbury and Hobbes, #1)
author: George Mann
name: Toby
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2008
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)]]> 110384
Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of everyone's preoccupation with the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him in the first paragraph. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same - especially Penelope Featherington! The girl haunting his dreams. But when he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide...is she his biggest threat - or his promise of a happy ending?]]> 370 Julia Quinn 0380820846 Toby 4
I do love Julia Quinn’s books. I don’t usually have anything detailed to say about them though; they’re fluffy and fun and generally I don’t mind how the characters are portrayed. I did struggle a little with Colin’s presentation in this installment, as he got angry quite often (or so it seemed) and at one point admitted to himself that he enjoyed having the power to make Penelope squirm. I did not like that. ]]> 3.86 2002 Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Toby
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2002
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: bought-read, family-drama, historical, romance
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 6.

I do love Julia Quinn’s books. I don’t usually have anything detailed to say about them though; they’re fluffy and fun and generally I don’t mind how the characters are portrayed. I did struggle a little with Colin’s presentation in this installment, as he got angry quite often (or so it seemed) and at one point admitted to himself that he enjoyed having the power to make Penelope squirm. I did not like that.
]]> Anna (The Kirov Saga, #1) 1738050 631 Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 0312062907 Toby 0 to-read 3.97 1990 Anna (The Kirov Saga, #1)
author: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
name: Toby
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1990
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Rose (The Morland Dynasty, #2)]]> 439980 1501: Henry VIII

Paul, great-grandson of Elanor Morland, has inherited the Morland estates, and his own Amyas is set to be his heir. But Paul fathers a beloved illigitimate son, and bitter jealousy causes a destructive rift between the two half-brothers which will lead to death. Paul's niece, Nanette, becomes a maid-in-waiting to Anne Boleyn, and at the court of Henry VIII she becomes embroiled in the King's bitter feud with Rome.

Through birth and death, love and hatred, triumph and heartbreak, the Morlands continue proudly to claim their place amongst England's aristocracy.]]> 560 Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 0751503835 Toby 0 to-read 4.10 1981 The Dark Rose (The Morland Dynasty, #2)
author: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Princeling (Morland Dynasty, #3)]]> 1660236 1558 - Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots

Protestantism is sweeping the land and threatens the position of the Catholic Morlands, so they must seek new spheres of influence. John, the heir, rides north to the untamed Borderlands to wed the daughter of Black Will Percy, Northumberland cattle lord. But he finds he must first prove himself, and win her heart through blood and battle. John's gentle sister Lettice is given in marriage to the ruthless Scottish baron, Lord Robert Hamilton, and in the treacherous court of Mary, Queen of Scots, she learns the fierce lessons of survival.]]> 410 Cynthia Harrod-Eagles 0751506400 Toby 0 to-read 4.14 1981 The Princeling (Morland Dynasty, #3)
author: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1981
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Last Request (DS Nikki Parekh, #1)]]> 44779990
Distracted by keeping her young nephew out of trouble, Nikki is relieved when the investigation is transferred to the Cold Case Unit, and she can finally focus on her family.ĚýBut after the identity of the victim is revealed, she’s soon drawn back into the case. The dead man is a direct link to her painful past.ĚýAs the body count begins to rise, Nikki must do everything she can to stop the killer in their tracks before anyone else gets hurt â€� even if it means digging up secrets she had long kept hidden…ĚýFor readers of Angela Marsons and LJ Ross comes a gritty new crime series featuring bold, brave and ferocious D.S. Nikki Parekh! This rip-roaring thriller will have you reading long into the night!

Readers LOVE Last â€I devoured this over two nights, literally not being able to put it down.â€� 5 stars, NetGalley reviewer

â€Amazingâ€� A story so twisted it makes your head spin in a good way.â€� 5 stars, NetGalley reviewer

â€An excellent crime thrillerâ€� Entertaining and exciting and a particularly satisfying finaleâ€� Engrossing.â€� 5 stars, NetGalley reviewer

â€What a cracking novel! Right from the first page the story is hugely entertaining and fast paced.â€� 5 stars, Amazon Reviewer

â€The characters in this book are amazing, especially the police team.â€� 5 stars, Amazon Reviewer

â€I have hardly been able to put this book down, so gripping was the storyline, characters & fast-paced writing.â€� 5 stars, Amazon Reviewer

â€Simply unputdownable!â€� 5 stars, Amazon Reviewer

â€Gripping from beginning to end, and I enjoyed each and every moment of it!â€� 5 stars, NetGalley reviewer]]> 352 Liz Mistry 0008358346 Toby 4 bought-read, mystery-thriller
This was the first of a series and whoooooboy. The story was good, the writing was decent - it included a lot of slang from the area, which I found that I liked as it added flavor to the story. The pacing was definitely off but I feel like that’s one of the harder things to do “correctly.� The ending was rushed, but most of the loose ends were addressed and the ones that weren’t are appropriate for a plot arc that can span the series.]]> 4.08 2019 Last Request (DS Nikki Parekh, #1)
author: Liz Mistry
name: Toby
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: bought-read, mystery-thriller
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 5.

This was the first of a series and whoooooboy. The story was good, the writing was decent - it included a lot of slang from the area, which I found that I liked as it added flavor to the story. The pacing was definitely off but I feel like that’s one of the harder things to do “correctly.� The ending was rushed, but most of the loose ends were addressed and the ones that weren’t are appropriate for a plot arc that can span the series.
]]> <![CDATA[This Ends in Embers (Divine Traitors, #2)]]> 223815976 Perfect for fans of Raybearer and Fourth Wing, this astonishing sequel to the bestselling novel So Let Them Burn doesn't hold back. After all, there are no easy endings in war—especially when sisters are forced to fight on opposite sides.

Faron Vincent was once the saint of San Irie. Now, she’s done the unthinkable: betrayed her country. Alone, disgraced, and kidnapped, Faron is forced to help Iya grow his bloody empire. With her soul bonded to a ruthless killer, Faron has become an enemy to her people� and she fears they might be right.

Elara Vincent—the new Empyrean—must undo the damage her sister has caused. San Irie has been brought back to the brink of war as Iya proclaims no nation will be safe from his brutal invasion. But how can Elara save her sister, her best friend, her country, and her world when she’s already cracking under the pressure?

This heart-pounding conclusion to the Divine Traitors duology pushes these unforgettable heroines to their breaking point and beyond. Because when the lines between hero and villain are blurred, deadly sacrifices must be made.]]> 416 Kamilah Cole 0349125465 Toby 0 to-read 3.73 2025 This Ends in Embers (Divine Traitors, #2)
author: Kamilah Cole
name: Toby
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[So Let Them Burn (Divine Traitors, #1)]]> 61219118
Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

"By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond." � Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief]]> 400 Kamilah Cole Toby 0 to-read 3.83 2024 So Let Them Burn (Divine Traitors, #1)
author: Kamilah Cole
name: Toby
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Happy Ever After (Cornish Village School #5)]]> 51322140 Marion Markshop is the undisputed queen of Penmenna and has the perfect life � ask anyone. Doting husband? Hmm, maybe not� Well-behaved, angelic children? Definitely not. A network of close, supportive friends? Not so much, it turns out.

Marion sets out to change her autocratic ways by starting up a wedding planning enterprise in the village. But between her husband’s suspicious absences, her PTA frenemies and her own perfectionist tendencies, organising the dream wedding for her friend isn’t going smoothly and she’s running out of time to pull it off...

In this final book in the Cornish Village School series, the village comes together one last time to make sure everyone gets their happy ever after.

A second-chance romance perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant and Cathy Bramley.

]]> 317 Kitty Wilson 1788639065 Toby 0 to-read 4.26 2020 Happy Ever After (Cornish Village School #5)
author: Kitty Wilson
name: Toby
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Summer Love (The Cornish Village School #3)]]> 45216989
For teaching assistant Pippa, life in her home town of Penmenna is reassuringly predictable. Between managing the Easter Egg Hunt and dealing with her annoying but well-meaning family, Pippa thinks she has it all sorted. That is until gorgeous new substitute teacher Kam Choudhury arrives at Penmenna School, and turns everything upside down.

Pippa and Kam are instantly drawn to each other, but their priorities and their working relationship make it very hard to be together. Can they find a way to reconcile their differences and find their Happily-Ever-After?

This heartwarming romance is perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant, Holly Martin and A. L. Michael.]]> 270 Kitty Wilson 1788633342 Toby 0 to-read 4.33 2019 Summer Love (The Cornish Village School #3)
author: Kitty Wilson
name: Toby
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Christmas Wishes (Cornish Village School #4)]]> 49945135 ±őłŮ’s the most wonderful time of the year in Penmennaâ€�



Teaching assistant Alice has sworn off men, which is fine because with Christmas coming she’s super busy organising the school Nativity. This should be a blast with the help of best friend and village vicar, Dan � if she can just ignore those more-than-just-a-friend feelings she’s developed for him�

Dan is more than happy to help Alice � his secret crush � but not only is his beloved Granny Annie about to be made homeless, the church choir has disintegrated and he’s battling some dark demons from his past.

With meddling grannies and PTA wars thrown in the mix, can Alice and Dan overcome their past hurts to move forward? Will they be spending Christmas together as friends� or something more?

A festive feel-good romance perfect for fans of Tilly Tennant and Holly Martin.

]]> 254 Kitty Wilson 1788633350 Toby 0 to-read 4.20 2019 Christmas Wishes (Cornish Village School #4)
author: Kitty Wilson
name: Toby
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Second Chances (The Cornish Village School #2)]]> 42035222
Television Journalist Alex is facing challenges of his own. Seeking a calmer environment for his newly adopted daughter, Ellie, he’s swapped reporting in war zones for the school PTA in quiet Penmenna, where his best friend Chase has persuaded him to start laying some roots.

Fireworks ignite when Sylvie and Alex meet but as Ellie and Sam become instant best friends, will they be able to keep things strictly platonic for the sake of the children?]]> 308 Kitty Wilson 178863117X Toby 0 to-read 4.33 2018 Second Chances (The Cornish Village School #2)
author: Kitty Wilson
name: Toby
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Breaking the Rules (The Cornish Village School #1)]]> 40126553 not looking for love

Following heartbreak, Rosy has rebuilt her life in the beautiful Cornish village of Penmenna. Now, headmistress of the local school, she is living by The Rule: no dating anyone in the village. Easy right? But Rosy Winter has a new neighbour, handsome gardener Matt.

In Penmenna for his new gardening TV show, this guy next door will do everything he can to persuade her to break her rule and win her heart. Meanwhile,ĚýPenmenna Village School is threatened with closure and it’s up to Rosy to rally the local community and #SaveOurSchool. Can she bring her worlds together and accept help from the most unlikely of sources? One thing’s for sureâ€� she won’t be giving up without a fight.

]]> 298 Kitty Wilson 1788631161 Toby 0 to-read 3.96 2018 Breaking the Rules (The Cornish Village School #1)
author: Kitty Wilson
name: Toby
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Gravely Troubling Discovery (Dinner Lady Detectives, #5)]]> 211179427
The pair are in need of money to pay for their new website though, and begrudgingly agree to help Mrs Redburn, who suspects her husband of having an affair. It's a simple case that couldn't possibly be a police matter. But when their investigation sends them stumbling into the middle of the playground mystery, it becomes impossible for them to stay out of the police's way. Can they get to the bottom of whose body is under the playground and uncover the truth about Mr Redburn, or will they end up digging their own graves?

A charming British cosy village mystery. Perfect for fans of J.M. Hall and Fiona Leitch.

Praise for Hannah Hendy and The Dinner Lady Detecitves: â€Hannah is at the top of the tree of modern whodunnits. The characters, bar none, are real; the settings are glorious and the plots are devilishly cleverâ€� Ian Moore, author of Death and Croissants

â€Who knew being a dinner lady could be so dangerous - but so much fun?! With a plot that's twistier than school dinner spag bol, Clem and Margery are the only school dinner ladies guaranteed to give you belly laughs rather than indigestionâ€� Fiona Leitch, author of The Cornish Village Murder

�Hendy is, by far, one of the very best cosy writers we have - and A Frightfully Fatal Affair sees her on sparkling form� Jonathan Whitelaw, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives

â€Twisty, delightful, and laugh-out-loud funny. I fell in love with Margery and Clementine from the first pageâ€� Antony Johnston, author of The Dog Sitter Detective on The Dinner Lady Detectives

â€I really enjoyed this - a terrific zesty look at the dark underside of a modern-day secondary schoolâ€� J.M. Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder]]> 268 Hannah Hendy 1804364738 Toby 0 to-read 3.99 2024 A Gravely Troubling Discovery (Dinner Lady Detectives, #5)
author: Hannah Hendy
name: Toby
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Frightfully Fatal Affair (The Dinner Lady Detectives, #4)]]> 135990077 256 Hannah Hendy 1804364703 Toby 0 to-read 3.85 2023 A Frightfully Fatal Affair (The Dinner Lady Detectives, #4)
author: Hannah Hendy
name: Toby
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Terrible Village Poisoning (Dinner Lady Detectives, #3)]]> 63888760 261 Hannah Hendy 1800326521 Toby 0 to-read 3.74 A Terrible Village Poisoning (Dinner Lady Detectives, #3)
author: Hannah Hendy
name: Toby
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[An Unfortunate Christmas Murder (Dinner Lady Detectives, #2)]]> 60751198
±őłŮ’s winter in the small town of Dewstow, and Margery is preparing for her first Christmas as Summerview school’s kitchen manager. She’s supported by her wife, Clementine, and is trying to stay focused on the task at hand.

The pair are determined to stay out of the way of the Christmas concert planning that has gripped the rest of the staff. However, they are caught in the crossfire when the stage lights collapse at the first practice, killing Mrs Large, the music teacher.

Mrs Smith, the Head of Drama, is the prime suspect and is desperate for the Dinner Lady Detectives to clear her name. Mrs Smith is convinced that it’s sabotage by her rival, Mrs Blossom, the drama teacher at Ittonvale Secondary, but there’s evidence that points to her own misdeeds. Can Margery and Clementine trust their friend? And when things start to heat up in the kitchen, will they make it out in time?]]> 286 Hannah Hendy Toby 0 to-read 3.41 2022 An Unfortunate Christmas Murder (Dinner Lady Detectives, #2)
author: Hannah Hendy
name: Toby
average rating: 3.41
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Until the Last Petal Falls 220669663 Cosy, sweet, and intimate, Until the Last Petal Falls is a character-driven Nigerian queerplatonic retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

When Eru was eleven years old, he met an unforgettable boy.

Only a few weeks after, he forgot all about that boy.

Ten years later, after his parents� sudden deaths, all Eru wants is to find a way out of the village he was supposed to leave behind, and escape the abuse of his grieving grandmother. When he receives a summons from Able Mummy, the wife of the High Chief, it seems all of his prayers have been answered.

Able Mummy needs his help. But she and the High Chief have a secret.

Once Eru uncovers the truth, he finds that the fate of the village, and that of the boy he’d been made to forget, could lie solely in his hands.]]> 159 Viano Oniomoh Toby 0 to-read 4.52 2024 Until the Last Petal Falls
author: Viano Oniomoh
name: Toby
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fragments of a Fallen Star 198604253
She’s barely spent one night away from her island when she’s nearly killed for being a MagiK, and now owes her life to the eccentric Nailah, another MagiK who apparently runs her own ship, and makes Moira’s insides twist with unwanted heat.

After agreeing to aid Nailah on a quest that promises magic, danger, and adventure, Moira finds her search for a happiness she thought long gone, turning into so much more.

FRAGMENTS OF A FALLEN STAR is a New Adult standalone F/F fantasy adventure romance about grief, healing, and falling in love.]]> 350 Viano Oniomoh Toby 0 to-read 3.68 2016 Fragments of a Fallen Star
author: Viano Oniomoh
name: Toby
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Say You'll Remember Me 216437557 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 0349442827 Toby 0 to-read 4.24 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Toby
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Murder by Lamplight (Dr. Julia Lewis, #1)]]> 157995356
November 1866: The grisly murder site in London’s East End is thronged with onlookers. None of them expect the calmly efficient young woman among them to be a medical doctor, arrived to examine the corpse. Inspector Richard Tennant, overseeing the investigation, at first makes no effort to disguise his skepticism. But Dr. Julia Lewis is accustomed to such condescension . . .

To study medicine, Julia had to leave Britain, where universities still bar their doors to women, and travel to America. She returned home to work in her grandfather’s practice—and to find London in the grip of a devastating cholera epidemic. In four years, however, she has seen nothing quite like this—a local clergyman’s body sexually mutilated and displayed in a manner that she—and Tennant—both suspect is personal.

Days later, another body is found with links to the first, and Tennant calls in Dr. Lewis again. The murderer begins sending the police taunting letters and tantalizing clues—though the trail leads in multiple directions, from London’s music halls to its grim workhouses and dank sewers. Lewis and Tennant struggle to understand the killer’s dark obsessions and motivations. But there is new urgency, for the doctor’s role appears to have shifted from expert to target. And this killer is no impulsive monster, but a fiendishly calculating opponent, determined to see his plan through to its terrifying conclusion . . .

“Enthralling debut. . . Mystery, pulse‑pounding suspense and a budding romance. More, please!”—Mary Jane Clark, New York Times Bestselling Author]]> 336 Patrice McDonough 1496746368 Toby 0 to-read 3.76 2024 Murder by Lamplight (Dr. Julia Lewis, #1)
author: Patrice McDonough
name: Toby
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Stolen 61273340
Louise Erdrich meets Jo Nesbø in this spellbinding Swedish novel that follows a young indigenous woman as she struggles to defend her family’s reindeer herd and culture amidst xenophobia, climate change, and a devious hunter whose targeted kills are considered mere theft in the eyes of the law.

On a winter day north of the Arctic Circle, nine-year-old Elsa—daughter of Sámi reindeer herders—sees a man brutally kill her beloved reindeer calf and threaten her into silence. When her father takes her to report the crime, local police tell them that there is nothing they can do about these “stolen� animals. Killings like these are classified as theft in the reports that continue to pile up, uninvestigated. But reindeer are not just the Sámi’s livelihood, they also hold spiritual significance; attacking a reindeer is an attack on the culture itself.

Ten years later, hatred and threats against the Sámi keep escalating, and more reindeer are tortured and killed in Elsa’s community. Finally, she’s had enough and decides to push back on the apathetic police force. The hunter comes after her this time, leading to a catastrophic final confrontation.

Based on real events, Ann-Helén Laestadius’s award-winning novel Stolen is part coming-of-age story, part love song to a disappearing natural world, and part electrifying countdown to a dramatic resolution—a searing depiction of a forgotten part of Sweden.]]> 400 Ann-Helén Laestadius 1668007169 Toby 0 to-read 3.97 2021 Stolen
author: Ann-Helén Laestadius
name: Toby
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lantern Men (Ruth Galloway, #12)]]> 59138327 Forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway changed her life—until a convicted killer tells her that four of his victims were never found, drawing her back to the place she left behind.]]> 373 Elly Griffiths Toby 5 4.17 2020 The Lantern Men (Ruth Galloway, #12)
author: Elly Griffiths
name: Toby
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: brain-candy, library, mystery-thriller
review:
Gaaah I just love this series. I am sad that we still haven’t seen much forward movement in Ruth and Nelson’s relationship but maybe someday!
]]> <![CDATA[A Murder in Paris (A Year in Europe, #1)]]> 56268193
Devoting the last 30 years of her life to being a dutiful wife and mother and to climbing the corporate ladder, Diana has been relentlessly driven, and has not taken a moment to do anything for herself. Now, the time has come.

Diana never forgot her first boyfriend, who begged her to join him for a year in Europe after college. She had wanted to go so badly, but it had seemed like a wild, romantic idea, and a gap year, she’d thought, would hinder her resume and career. But now, with her daughters grown, her husband gone, and her career no longer fulfilling, Diana realizes it’s time for herself—and to take that romantic year in Europe she’d always dreamed of.

Diana prepares to embark on the year of her life, finally turning to her bucket list, hoping to tour the most beautiful sights and sample the most scrumptious cuisines—and maybe, even, to fall in love again. But a year in Europe may have different plans in store for her. Can A-type Diana learn to go with the flow, to be spontaneous, to let down her guard and to learn to truly enjoy life again?

In A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1), Diana hopes to kick off her journey, and find new love, with an unforgettable night at the Versailles ball. But when the dramatic night takes a harrowing turn she could never expect, Diana realizes she will have to solve the crime—or else have her trip end in disaster.

A YEAR IN EUROPE is a charming and laugh-out-loud cozy mystery series, packed with food and travel, with mysteries that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and with experiences that will leave you with a sense of wonder. As Diana embarks on her quixotic quest for love and meaning, you will find yourself falling in love and rooting for her. You will be in shock at the twists and turns her journey takes as she somehow finds herself at the center of a mystery, and must play amateur sleuth to solve it. Fans of books like Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun have finally found the cozy mystery series they’ve been hoping for!

Book #2 (DEATH IN FLORENCE) and book #3 (VENGEANCE IN VIENNA) in the series are now also available!]]> 184 Blake Pierce Toby 3
This was a fluffy but fun cozy mystery. I’ve read some of Blake Pierce’s other books (which were more mystery/thriller not cozy mystery) so I don’t think I was wholly anticipating this to be a cozy mystery. Once I’d slowed my expectations down, the reading journey was much more pleasant. The MC made a lot of fairly impulsive bad decisions � more than typically seen in a cozy mystery � so that disrupted the suspension of disbelief a little bit. Altogether though, not a bad story. I’m not seeking out book 2 intentionally right now but I wouldn’t mind reading it sometime.]]> 3.45 2021 A Murder in Paris (A Year in Europe, #1)
author: Blake Pierce
name: Toby
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: bought-read, brain-candy, kindle, mystery-thriller
review:
Unread shelf project 2025: book 4.

This was a fluffy but fun cozy mystery. I’ve read some of Blake Pierce’s other books (which were more mystery/thriller not cozy mystery) so I don’t think I was wholly anticipating this to be a cozy mystery. Once I’d slowed my expectations down, the reading journey was much more pleasant. The MC made a lot of fairly impulsive bad decisions � more than typically seen in a cozy mystery � so that disrupted the suspension of disbelief a little bit. Altogether though, not a bad story. I’m not seeking out book 2 intentionally right now but I wouldn’t mind reading it sometime.
]]> <![CDATA[Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)]]> 61219635 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250886088.

A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes.

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success—not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 304 Travis Baldree Toby 0 to-read 4.17 2022 Legends & Lattes (Legends & Lattes, #1)
author: Travis Baldree
name: Toby
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Carnelian King and Other Stories]]> 218556026 A collection of fifteen short fantasy stories introducing dazzling new worlds.

From a magical second-hand shop hidden between dimensions to rolling emerald hills dotted with ancient ruins, through carnivorous winter woods and across the war-torn steppes of a crumbling empire, this collection spans beloved fantasy genres from classic to cozy, action and adventure to sword and sorcery, and gothic horror to romance. Some of these many star-crossed worlds

A dashing knight nostalgic for the lost myth and glory of the Golden Age, and a reclusive sorcerer who is more than he seems.

Gentlemen dragons, sapphic dragons, dragons as small as hummingbirds and as vast as rivers.

The first installments in a new sword & sorcery series, featuring a mercenary knight who cannot be killed and a horde of witches, lich-kings, and curses.

Trading tales of survival in the god-wrecked scrublands of the old west.

An eldritch house hungering for fresh meat.

A disgraced prophet, his flirtatious rival, and a foal whose birth foretells great changes for their land.]]> 249 Arden Powell Toby 0 to-read 4.53 The Carnelian King and Other Stories
author: Arden Powell
name: Toby
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Obsidian Island 61417004
Emery Lapwing is only interested in two things: exploring the natural world, and pretending that he's not in love with his closest friend, Captain James Rawlings of The Achillean. The first is easy: James will sail him anywhere he wants to go. The second, Emery has been doing for the past ten years.

Emery's routine is shattered when he and James are swept overboard in a lightning storm. When the storm passes, they find themselves on the glittering pink beach of an unmapped island where no one has ever walked before.

The island seems like the perfect place to recuperate as they wait for rescue, brimming with miraculous new species to be discovered. And a thousand miles from civilization, it's all too easy for Emery to imagine kissing James. In London, it was unthinkable—a kiss between two men meant the gallows if they were caught. On the island, it means risking James' friendship when they most need each other to survive.

But attraction isn't the only peril they face. The island hides a dangerous secret, and James and Emery aren't the only castaways falling under its spell. Monstrous creatures stalk their every move and something is taking root in their dreams, luring them deeper into the island's deadly, tropical heart.

The island offers Emery everything he has ever dreamed of. But all dreams require a sacrifice. And the island is hungry.]]> 421 Arden Powell Toby 0 to-read 3.81 2022 Obsidian Island
author: Arden Powell
name: Toby
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Botanist's Apprentice (Flos Magicae #1)]]> 63868303 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN B095NFNH6Z can be found here.

Recent college graduate Eli Katz is desperate to continue his studies in the field of magical botany. When a family friend arranges an apprenticeship for him with the most famous botanist in the country, Eli leaps at the chance without asking questions.

Robert Lord-Harding is a reclusive bachelor with an interest in dangerous plants. What he's not interested in is another apprentice—especially not after the scandal of his last one. But, intrigued by Eli's research, he offers Eli the chance to prove himself and earn access to his greenhouse.

Ever the keen student, Eli thrives under the attention. And if Lord-Harding is younger and more attractive than Eli had imagined, and if his teaching methods are more hands-on . . . Well, it's not the first time Eli has had a crush on an instructor. It doesn't mean he has to act on it.

But Eli and Lord-Harding aren't the only ones in the greenhouse. A carnivorous plant that emits pheromones to lure men into its deadly embrace has been watching them flirt for weeks. Its pollen is irresistible, and it has certain effects on male physiology that make it impossible to ignore. Eli and Lord-Harding might be able to resist their attraction to each other, but resisting the man-eater is something else altogether.]]> 63 Arden Powell Toby 0 to-read 3.57 2021 The Botanist's Apprentice (Flos Magicae #1)
author: Arden Powell
name: Toby
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bayou 56424673 "Eugene didn’t know if he believed in the devil beyond the wicked things people did of their own accord, but if the devil had a face, it would look like Johnny Walker’s."

Small-town Louisiana, 1935.

When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident. But Eugene can't shake the conviction that Mary Beth's death had something to do with the man who used to haunt her—the man no one else could see.

Now, nearly two decades later, there are more dangerous things than gators in Chanlarivyè. People are disappearing again, and this time, no one can find the bodies. As the town's unease grows, charismatic fugitive Johnny Walker arrives on the scene, shedding bullet casings and stolen bank notes in his wake.

He tangles himself up in Eugene's life and awakens memories Eugene thought he had laid to rest years ago. Memories of the mysterious man who followed Eugene into his dreams, and memories of the bayou�

And of the horrifying entity that lurks beneath the water's surface, slowly seeping into the town like a stain.]]> 149 Arden Powell Toby 0 to-read 3.99 2021 The Bayou
author: Arden Powell
name: Toby
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Faerie Hounds of York 54835251 England, 1810. The north is governed by a single rule. Faerie will take as it pleases.

William Loxley is cursed. A pale and monstrous creature haunts his dreams, luring him from London to the desolate, grey landscape of his forgotten childhood. There, it will use him to open a door to Faerie—a fate that will trap Loxley in that glittering, heathen otherworld forever.

His only hope of escaping the creature's grasp lies with John Thorncress, a dark and windswept stranger met on the moors. The longer Loxley stays in Thorncress' company, the harder it becomes to fight his attraction to the man. Such attraction can only end in heartbreak—or the noose.

But Thorncress has his own bleak ties to Faerie. They come creeping in with the frost, their howls carrying on the winter wind. If Thorncress' past catches up with him before they can break the curse, then Loxley will not only lose his soul.

He'll lose Thorncress, too.

"Beautifully creepy and eerily magical, with a bittersweet romance that I loved." - Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled and Masks and Shadows]]> 201 Arden Powell Toby 0 to-read 3.91 2020 The Faerie Hounds of York
author: Arden Powell
name: Toby
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Jackdaw (The World of A Charm of Magpies)]]> 34861586 If you stop running, you fall.

Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. His betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.

Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.

Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, the policeman and the thief must find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them...

A Charm of Magpies linked story, set after Flight of Magpies. Previously published by Samhain.]]> 222 K.J. Charles 0995799059 Toby 0 to-read 4.24 2015 Jackdaw (The World of A Charm of Magpies)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)]]> 192786618
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury's heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn't impressed by good looks or fooled by false charm. He's sure Robin is a liar, a fortune hunter, and a heartless, greedy fraud - and he'll protect his niece, whatever it takes.

Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care - more than either of them thought possible.

But Robin's cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?]]> 311 K.J. Charles 1398715751 Toby 0 to-read 4.04 2021 The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune, #1)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Slippery Creatures (The Will Darling Adventures, #1)]]> 52237989
Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger.

And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again.

But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help.

A 1920s m/m romance trilogy in the spirit of Golden Age pulp fiction.]]> 265 K.J. Charles 1912688158 Toby 0 to-read 4.00 2020 Slippery Creatures (The Will Darling Adventures, #1)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (The Doomsday Books, #1)]]> 57102663 Bridgerton meets Poldark in this sweeping LGBTQIA+ Regency romance from award-winning author KJ Charles

Abandoned by his father as a small child, Sir Gareth Inglis has grown up prickly, cold, and well-used to disappointment. Even so, he longs for a connection, falling headfirst into a passionate anonymous affair that's over almost as quickly as it began. Bitter at the sudden rejection, Gareth has little time to lick his wounds: his father has died, leaving him the family title, a rambling manor on the remote Romney Marsh...and the den of cutthroats and thieves that make its intricate waterways their home.

Joss Doomsday has run the Doomsday smuggling clan since he was a boy. His family is his life...which is why when the all-too-familiar new baronet testifies against Joss's sister for a hanging offense, Joss acts fast, blackmailing Gareth with the secret of their relationship to force him to recant. Their reunion is anything but happy and the path forward everything but smooth, yet after the dust settles, neither can stay away. It's a long road from there—full of danger and mysteries to be solved—yet somehow, along the way, this well-mannered gentleman may at last find true love with the least likely of scoundrels.]]> 331 K.J. Charles 1728255856 Toby 0 to-read 4.08 2023 The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (The Doomsday Books, #1)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (The Doomsday Books, #2)]]> 75505273
The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer—exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.

But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on...and what they're willing to do for love.]]> 336 K.J. Charles 1728255902 Toby 0 to-read 4.24 2023 A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (The Doomsday Books, #2)
author: K.J. Charles
name: Toby
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Don't Want You Like a Best Friend (Mischief & Matchmaking, #1)]]> 127823335 A swoon-worthy debut queer Victorian romance in which two debutantes distract themselves from having to seek husbands by setting up their widowed parents, and instead find their perfect match in each other—the lesbian Bridgerton/Parent Trap you never knew you needed!

Gwen has a brilliant beyond brilliant idea.

±őłŮ’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street. But playing the blushing ingenue makes Beth’s skin crawl and she’d rather be anywhere but here.

Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She figures she has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s gotten all her flair, fun, and less-than-proper party games.

“Let’s get them together,� she says.

It doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than surrender Beth to courtship, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly widowed mother. Let them get married instead.

“It’ll be easy� she says.

There’s just…one, teeny, tiny problem. Their parents kind of seem to hate each other.

But no worries. Beth and Gwen are more than up to the challenge of a little twenty-year-old heartbreak. How hard can parent-trapping widowed ex-lovers be?

Of course, just as their plan begins to unfold, a handsome, wealthy viscount starts calling on Beth, offering up the perfect, secure marriage.

Beth’s not mature enough for this�

Now Gwen must face the prospect of sharing Beth with someone else, forever. And Beth must reckon with the fact that she’s caught feelings, hard, and they’re definitely not for her potential fiancé.

That’s the trouble with matchmaking: sometimes you accidentally fall in love with your best friend in the process.]]> 368 Emma R. Alban 006331200X Toby 4 3.77 2024 Don't Want You Like a Best Friend (Mischief & Matchmaking, #1)
author: Emma R. Alban
name: Toby
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves: brain-candy, diverse-reads, historical, library, romance
review:
This was a sweet and somewhat spicy sapphic Regency romance featuring two main characters (Gwen and Beth), both of whom were adorable. I loved the story; the characters were all lovable and given lives of their own, so none of them felt one-dimensional and boring. The ending was *chef’s kiss* and I want to find book 2 at the library now.
]]> <![CDATA[A Throne of Feathers and Bone (Honey and Ice, #2)]]> 58458441 Chosen. Framed by my father’s murderer. Running from the fae courts. Fated to never touch the man who sets my blood on fire.

Life was looking up for me not long ago. Now, it’s looking all the way down. This latest shitstorm? Yeah, it takes the cake and the beetroot tickle.

The father who shunned me from birth lays cold and dead. The courts are in turmoil and after blood. My blood. I need to find his killer, yet that mystery pales in comparison to the madness crushing fae in its giant grip.

I’m desperate to find the door to Underhill before true anarchy descends. The answers I seek are on the other side, I’m sure of it.

With two gifted swords, a magic shield, some finnicky power, and dubious spirit for company, I must locate the path to our native realm again. And if I can manage that while resisting the Unseelie fae stalking my every footstep, then all the better.

But I am part human after all.

If you can’t get enough of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Sarah J. Mass, Holly Black or Elise Kova, you will love this journey into the fae world where impossible love and an explosive story will leave you breathless for more!]]> 351 Shannon Mayer Toby 4 audiobook, fantasy 4.23 2021 A Throne of Feathers and Bone (Honey and Ice, #2)
author: Shannon Mayer
name: Toby
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/01
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: audiobook, fantasy
review:
I listened to the graphic audio version of this (fully dramatized), just like volume one, and again, it was very absorbing. More hijinx and more things that required Callec to save the world. And again it ended on a semi cliffhanger, although not as bad a cliffhanger as book one did. I did enjoy this and I’m glad I listened to it, as graphic audio is such a good way to rein my ADHD in since it fully pulls the listener into the story. There was a lot of action and a lot more details/world building and expanding, which was nice as well. Well done to the authors and graphic audio team for a solid, engaging listening experience!
]]> <![CDATA[The Naked Duke (Naked Nobility, #1)]]> 236704 The Surprise Of Her Life

Sophisticated. Scandalous. In fact, Miss Sarah Hamilton, a proper Philadelphian, finds London society altogether shocking. How can it be that she has awakened from her innocent slumber to find herself in bed next to a handsome--and exceedingly naked--man? The laughing onlookers standing in the doorway are no help whatsoever and surely this amorous lunatic cannot be a duke, as he claims. She is compromised--though she most certainly will not marry him!

The Sweetest Moment Of His

James, the Duke of Alford, is enchanted by his unexpected bedmate--and not at all afraid of her pink-cheeked fury. True, the circumstances and place of their meeting are most unusual, but the spirited American who's pummeling him with a pillow is an incomparable beauty. If Sarah will only listen to his perfectly reasonable explanation, James is sure that he can capture her heart. . .forever.

]]> 317 Sally MacKenzie 0821778315 Toby 3
Oof, this was a quick, fun story. It was fast paced and also was written well enough to pull me into the story. I will say � content warnings for rape, desecration of a corpse, sexual abuse as well as violence/violent threats. ]]> 3.58 2005 The Naked Duke (Naked Nobility, #1)
author: Sally MacKenzie
name: Toby
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: brain-candy, historical, kindle, library, romance, sick-or-stressed
review:
3.5 stars.

Oof, this was a quick, fun story. It was fast paced and also was written well enough to pull me into the story. I will say � content warnings for rape, desecration of a corpse, sexual abuse as well as violence/violent threats.
]]> The Lost Girls of Paris 41556734 From the author of the runaway bestseller The Orphan’s Tale comes a remarkable story of friendship and courage centered around three women and a ring of female spies during World War II.

1946, Manhattan

Grace Healey is rebuilding her life after losing her husband during the war. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a ring of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war, and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances]]> 377 Pam Jenoff 0778308618 Toby 4 historical, kindle 3.89 2019 The Lost Girls of Paris
author: Pam Jenoff
name: Toby
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/28
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: historical, kindle
review:
This was a heartbreaking but also very intriguing historical novel from the historical fiction queen (or one of them), Pam Jenoff. I found myself drawn in almost immediately and although it’s not touted as a mystery or suspense novel, it definitely had enough suspense and tension to keep me reading. I’m pretty sure I devoured this in 2-3 days (due to limited reading time � I would’ve preferred to read it in less time!). Excellent story, good conclusion. There were a couple times I was uncertain of the veracity of the historical details (like agents in SOE all meeting up in the field and taking photos together of their mundane daily life� that seemed unlikely due to the hazardous nature of their roles but I also don’t actually know for sure). But the story itself was fantastic and the characters were all likable and I found myself cheering them on.
]]> Hammajang Luck 204325152 HAMMAJANG | adjective. Definition: In a disorderly or chaotic state; messed up. Chiefly in predicative use, esp. in all hammajang. Etymology: A borrowing from Hawaiian Pidgin. Source: Oxford English Dictionary.

Edie is done with crime. Eight years behind bars changes a person - costs them too much time with too many of the people who need them most.

And it's all Angel's fault. She sold Edie out in what should have been the greatest moment of their lives. Instead, Edie was shipped off to the icy prison planet spinning far below the soaring skybridges and neon catacombs of Kepler space station - of home - to spend the best part of a decade alone.

But then a chance for early parole appears out of nowhere and Edie steps into the pallid sunlight to find none other than Angel waiting - and she has an offer.

One last job. One last deal. One last target. The trillionaire tech god they failed to bring down last time. There's just one thing Edie needs to do - trust Angel again - which also happens to be the last thing Edie wants to do. What could possibly go all hammajang about this plan?

Ocean's 8 meets Blade Runner in this trail-blazing debut science fiction novel and swashbuckling love letter to Hawai'i about being forced to find a new home and striving to build a better one - unmissable for fans of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.]]> 372 Makana Yamamoto 139961679X Toby 0 to-read 3.57 2024 Hammajang Luck
author: Makana Yamamoto
name: Toby
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dreams Underfoot (Newford, #1)]]> 186444 Welcome to Newford�

Welcome to the music clubs, the waterfront, the alleyways where ancient myths and magic spill into the modern world. Come meet Jilly, painting wonders in the rough city streets; and Geordie, playing fiddle while he dreams of a ghost; and the Angel of Grasso Street gathering the fey and the wild and the poor and the lost. Gemmins live in abandoned cars and skells traverse the tunnels below, while mermaids swim in the grey harbor waters and fill the cold night with their song.

Contents:

Uncle Dobbin's Parrot Fair
The Stone Drum
Timeskip
Freewheeling
That Explains Poland
Romano Drom
The Sacred Fire
Winter Was Hard
Pity the Monsters
Ghosts of Wind and Shadow
The Conjure Man
Small Deaths
The Moon is Drowning While I Sleep
In the House of My Enemy
But for the Grace Go I
Bridges
Our Lady of the Harbour
Paperjack
Tallulah]]> 412 Charles de Lint 0765306794 Toby 0 to-read 4.11 1993 Dreams Underfoot (Newford, #1)
author: Charles de Lint
name: Toby
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Lavender House (Evander Mills, #1)]]> 59808133
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept―his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy―and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.]]> 274 Lev A.C. Rosen 1250834228 Toby 0 to-read 3.84 2022 Lavender House (Evander Mills, #1)
author: Lev A.C. Rosen
name: Toby
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, #1)]]> 193953447 Live, laugh, shed blood. Dexter meets Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town in this twisted debut graphic novel.

Don’t murder the locals—this is small-town serial killer, upstanding citizen, and adorable brown bear Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule. A sea of potential victims is in the city just beyond the forest, but when you’ve worked as hard as Sam to build a cozy life and a thriving business in a community surrounded by friendly fellow animal folk, warm decor, and the aroma of cedar trees and freshly baked apple pie, the last thing you want is to disturb the peace. So imagine Sam's indignation when one of Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly, mysterious demise. You wouldn’t blame her for doing anything it takes to hunt down her rival before the town self-destructs and Sheriff Patterson starts barking up the wrong tree.]]> 29 Patrick Horvath Toby 5 4.36 2024 Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, #1)
author: Patrick Horvath
name: Toby
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/30
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: fantasy, kindle, library, mystery-thriller, paranormal-horror
review:
Wow. WOW. What the heck did I just read?! Haha� this one pulled me right in and I am HERE FOR IT. It was a lil gruesome so don’t let those pretty pastels fool you. Anthropomorphized animals is where it’s at, and Samantha the brown bear that everyone likes is secretly not such a nice person� or is she? Nice � for a serial killer, that is�
]]>