Book Review: All Tricked Out (Wayfair Witches #13) by A.A. Albright

July 21, 2023August 5, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Length: 254 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 4th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When a white rabbit asks for Wanda’s help, she’s hoping for an easy case. It’s just a missing magician, after all. But things in the Magic Hat aren’t all that they seem.

Soon, Wanda is not only trying to track down the rabbit’s lost magician, but she’s also trying to solve a murder.

The Magic Hat is a club on an unusual street, a street with no name. This unnamed street isn’t in a magical enclave, and yet it feels incredibly special. Are the residents human, or are they supernatural? And can the answer to that question help Wanda and her team solve the case?

MISSING SOMETHING.

As always, I do enjoy this series. This had a lot of talking bunnies and magic tricks galore. Fun aspects, especially added with the Queen of the Fae. I think there’s something building here that I need more of!

What was a bummer was that there wasn’t any outside focus on the series arc. This felt very inward about this ONE murder mystery and not on Wanda’s larger story. And I’m always looking for that because it’s one of my favorite tidbits (is it bad I’m still team Will????).

ANYWAYS. Quick read, finished in a day and got a few good smiles out of it. And a big craving to make an apple tart.

Overall audience notes:

Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: medium

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Book Review: Doing Time (Wayfair Witches #12) by A.A. Albright

July 5, 2023July 27, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Length: 250 pages
Author: A.A. Albright
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 9th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When Wanda kills Baldrick Berry, there’s only one place for her to go: Witchfield Prison.

Being an inmate isn’t much fun – not when Wanda’s the one who arrested a lot of of the prisoners in the first place. And not when two prisoners have died in mysterious ways. Even Witchfield itself has some secrets to be solved.

But when an angry little dog comes to haunt her, Wanda begins to realise that Baldrick’s death wasn’t quite as simple as it seemed.

Wanda must navigate prison life, deal with an angry ghost, and find out the truth. At the same time, she’s discovering new and frightening aspects to her power, and trying to understand her confusing feelings for Will.

WE’RE BACK.

I love this series. It is light, it is an escape, and it fun to enjoy Wanda’s journey.

This is another quick read that left me with enough mystery to keep the pages turning. I am very particular to one side of this love triangle and while I don’t mind the other, I am waiting with baited breath to know if I will be on the right side of this in the end.

I like that there seems to be another bigger arc for the characters and I can’t wait to see how things shake out.

Easy recommend if you’re looking for something new and that has great writing and wonderful dynamics.

Overall audience notes:

Cozy Paranormal Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, false imprisonment

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Book Review: Four Aunties and a Wedding (Aunties #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto

February 8, 2023April 21, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Author: Jesse Q. Sutanto
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 29th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Meddy Chan has been to countless weddings, but she never imagined how her own would turn out. Now the day has arrived, and she can’t wait to marry her college sweetheart, Nathan. Instead of having Ma and the aunts cater to her wedding, Meddy wants them to enjoy the day as guests. As a compromise, they find the perfect wedding vendors: a Chinese-Indonesian family-run company just like theirs. Meddy is hesitant at first, but she hits it off right away with the wedding photographer, Staphanie, who reminds Meddy of herself, down to the unfortunately misspelled name.

Meddy realizes that is where their similarities end, however, when she overhears Staphanie talking about taking out a target. Horrified, Meddy can’t believe Staphanie and her family aren’t just like her own, they are The Family–actual mafia, and they’re using Meddy’s wedding as a chance to conduct shady business. Her aunties and mother won’t let Meddy’s wedding ceremony become a murder scene–over their dead bodies–and will do whatever it takes to save her special day, even if it means taking on the mafia.

The aunties are back, fiercer than ever and ready to handle any catastrophe–even the mafia–in this delightful and hilarious sequel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, author of Dial A for Aunties.

SCATTERED.

Ohhhh sequels. I LOVED the first book in this series, and while I enjoyed this read, it’s not a favorite.

The wedding idea was fun. I liked seeing all of the Aunties and Meddy again. The setting was the perfect event for plenty of antics and hijinks. I laughed here and there at some of the wild things that were happening. But alongside that, I thought the theatrics were a bit over the top. A lot of it felt like filler to create a second full length book and I just wasn’t into it. I also reallllly missed Nathan too!! He’s BARELY in this and I thought he could have added a great counter balance to Meddy if he was allowed some more page time.

This was another great audiobook and I love the way it’s narrated. There’s some great lower key scenes where Meddy realizes and appreciates just how much her family is willing to do for her and I love the strength of the bond all of them have together. And when Nathan did make an appearance I love how he backed up Meddy as well. Really great familial connections and that’s the best part of this series.

Overall audience notes:

Cozy mystery
Language: some strong
Romance: closed door
Violence: low
Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, physical altercations

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ARC Book Review: Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano

January 26, 2023January 22, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Mystery
Length: 304 pages
Author: Elle Cosimano
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Release Date: January 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Author and single mom Finlay Donovan has been in messes before―after all, she’s a pro at removing bloodstains for various unexpected reasons―but none quite like this. When Finlay and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they had “borrowed” in the process of saving the life of Finlay’s ex-husband, the Russian mob did her a favor and bought the car for her. And now Finlay owes them.

Mob boss Feliks is still running the show from behind bars, and he has a task for Finlay: find and identify a contract killer before the cops do. The problem is, the killer might be an officer themself.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has just been tasked with starting up a citizen’s police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay’s looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with a tempting detective), Finlay and Vero use their time in police academy to sleuth out the real contract killer to free themselves from the mob’s clutches―all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero’s past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood.

From USA Today bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun—the highly anticipated, hilarious, and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series…

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC.

NEW FAVORITE OF THE SERIES.

I really liked this one y’all!! I think with the second I was expecting a different kind of story, but with this one, I changed my mindset and enjoyed it all the more. This is very much like a cozy mystery but with pizazz. There’s a bit more drama, a bit more high stakes, and even a bit more romance. All things I am here for in the Finlay Donovan world.

This was another fun installment that had me bursting with laughter and definitely swooning. YES THE ROMANCE I’VE BEEN AFTER FINALLY MOVES SOMEWHERE. The slow burn has been real but I have known where my loyalties lie from day one and I am currently a happy camper.

I still don’t know if I like Vero? I don’t have any solid reasons why y’all. It remains to be seen if she’s a great friend and sidekick or someone I gotta watch out for.

There’s a bit of predictability with the plot, yet it’s an enjoyable comfort in the wildness that is the plot in general. I like the writing style and the quirky characters and many others things about this series. I look forward to seeing where Finlay ends up next!

Overall audience notes: