The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

Title: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb (London Highwaymen #1)

Author: Cat Sebastian

Publisher: Avon 2021

Genre: Romance

Pages: 348

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Lovers Lane (Read a male/male romance)

Spice Rating: 6

Kit Webb has left his stand-and-deliver days behind him. But dreary days at his coffee shop have begun to make him pine for the heady rush of thievery. When a handsome yet arrogant aristocrat storms into his shop, Kit quickly realizes he may be unable to deny whatever this highborn man desires.

In order to save himself and a beloved friend, Percy, Lord Holland must go against every gentlemanly behavior he holds dear to gain what he needs most: a book that once belonged to his mother, a book his father never lets out of his sight and could be Percy’s savior. More comfortable in silk-filled ballrooms than coffee shops frequented by criminals, his attempts to hire the roughly hewn highwayman, formerly known as Gladhand Jack, proves equal parts frustrating and electrifying.

Kit refuses to participate in the robbery but agrees to teach Percy how to do the deed. Percy knows he has little choice but to submit and as the lessons in thievery begin, he discovers thievery isn’t the only crime he’s desperate to commit with Kit. 

But when their careful plan goes dangerously wrong and shocking revelations threaten to tear them apart, can these stolen hearts overcome the impediments in their path?

Romance readers have been raving about Cat Sebastian, but I had never picked up their work. I finally did and it was good, nothing mind-blowing, but still a solid MM romance featuring some fun hijinks and action. Kit is not the easiest character to like, but thankfully we get to spend a lot of time with Percy also. Their grump/sunshine dynamic kept me reading and rooting for them. Both men have buried trauma and must learn to trust each other over the course of this novel. We see them slowly start to take chances again and become vulnerable. Of course they are both so stubborn that it takes almost the entire novel to begin a real relationship. I was here for the pairing, but felt that the book was missing a bit of zing in parts. I am intrigued to read the sequel featuring to prominent characters from this volume.

London Highwaymen

• #1 The Queer Principles of Kit Webb

• #2 The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes

Next up on the TBR pile:

Paradise-1 by David Wellington

Title: Paradise-1 (Red Space #1)

Author: David Wellington

Publisher: Orbit 2023

Genre: Scifi Horror

Pages: 688

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Paradise-1. Earth’s first deep space colony. For thousands of people, it was an opportunity for a new life. Until it went dark.

No communication has been received from the colony for months. And it falls to Firewatch inspector Alexandra Petrova and the crew of the Artemis to investigate.

What they find is more horrifying than anything they could have imagined.

I grabbed this from the library and did not quite realize how long it was going to be. I thought I had the large print version, but I did not. This book is a clunker, but also reads very quickly with zippy short chapters and tons of action. Almost too much action after awhile, but it definitely helped me keep reading this behemoth. We are introduced very quickly to our three (four?) main characters and dive into the journey. Things go bad very quickly. There’s very little set up to this book and I appreciated that we got right to the action. From there, we are in a nonstop race to survive in space. I loved figuring out the mystery of the basilisk and encountering its different versions. The summary makes it seem like most of the actions will take place on Paradise-1, but the characters don’t even make it to the surface until the last 20 pages. I guess I didn’t realize that this was the start of a series. Guess I will have to wait until whenever the next one will get published. I am definitely going to put this series on my watch list. If for nothing else, sometimes I need a breezy action/adventure novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

Title: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels #3)

Author: India Holton

Publisher: Berkley Books 2023

Genre: Historical romance Fantasy

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Post Office (Set in a different country)

Spice Rating: 4

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case. 

But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice's greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans. 

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.

The third in this delightful witty series snuck under the radar for me. I didn’t even realize that there was another in the series until another blogger randomly posted about it. I jumped on adding the book to my library holds. In this volume, we revisit two characters that previously appeared in other volumes. Alice and Daniel were intriguing small side characters in those books and I was excited to see them get their own romance story. The romance itself is very stilted at times, but only because we get to see two very different types of people than th usual romance leads. At many times, I really felt for Alice’s inability to understand the people around her. I loved getting the glimpse into her own thought patterns as we see her wrestle with the case and her complicated feelings toward Agent B. I sped through the volume loving every single page of it. I only wish that we had a bit more spice and maybe some more banter.

Dangerous Damsels

• #1 The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels

• #2 The League of Gentlemen Witches

• #3 The Secret Service of Tea and Treason

Next up on the TBR pile:

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

Title: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

Author: Jonathan Auxier

Publisher: Amulet Books 2011

Genre: MG Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Night Gardener, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is the utterly beguiling tale of a ten-year-old blind orphan who has been schooled in a life of thievery. One fateful afternoon, he steals a box from a mysterious traveling haberdasher—a box that contains three pairs of magical eyes. When he tries the first pair, he is instantly transported to a hidden island where he is presented with a special quest: to travel to the dangerous Vanished Kingdom and rescue a people in need. Along with his loyal sidekick—a knight who has been turned into an unfortunate combination of horse and cat—and the magic eyes, he embarks on an unforgettable, swashbuckling adventure to discover his true destiny.

I picked this book up because of the strength of The Night Gardener and while it’s not that book, I did enjoy this story. We think that we are getting a version of Oliver Twist, but very quickly, things take a very strange turn. I loved the weird twists and turns that takes Peter to knew adventures and friendships. Auxier’s writing style is a strange mix of straight-forward prose and almost a stream of consciousness narrative. There’s a sequel to this story that I may or may not read. But I did enjoy this great middle grade fantasy novel.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Homeschool W34-35: And We're Done!

What We Studied

As we hit May, our school curriculum plan starts to wind down a bit. We wrapped up a ton of curriculum pieces and transitioned to our summer plans.

Literature and Poetry

Arthur and I finished our last official read aloud for the year. We took it easy, but enjoyed sinking into the story. We also finished our Emily Dickinson collection of poetry and sprinkled in a few more Nature Poetry selections.

• Nat Geo Book of Nature Poetry

• Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson

• The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Quentin started and finished our read aloud. He picked up the second in a series on his own and requested that we read it next. Of course, I’m always going to say yes when he requests we read any book. He even found the third one on the sign-up prize shelf for the local library’s reading program. I imagine that he will be requesting the rest of the series soon.

• Nat Geo Book of Animal Poetry

• Zoey and Sassafras: Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro

• Evan Moor Smart Start Read and Write K

• Evan Moor Spell and Write K

Math

For both boys, we have scheduled math for three days a week. One day is focused on logic, games, puzzles, and special projects. The two other days are focused on covering the main math curriculum (Singapore 4A and 4B for Arthur and Singapore 1A and 1B for Quentin). We finished our financial literacy unit. We’ve been doing a ton of review and leftover lessons this past week.

Social Studies

Arthur continued his large study of United States history using a combination of Build Your Library Level 5 and History Quest United States History. We’ll be taking a history break until August.

Quentin continued his study of the world with Build Your Library Level 0. Quentin wrapped up his study of the world this week with a little review.

Arthur Independent Time

We are working on following a checklist in a planner for weekly independent work. There’s usually some math workbook pages, an ELA packet, weekly writing prompts (1-2 times a week), independent reading time, and a special creative project. There has been many drawing projects lately.

Free books for signing up for the Library Summer Reading Program

Science

Arthur is focusing on Physics this year. We finished our curriculum and have been just enjoying time with friends.

Quentin will be focusing on animal science with BYL Level 0. We’ve done some review of concepts from this year and focused on our science workbook pages.

• On the Same Day in March: A Tour of the World’s Weather by Marilyn Singer

• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt by Kate Messner

STEAM Coop

We are on break until August.

Art/Music/Crafts/Cooking/Documentary

We’re planning one doing on art project and one cooking project each week as well as picking a composer or musician to listen to and enjoy.

Field Trip

We had an amazing field trip at Gifford Farm focusing on local history. Our guide was a former school teacher and administrator and was absolutely amazing! We led the kids through a variety of activities keeping their attention the entire time. We even made homemade butter to take home. I think this was the best field trip of the year!

High

• We’ve slotted in a few great hikes lately. We’ve even dealt with high temps and bugs. Conquered them all! We’re hoping to keep hiking on Fridays when in town.

Low

• Nothing really. We have transitioned to our fun summer flow.

Next Week

• Heading out on our mini road trip

• Continuing our summer packets

• Starting a few new read alouds for the summer break

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Asking Alexandria "Dark Void"

Oh this one was a banger! Seriously definitely need to put it on heavy rotation.

Next up on the TBR pile:

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

Title: House of Hunger

Author: Alexis Henderson

Publisher: Ace 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 304

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Marion Shaw has been raised in the slums, where want and deprivation are all she know. Despite longing to leave the city and its miseries, she has no real hope of escape until the day she spots a peculiar listing in the newspaper seeking a bloodmaid.

Though she knows little about the far north—where wealthy nobles live in luxury and drink the blood of those in their service—Marion applies to the position. In a matter of days, she finds herself the newest bloodmaid at the notorious House of Hunger. There, Marion is swept into a world of dark debauchery. At the center of it all is Countess Lisavet.

The countess, who presides over this hedonistic court, is loved and feared in equal measure. She takes a special interest in Marion. Lisavet is magnetic, and Marion is eager to please her new mistress. But when she discovers that the ancient walls of the House of Hunger hide even older secrets, Marion is thrust into a vicious game of cat and mouse. She’ll need to learn the rules of her new home—and fast—or its halls will soon become her grave.

I needed a fun and fast moving book for this week’s reading and this particular book hit the spot. We are plunged into a world of haves and have nots. We meet a have not who dreams of becoming a have. And then her circumstances seem to change overnight. Of course, the reader knows that things cannot be exactly what they seem to be. Slowly the situation devolves and learn more disturbing things about the House of Hunger. As soon as the full name of the Countess gets revealed, I gasped out loud. Even thought I basically knew where this story was going, I was completely on board for the entire ride. This book is not for the squeamish, but it was a great choice for me!

Next up on the TBR pile:

2023 Reading Challenges Update #2

I’m back to employing reading challenges to help direct my reading this year. Let’s check in with my progress of all the challenges I am attempting this year. I am leaving out the Build Your Library Challenge as it’s very strictly Arthur’s challenge and I’m not focused on actually completing it.

• Goodreads 108/200 54%

• Winter TBR 25/25 100%

• Spring TBR 20/25 80%

• Summer TBR (not started yet)

• Fall TBR (not started yet)

• Unread Shelf 14/50 28% *

• Kid Read Alouds 16/20 80%

• BOTM Cleanout 2/12 16.7%

• 52 Book Club 34/52 65.4% **

• Romanceopoly 25/39 64.1% **

• COYER 4/20 20%

• Finishing the Series 1/10 10% *

Total Challenges 1/12 8.3%

Total Reading Slots 249/503 49.5%

* - Needs Work
** - Doing a Great Job

Comments: My two big personal category challenges (Romanceopoly and 52 Book Club) are actually going very well. I just really need to focus on reading more books from my own shelves. I would like to end the year with an Unread Shelf of less than 300. — I just reposted my comment from the previous update. They are exactly the same.

Next up on the TBR pile:

June 2023 Life Goals

Let’s check in on May’s goals and my progress.

• Read 18 Books ✓

• Execute Coop Field Day ✓

• Plan Out July Indiana/Ohio Trip - in progress

• Finalize Retreat Plans and Packing ✓

• Knock Out 5 Items on the Summer Bucket List ✓

June Goals:

• Read 18 Books

• Enjoy the Mini Road Trip with the Boys

• Enjoy the Retreat

• Pause and Reevaluate Library Holds

• Knock Out 5 Items on the Summer Bucket List

Next up on the TBR pile:

May 2023 Wrap-up

May TBR Pile (21/24):

1. Bookworms BC: The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith ✓

2. Friend BC: The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC: I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (reread) ✓

4. Retreat Book Club: VenCo by Cherie Dimaline ✓

5. Kid Read Aloud: Audrey of the Outback by Christine Harris ✓

6. Kid Read Aloud: Mr. Popper’s Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater ✓

7. Kid Read Aloud: The Deceivers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

8. Kid Read Aloud: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

9. Kid Book Club: The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity ✓

10. Nonfiction: A Year in the Woods by Torbjørn Ekelund ✓

11. Nonfiction: Forest Walking by Peter Wohlleben ✓

12. Romance: The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews ✓

13. Romance: When in Rome by Sarah Adams ✓

14. Romance: The Fine Print by Lauren Asher ✓

15. Romance: How to Fake It in Hollywood by Ava Wilder ✓

16. Romance: Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon ✓

17. Romance: Stone Heart by Katee Robert ✓

18. Horror: A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher ✓

19. Scifi: Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth ✓

20. Fantasy: Cinders & Sparrows by Stefan Bachmann ✓

21. Fantasy: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett ✓

22. Mystery: A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas ✓

23. Literary Fiction: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal ✓

24. Historical Fiction: Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce ✓

1,000,000 Page Goal:

Monthly Total: 6120 pages
Pages Remaining: 325,797 pages

Current Read - House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson; The Secret Society of Tea and Treason by India Holton

Books I Gave Up On (0)

Books Bought/Received (2)

UnRead Shelf Progress

• Starting Number: 334

• Books Read:1

• Books Acquired: 2

• Books Unshelved: 0

• Finishing Number: 335

June TBR Pile:

1. Bookworms BC: NONE

2. Friend BC: Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen

3. Nerdy Bookish Friends BC; The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

4. Kid Read Aloud: The Deceivers by Margaret Peterson Haddix

5. Kid Read Aloud: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

6. Kid Read Aloud: Zoey and Sassafras: Monsters and Mold by Asia Citro

7. Kid Book Club: Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein

8. Middle Grade: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

9. Middle Grade: Silver People by Margarita Engle

10. Horror: House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

11. Science Fiction: Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke

12. Science Fiction: Paradise-1 by David Wellington

13. Romance: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton

14. Romance: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian

15. Romance: The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian

16. Romance: Happy Place by Emily Henry

Movies Watched

• Dungeons and Dragons - A family movie night choice that was enjoyed by all of us.

• Renfield - Butterfly delightful and super campy. Loved it!

• The Super Mario Bros Movie - The kids picked this one for movie night. I was not impressed at all.

• Sisu - Sometimes we really need a violent movie about killing Nazis.

• John Wick 4 - Much better than 2 and 3. Really enjoyed the choreography in this one.

TV Shows Watched 

• Ted Lasso S3 - Such a great redemption story. I cannot wait for the series finale.

• Schmigadoon S2 - That was amazing. The song that started the finale was the best part.

• The Big Door Prize S1 - Color me very intrigued by this one.

• Below Deck: Sailing Yacht - My silly reality TV show.

• Citadel S1 - A bit of a disappointment I must say.

• The Great S3 - Utterly delightful.

• Misfits S4 - Still working our way through this series. Love it!

• Human Target S1 - J had me start this older series after I expressed disappointment in Citadel.

Comments - Wow! I think I had a great reading month. So many great reads, not too many duds. And I found some more recommendations for my retreat people. We’re moving into summer rhythms which means more activities and less reading. But that’s okay! We have to take advantage of the outdoor activities and travel plans.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Venmo by Cherie Dimaline

Title: VenCo

Author: Cherie Dimaline

Publisher: William Morrow 2023

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Typographic Cover

Métis millennial Lucky St. James is barely hanging on when she learns she’ll be evicted from the tiny Toronto apartment she shares with her cantankerous but loving grandmother Stella. But then one night, something strange and irresistible calls out to Lucky. She burrows through a wall to find a tarnished silver spoon, humming with otherworldly energy, etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word SALEM.

Lucky is familiar with the magic of her indigenous ancestors, but she has no idea that the spoon connects her to a teeming network of witches across North America who have anxiously awaited her discovery.

Enter VenCo, a front company fueled by vast resources of dark money (its name is an anagram of “coven.”) VenCo’s witches hide in plain sight wherever women gather: Tupperware parties, Mommy & Me classes, suburban book clubs. Since colonial times, they have awaited the moment the seven spoons will come together and ignite a new era, returning women to their rightful power.

But as reckoning approaches, a very powerful adversary is stalking their every move. He’s Jay Christos, a roguish and deadly witch-hunter as old as witchcraft itself.

To find the last spoon, Lucky and Stella embark on a rollicking and dangerous road trip to the darkly magical city of New Orleans, where the final showdown will determine whether VenCo will usher in a new beginning…or remain underground forever.

Our retreat book selection and I’m so excited that I really enjoyed it. Last year’s choice wasn’t a huge hit and the choice the year before was terrible. I picked a good one this year! It took me a few chapters to get into the story, but once Lucky meets the rest of the coven, I was complete drawn in. I really started to connect to every single one of the witches and of course was cheering for their success the entire way through. This is the type of feminist rage book that I love! We are not beating down all men or other women. Instead, we are uplifting women and their choices. We get to see how each of the women in the coven connects to their own power and reaches out to form friendships and familial ties. The book is full of action and adventure but also some great quiet moments between characters.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Currently #10

Reading: I grabbed Paradise-1 by David Wellington off the new books shelf. I was hoping for a horror filled scifi adventure and I’m definitely getting that right now.

Watching: We’re keeping up with The Great S3. We hit a very important episode and it gutted me…

Listening: J had me dowloaded the mini Shadow City spin-off mini series from Hello from the Magic Tavern. It was an utterly delightful D&D romp.

Making: Along with renaming the retreat last week, I decided that we needed to carry the crow theme through with other aspects. So I’m making crow themed nametags. And they are very cute!

Feeling: The boys and I leave on Monday for our mini road trip and then I leave on Thursday for the retreat. I cannot wait!

Planning: While I have already planned out this mini road trip, I’m still working on the exact stops for our Indiana/Ohio mini road trip in July. I have our Dayton stops planned, but still deciding exactly where to stop in Illinois and/or Missouri on the way back.

Loving: Coop and our planned curriculum are done for the year. We have entered into the lazier days of summer. Less bookwork and many more activities. The boys are still reading and we’re still doing our ELA and Math packets. We just ease up on everything else until August.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Music Monday - Daughtry feat. Lazy Hale "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"

This cover just really hits the spot this week. Absolutely love the update of one of my favorite songs.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Life Right Now #17

On my bedside table: The Secret Society of Tea and Treason by India Holton; Paradise-1 by David Wellington

On my tv this week: We’ve been disappointed with Citadel, so J had me start watching Human Target. Much more fun of a show.

Listening to: J got me hooked on Hello from the Magic Tavern. Oftentimes absolutely ridiculous, but I’m very much enjoying it.

On the menu for this week:

• Monday - Avocado, Bruschetta Chicken

• Tuesday - Peanut Noodles and Chicken

• Wednesday - Salsa Chicken

• Thursday - Crab and Asparagus Soup

• Friday - Pizza Night

• Saturday - Spaghetti and Meatballs

• Sunday - Brown Sugar Chicken

On my to do list: Mostly I just need to prep for my travel. I’ve got a few tasks to finish some prep work and definitely need to pack for both trips before next Saturday.

Happening this week:

• Monday - Home Day

• Tuesday - Zoo Visit

• Wednesday - Splashpad Day

• Thursday - Curriculum Swap; Lit Society

• Friday - Nature Explorers

• Saturday - Errands for Travel Prep

• Sunday - Home Day; Packing

What I am creating: Mostly just packing lists right now. Now that coop is done, I can put away things and prep for our travel.

My simple pleasures: Chinese food (I’ve had the craving lately), successful planning sessions, new books

Looking around the house: I definitely need to pick up the first floor before Thursday and our curriculum swap. I need to set up a few tables and clear some space.

From the camera: We visited a new-to-us ice cream place with friends after our nature hike.

Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

Title: Miss Benson’s Beetle

Author: Rachel Joyce

Publisher: Dial Press 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Alliterative Title

She’s going too far to go it alone.
 
It is 1950. London is still reeling from World War II, and Margery Benson, a schoolteacher and spinster, is trying to get through life, surviving on scraps. One day, she reaches her breaking point, abandoning her job and small existence to set out on an expedition to the other side of the world in search of her childhood obsession: an insect that may or may not exist—the golden beetle of New Caledonia. When she advertises for an assistant to accompany her, the woman she ends up with is the last person she had in mind. Fun-loving Enid Pretty in her tight-fitting pink suit and pom-pom sandals seems to attract trouble wherever she goes. But together these two British women find themselves drawn into a cross-ocean adventure that exceeds all expectations and delivers something neither of them expected to find: the transformative power of friendship.

I picked this one up on a recommendation from a Lit Society friend. She had said that this was a delightful friendship between two unusual women. I had hoped that this book would be a delightful little gem of a. book and one that I could recommend to a friend. I started reading and was immediately rooting for Margery and her escape from the drudgery of life. As soon as she meets Enid, the story kicks into high gear and it’s one ridiculous episode after another. Enid is a hard character to like, but she is interesting. The book sped along until everything eventually came together. I loved how we get to see these two women find their strength both individually and together. I took a few issues with some of the plot points, but overall I really enjoyed this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Tempest at Sea by Sherry Thomas

Title: A Tempest at Sea (Lady Sherlock #7)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2023

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 353

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 52 Book Club - Fashionable Character

After feigning her own death in Cornwall to escape from Moriarty’s perilous attention, Charlotte Holmes goes into hiding. But then she receives a tempting offer: Find a dossier the crown is desperately seeking, and she might be able to go back to a normal life.
 
Her search leads her aboard the RMS Provence. But on the night Charlotte makes her move to retrieve the dossier, in the midst of a terrifying storm in the Bay of Biscay, a brutal murder takes place on the ship.
 
Instead of solving the crime, as she is accustomed to doing, Charlotte must take care not to be embroiled in this investigation, lest it become known to those who harbor ill intentions that Sherlock Holmes is abroad and still very much alive.

Absolutely loved this locked-room style murder mystery. We get to come back to all our favorite characters all aboard a sea voyage. Thomas brings all of our characters together for a variety of reasons and then of course, we get a murder. You knew it was coming. I was just waiting for the entire first third of the book just waiting to see who would die. From there, we mainly follow Lord Ingram has he assists the Inspector in the mystery. The volume felt a little different in that we have shifted from Charlotte to Ash as the main character the reader follows. And the entire locked room idea felt very Agatha Christie like. But I loved every page of it. This felt like a fresh murder mystery instead of just a Sherlock Holmes story. My favorite parts were the interactions between Ash and Charlotte. I have been rooting for them since the beginning and we finally get to see their feelings towards each other expressed out loud. Hallelujah! I cannot wait to see where this series goes next.

Lady Sherlock

• #1 A Study in Scarlet Women

• #2 A Conspiracy in Belgravia

• #3 The Hollow of Fear

• #4 The Art of Theft

• #5 Murder on Cold Street

• #6 Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

• #7 A Tempest at Sea

Next up on the TBR pile:

Barbarian Lover by Ruby Dixon

Title: Barbarian Lover (Ice Planet Barbarians #3)

Author: Ruby Dixon

Publisher: Ruby Dixon

Genre: Explicit Scifi Romance

Pages: 191

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Outer Space (Read a sci fi with“mars needs women” trope); COYER

Spice Rating: 6

As one of the few humans stranded on the ice planet, I should be happy that I have a new home. Human women are treasured here, and one alien in particular has made it clear that he wants me. It's hard to push away the sexy, flirtatious Aehako, when all I want to do is grab him by his horns and insist he take me to his furs.But I've got a terrible secret - the aliens who abducted me are back, and thanks to the translator in my ear, they can find me. My presence here endangers everyone...but can I give up my new life and the man I want more than anything?

Pretty meh about this one really. I wanted to love Kira and Aehako, but we didn’t get to spend much time with them. There was a lot more action and a lot less connection and even less sexy time in this one. I sped through this book, but wasn’t super excited about it at all. Oh well. They can’t all be winners.

Ice Planet Barbarians

• #1 Ice Planet Barbarians (Georgie/Vektal)

• #2 Barbarian Alien (Liz/Raahosh)

• #3 Barbarian Lover (Kira/Aehako)

• #4 Barbarian Mine (Harlow/Rukh)

• #4.5 Ice Planet Holiday (novella)

• #5 Barbarian's Prize (Tiffany/Salukh)

• #6 Barbarian's Mate (Josie/Haeden)

• #6.5 Having the Barbarian's Baby (short story)

• #6.75 Ice Ice Babies (short story)

• #7 Barbarian's Touch (Lila/Rokan)

• #7.5 Calm (short story)

• #8 Barbarian's Taming (Maddie/Hassen)

• #8.5 Aftershocks (short story)

• #9 Barbarian's Heart (Stacy/Pashov)

• #10 Barbarian's Hope (Asha/Hemalo)

• #11 Barbarian's Choice (Farli/Mardok)

• #12 Barbarian's Redemption (Elly/Bek)

• #13 Barbarian's Lady (Kate/Harrec)

• #14 Barbarian's Rescue (Summer/Warrek)

• #15 Barbarian's Tease (Brooke/Taushen)

• #15.5 The Barbarian Before Christmas (novella)

• #16 Barbarian's Beloved (Ariana/Zolaya)

• #16.5 Barbarian's Valentine (novella)

• #17 Barbarian's Seduction (Marlene/Zennek)

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Looks like the rain will hold off for our field day today. We had hoped that the weather would be warm enough for water play and it should be.

• Side note: the gluten free and vegan cookies that I bought for treat look amazing. I might have to try one myself.

• Book club on Tuesday night got a little ridiculous. We have created a new name for the retreat complete with a mascot and a uniform. I’m so excited that it’s only a few weeks away.

• Really need to put a pause on my library holds. It’s gotten a little out of control. The mini road trip and retreat offers the perfect opportunity to put those pauses on.

• Seems like the perfect week for Italian pressed sandwiches and gazpacho. I’m needing that summer fair.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Library of the Unwritten by AJ Hackwith

Title: The Library of the Unwritten (Hell’s Library #1)

Author: AJ Hackwith

Publisher: Ace Books 2019

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR; COYER

Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell….and Earth.

Loved the premise and the settings, but ultimately, this one fell very flat for me. We are dropped into this plot line and action becomes nonstop from there. Very quickly it become very difficult to keep track of everything that was happened. The book didn’t have any quiet moments to sit and reflect on anything that was happening. On the other side, the characters were hard to really love. I enjoyed Brevity and Leto, but a lot of our time was spent with Claire and Ramiel. Those two were not easy to like or all that interesting of characters. The incredibly unlikeable characters are not really my jam. In the end, I was not all that interested in continuing the series.

Hell’s Library

• #1 The Library of the Unwritten

• #2 The Archive of the Forgotten

• #3 The God of Lost Words

Next up on the TBR pile:

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

Title: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

Author: J. Ryan Stradal

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books 2023

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Spring TBR; 52 Books Club - Script Font

Mariel Prager needs a break. Her husband Ned is having an identity crisis, her spunky, beloved restaurant is bleeding money by the day, and her mother Florence is stubbornly refusing to leave the church where she’s been holed up for more than a week. The Lakeside Supper Club has been in her family for decades, and while Mariel’s grandmother embraced the business, seeing it as a saving grace, Florence never took to it. When Mariel inherited the restaurant, skipping Florence, it created a rift between mother and daughter that never quite healed.
    Ned is also an heir—to a chain of home-style diners—and while he doesn't have a head for business, he knows his family's chain could provide a better future than his wife's fading restaurant. In the aftermath of a devastating tragedy, Ned and Mariel lose almost everything they hold dear, and the hard-won victories of each family hang in the balance. With their dreams dashed, can one fractured family find a way to rebuild despite their losses, and will the Lakeside Supper Club be their salvation?
    In this colorful, vanishing world of relish trays and brandy Old Fashioneds, J. Ryan Stradal has once again given us a story full of his signature honest, lovable yet fallible Midwestern characters as they grapple with love, loss, and marriage; what we hold onto and what we leave behind; and what our legacy will be when we are gone.

After absolutely loving Strudel’s last two books, this one was a bit miss for me. I couldn’t connect to any of the characters or the plot. Most of the characters were incredibly likable and never really got any more likable to me throughout the pages. I just didn’t like them at all. The overall plot line also did not interest me. I didn’t connect with the settings and the events. Nothing. And then the structure really annoyed me. The jumping back and forth created a very disjointed reading experience for me. This one was definitely not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile: