Book Review and GIVEAWAY: My Favorite Holidate, by Lauren Blakely {ends 5/3}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Fable

Is there a handbook somewhere for fake dating? If so, I could use it right now as I slide on red-and-white-striped tights under my little green elf dress on Thursday afternoon. I’m in the ladies’ room on my floor, getting ready to hand out corporate Christmas gifts with Wilder.

It’s the first time I’ll have seen him since I learned exactly how good he is with his hands. A blast of heat rushes through me. I could barely get that first office kiss out of my head, not to mention the mistletoe kiss, and now the session on his desk has claimed a permanent spot in my brain.

But I’ve got a job to do before the Blaine Enterprises holiday break begins tomorrow. I cinch the black belt at my waist, smooth a hand over the flouncy green skirt, then adjust my elf hat. No elf ears for me, though. A woman has her limits.

Fable’s Thanksgiving does not go as planned, but she’s determined to have a better Christmas, especially since it will include her beloved sister’s wedding. Wilder is happy to help.

Official synopsis:

Wanted: hot billionaire to pose as my Christmas boyfriend. Must be willing to make my cheating ex jealous by kissing me under the mistletoe at holiday parties. Bonus if you make him cry.

To my surprise my billionaire boss is more than up for the challenge of coming down the chimney as my holiday boyfriend. The sexy single dad desperately needs a plus one at a Christmas Eve wedding, where he’s the best man and I’m the maid of honor.

And since my ex is in the wedding party too, my boss and I team up as a pair of insta-lovebirds for the holiday season, including during the annual week-long Christmas competition leading up to the snowy destination wedding.

But soon staying up late to string the best popcorn balls ever turns into a scorching night in his arms where the chestnuts aren’t the only thing roasting on the open fire.

Can all these winter wonderland nights seeking revenge turn into the real thing when we return to the office? Or are we destined to go the way of a Christmas tree on New Year’s?

Fable and Wilder were both pretty cool characters. Wilder runs Blaine Enterprises as a single dad, and Fable is the marketing head for the football team that Blain Enterprises owns. So actually dating seems like a bad idea, but Wilder is a stand-up guy, so he’s more than willing to step in and show Fable how a woman should be treated, after her previous boyfriend cheats at an event they’ve all attended together.

The holiday weekend when Fable’s sister is getting married is not only the test of their acting like boyfriend and girlfriend around all of their close friends and family, it’s also the official last time they’ll need to do so. After the holidays, the pressure is off and they can stage an amicable break up to continue working together.

The ending really wasn’t surprising, but the book was still an amusing read. It was a little steamy, with fun characters. The book earned 3 out of 5 stars and would be recommended to those who like light and cozy romance reads.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited members!}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, theatre, and 80s movies. See what else she’s doing with her time on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of My Favorite Holidate!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Sunday, May 3, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be contacted May 4 or May 5 via email, and have 24 hours to respond, or an altenate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

My Favorite Holidate, by Lauren Blakely

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Motor City Love Song, by Lisa Peers {ends 4/11}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

June 1, 2023

Jace was nursing a pint in the Cornucopia brew pub on Canfield, watching the front entrance for Jerome to arrive.

According to Livvy’s research, Jerome’s career had taken off after Cut to the Chorus premiered. He had become a noted concert videographer over the past decade and was the host of a reputable podcast about Detroit’s indie and garage history. Given that he’d filmed many of the heavy hitters Jace hoped to book for the September show, he was in a position to put in a good word. Plus, he might have a lead on Paloma’s current location, which Jace desperately needed since Dustin had yet to respond to any of her emails. Jace agreed it was worth buying the guy a beer and swallowing her lingering distaste long enough to pump him for information.

Jace and Paloma had a love story that felt magical and invincible. What could have happened to make Paloma disappear from it all?

Official synopsis:

After all this time, can love still strike a chord?

Detroit, 1997. At the Artemis Club, Paloma is chasing rock-and-roll stardom, with her girlfriend and manager Jace committed to making her a worldwide indie sensation. But when Paloma suddenly disappears from the public eye in 2001, Jace is left to pick up the pieces.

Two decades later, Jace learns The Artemis Club is in trouble. Saving it will mean tracking down Paloma, whose early-career hit just went viral. Paloma has her reasons for not wanting to be found, and Jace isn’t eager to reopen old wounds. Still, each keeps measuring her life against the love she lost. With the Artemis Club’s fate at stake, Jace and Paloma are pulled back into the scene they once ruled ... and back toward each other.

Told in two voices, this sapphic salute to Detroit’s garage-band era shows that sometimes the truth is the most powerful love song of all.

At the very beginning, Jace might not even know she wants to be a manager, but she knows Paloma is great, and wants to help her get all the accolades she deserves, while spending as much time with her as possible. These goals start their business and personal relationships on their way. 

The pressures of a successful business are a lot for Paloma, but Jace handles it all seamlessly with a goal for Paloma to have no idea how much goes into managing her career. It seems to work for them for quite a while. Paloma talks about eventually leaving the spotlight so they can settle down and have a "normal" domestic life, and Jace assures her there’s plenty of time for that.

When Paloma unexpectedly leaves, Jace’s character matures, and she evolves to succeed at new plans. Her determination to have moved on convinces her that Paloma is just a story from her past. When the club where she first started Paloma’s career is facing financial ruin, Jace needs to work through her stubbornness to try and find Paloma and convince her to face the public again, to help those who were so important in her life decades ago.

The story alternated between Jace’s and Paloma’s viewpoint, and between their original relationship and where they found themselves 20 years later. The Detroit setting was definitely familiar for those who have been in the area, and added an extra layer of depth to the stories. 

The book was engaging and well-paced, and earned 4 out of 5 stars. The comparison of their LGBTQ relationship they somewhat hid in the 1990s, until it was less of an issue as they discussed it in 2023, was interesting. The subjects of the music industry and found family were a positive outcome from Paloma’s traumatic childhood. Those who enjoy strong and unique female characters succeeding in non-traditional roles will like this book. 

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys seeing the enthusiasm of her family engaging in the activities they’re passionate about. Check it out on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Motor City Love Song!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Saturday, March 11, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be chosen the next day and notified via email, and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Motor City Love Song, by Lisa Peers

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Book Review: Mona at Sea, by Elizabeth Gonzalez James

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Two weeks after the party, I’m back at Job Seekers and for some reason, one corner of the church annex is taken over with Christmas decorations: paper candy canes, a spindly fake tree with sagging strings of white lights, an enormous banner that commands, ‘Keep CHRIST in Christmas!’

This is my last day at Job Seekers, and it does feel a little like Christmas, the end of one thing and maybe the beginning of something better. I’ve come to say goodbye and wish everyone well and I’m surprised that I’m feeling nostalgic. I might actually miss Paulette’s relentless enthusiasm, Randy’s folksy cheer, even Chasen’s tongue ring, which I can hear rapping the back of his teeth as I take the seat next to him. Maybe not the tongue ring. But I’ll miss the camaraderie of shared experience, everyone down in the dirt, our little company knit together by the insanity of performing the same action over and over, each time praying for a different outcome.

Mona may not have started out on her best foot, but after doing everything she was supposed to, she doesn’t understand why nothing is going her way.

Official synopsis:

Mona Mireles is a quintessential overachiever: a former spelling bee champion and valedictorian of her college class, she has a sterling résumé and a wall of plaques and medals in her bedroom that stretches floor to ceiling.

 

She's also broke, unemployed, back at home with her parents, and completely adrift in life and love.

 

Mona is seven months out of college and desperately trying to reassemble the pieces of her life after the Wall Street job she had waiting for her post-graduation dissolves in the wake of the Great Recession. When her reaction to losing her job goes viral and she is publicly branded the "Sad Millennial," Mona begins a downward spiral into self-pity, bitterness, and late-night drunken binges on cat videos. Mona's the sort who says exactly the right thing at absolutely the wrong moments, seeing the world through a cynic's eyes.

 

Set in suburban Tucson amid the financial and social malaise of the early 2000s, 23-year-old Mona must not only find a job, but quickly learn to navigate the complexities of adult relationships within the black hole of her parents' shattering marriage.

 

At her mother's urging, Mona grudgingly joins a support group for job seekers, and slowly begins to see that all is not lost, and that perhaps losing the job on Wall Street was a blessing in disguise. She might even learn what it is she finds meaningful in life. The question is:

 

Will she be brave enough to go after it? 

First of all it has to be said: the book was enjoyable, but should have had a cutting warning. The main character’s self-harm was a major feature of the book, but no notices were seen before reading.

With that said, Mona grew more likable as the story went on. As a lifelong overachiever, Mona was not surprised by her invitation to go to Wall Street and join a prestigious firm right out of college. When this opportunity collapsed after she arrived in New York, however, the resulting video gave Mona instant social media recognition, but not in a good way. She was now the "sad millennial."

After excelling through public school and college, she doesn’t expect to have to compromise. She earned her spot as a golden child, right? But eventually life kicks her around enough to point out that she may need to do whatever it takes to have a life that keeps moving forward. 

While the story was pretty down in the beginning, by the end it had earned four out of five stars. The book was a front seat journey to Mona learning some important lessons and coming of age as an adult with a financial degree in a struggling economy. It would be enjoyed by those who like coming of age stories, especially with a fun, millennial twist.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited!}

Becki Bayley tries to do the right thing. She is a wife and mother to two amazing kids. In her spare time, she enjoys working overtime for extra income, reading, and building LEGO. Check out details on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Who Am I to Judge, by Emily Hanlon {ends 3/28}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Martha sat behind her desk in the St. Vincent De Paul office, waiting for Fr. Seamus. Marya has asked Martha to arrange this meeting, commenting that she would have asked Fr. Seamus herself, but people often did not listen to what she was saying. Martha smiled. Marya has repeated her request twice because Martha had not been paying attention the first time. Martha surprised herself by agreeing to the request with no hesitation. She supposed she was just curious about what Marya had in mind about the murder. Was it possible the dotty old lady was on to something? Could Fr. Jim be innocent?

Martha is one to mind her own business, as her life in Pequot Bays is much different than her childhood there. She and her dog Quincy are content to oversee the church fundraiser, drive Uber to make ends meet, and usually avoid "the purple pest," Marya.

Official synopsis:

When a priest confesses to the murder of a parishioner, everyone in the wealthy waterfront town of Pequot Bays is convinced of his guilt-everyone, that is, except Marya Cook, a Bible-quoting, lavender-clad octogenarian known to locals as the Purple Pest.

Unable to prove his innocence on her own, she draws in Martha Collins, a much younger, efficient, ever-busy church lady, to assist in her investigations. Although Martha is unwilling to associate herself with the odd old woman as she accuses wealthy and influential suspects of murder, Marya's peculiar logic persuades her that this ditzy old woman may not be so ditzy after all.

A victim with plenty of enemies, a corrupt ambitious cop, a conflicting confession by a fellow priest, and the death of a prime suspect make the path to truth a crooked one. The rich and powerful suspects scoff at poor, dithering Marya. Can she, in the end, unveil their many secrets and prove there is more to a person than meets the eye?

While Martha and Marya don’t start out on the same page regarding the murder at Martha’s family-vacation-home-turned-Airbnb, Marya has very subtle ways of leading Martha to consider different possibilities. The woman dressed in glaring purple is always talking, and eventually the important ideas come through.

Most of the book was set on solving the murder in spite of a false confession, but a great concurrent event was reading of Martha denying a "friendship" has evolved with Marya, out of habit. Their relationship was definitely not something Martha initially wanted - will she eventually have the integrity to admit to herself, and defend to others, that Marya is not just "the purple pest?"

This book was initially a category choice for a "blind date with a book," and it was a delightful surprise. The story and endearing old church-lady characters earned 3 out of 5 stars, and will doubtlessly lead into other charming mysteries in the series. Any reader who appreciates cozy mysteries and doesn’t mind a few wildly appropriate scriptural quotes thrown in will enjoy the books in "A Martha and Marya Mystery" series.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading and hanging out with her adult-sized kids. See what they’re up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Who Am I to Judge, mailed to you by the author!

Enter via the widget below. The giveaway will end on Saturday, March 28th, at 11:59pm EST, and the winner will be emailed the next day, and have 24 hours to respond, otherwise an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Who Am I to Judge, by Emily Hanlon

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Murder at the Christmas Emporium, by Andreina Cordani {ends 2/2}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Every time Merry thinks she knows all about human nature, something comes up to surprise her. The change in Dean is astonishing. The confident, charismatic Business Fixer is gone—he’s a mass of insecurities now—his breath is ragged, his face shining with sweat in the candlelight.

‘Windows, one, Dean, nil,’ Josie deadpans and the businessman practically snarls at her.

Evangeline steps forward and peers closely at him, as if unable to believe she had ever been attracted to him. Merry feels the same. Not that she’d actually been attracted to him, of course. Nope. He’s not her type.

Merry moves away from them, grateful to be swallowed up by darkness, and perches on a countertop next to the old-fashioned-looking till, kicking her legs against the panelled wood, letting her anger come out. They had ignored her in Santa’s grotto, laughed off her suspicions about Monty and now she was furious – but at herself rather than at them. She should have known better than to speak out. Nobody ever listens to her, nobody believes her. Nothing she says ever counts. It’s no wonder she has to be sneaky to get what she wants.

Oh, Merry. The one not on this lethal guest list…or was she?

Official Synopsis:

It's Christmas Eve at the Emporium, a bespoke gift shop hidden in the depths of London's winding streets, where a select few shoppers are browsing its handcrafted delights.

But when they go to leave, they find the doors are locked and it isn't long before they realize this is no innocent mix-up. The shoppers have been trapped here by someone who knows their darkest secrets, someone will stop at nothing until they have all been unwrapped—and there is a gruesome gift waiting in Santa's grotto . . .

For those that survive the night, it will be a Christmas to remember.

Who shows up to an "exclusive shopping night" on Christmas Eve? Each of the participant’s motivations are different, but the real planner behind the event has anticipated and picked the people from their past who would behave—mostly—as they expected. They have made it their project to ensure the people they wanted showed up and were goaded into responding to the others.

The characters were intriguing and willing to go to great lengths to continue hiding their deep, dark secrets. It was why they had been selected, after all. Their sometimes unknown connections to the planner went back, in some cases, to childhood.

Overall, the intricate plot and memorable characters and backstories earned 4 out of 5 stars. It would be readily recommended to those who like thrillers and mysteries, especially with some extra holiday flair. While the plot doesn’t center very much on Christmas, the Emporium is a beautiful setting of holiday wonders where the mystery untangles.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys finding the magic in the holidays, no matter how old her kids get. Check out what they’re up to on Instagram where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Murder at the Christmas Emporium!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, February 2nd, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Murder at the Christmas Emporium, by Andreina Cordani

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: One Killer Night, by Trilina Pucci {ends 2/1}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

“Hello!” Evie bellows next to me pulling me out of my foxy coma.

“What?” I shrug innocently.

“Good grief, Charlie McHobag. You literally just shivered while staring off into the cosmos.” She holds up her hand. “Don’t share. If I had to guess from all that blushing, it’s something I never want to know about. Spare me the trauma.”

I laugh, feeling my cheeks burn as popcorn falls between my sister’s fingers before she shovels more of it into her mouth, then points to the glowing television screen. A scream erupts. 

“I said that you were missing the best part.” I look back to the TV as she gets excited. “Oh, look, we have a runner… Why do they always run? The minute they run, everyone watching knows death is imminent.” Evie rolls her eyes. “See? She’s fallen, and she’s never getting up. Tragic. Bye-bye, busty camp counselor number two.”

When Goldie and Noah meet through total chance at a drugstore on Halloween night, it’s the beginning of a wonderful relationship.

Official synopsis:

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love will stab you from behind.

It’s Halloween night, and out-of-work writer Goldie Monroe’s trip to the drugstore scares up more than the fake blood she’s looking for. It leads to the man of her naughtiest dreams. And in spite of her costume, sparks fly from the moment they meet.

Noah Adler, aspiring sneaker designer, is impossibly gorgeous—like a tatted-up version of Goldie’s favorite blue-eyed vampire. He’s there for candy, but it’s Goldie he can’t resist. When she invites him to her sister’s F/X company bash, he’s all in without a second thought.

The pair’s flirty connection heats up fast, carrying them to electrifying new heights. But after Goldie discovers Noah is hiding a dark secret, it all starts to crumble. Looking for answers about her own past awakens new dangers, and when Goldie and Noah land at a slasher camp for adults, a deadly tragedy threatens to repeat itself. If they can survive this one killer night, they can definitely slay a happily ever after.

This is labeled as the first book in the To Die For duology, with the second book focusing on Goldie’s sister and Noah’s best friend, and releasing February 26, 2026. The first book most definitely did end with a cliffhanger.

In the first book, it is only fate that could bring Goldie and Noah together in such a unique meet-cute. When she throws out a casual invitation to where to find her later, he goes against every thread of his character to take her up on it - and they are inseparable from there on out. 

Unfortunately, finding out that he hasn’t been truthful about his past is enough to put Goldie off of Noah forever, regardless of how convincing their attraction had been for nearly a year. 

What started as a cozy read escalated in the turn of a page to an intricate plot with a hard-to-explain past. The book earned 3 out of 5 stars, and was great for a read right around Halloween. The relationship between Noah and his "killer," Goldie, was enviable. They brought the chemistry, romance, and smut to the table. When the complications came in, they were clearly spelled out, if somewhat annoying after all the perfection of the life Goldie and Noah were building. This was an intriguing read with unique elements that would appeal to those who enjoy quick thrillers along with a bit of steaminess and fun romance.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited members!}

Becki Bayley is a wife, mother, and office drudge. See more of what she’s  up to in her fun hours on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of One Killer Night!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Sunday, February 1st, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

One Killer Night, by Trilina Pucci

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Book Review: A Cold Trail by Robert Dugoni

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

By the time Tracy left Ed Witherspoon’s home, the sky had turned a dark gray, and a fresh two inches of snow blanketed the ground and the hood of her car. The snow had also muted Cedar Grove in a peaceful silence. Inside her Subaru, Tracy reconsidered their conversation, as she did after each interview. Her dad would have said Witherspoon had been, well, Witherspoon – the man who never gave a straight answer. More important than understanding Witherspoon’s careful avoidance of her questions, however, was figuring out why he had tried to do so. 

Tracy Crosswhite is staying in her hometown for a bit, and agrees to help her dad’s best friend - the interim chief of police - look into the untimely death of the actual police chief’s wife. But investigating that death soon leads to possible connections with two others.

Official synopsis:

The last time homicide detective Tracy Crosswhite was in Cedar Grove, it was to see her sister’s killer put behind bars. Now she’s returned for a respite and the chance to put her life back in order for herself, her attorney husband, Dan, and their new daughter. But tragic memories soon prove impossible to escape.

Dan is drawn into representing a local merchant whose business is jeopardized by the town’s revitalization. And Tracy is urged by the local PD to put her own skills to work on a new case: the brutal murder of a police officer’s wife and local reporter who was investigating a cold-case slaying of a young woman. As Tracy’s and Dan’s cases crisscross, Tracy’s trail becomes dangerous. It’s stirring up her own haunted past and a decades-old conspiracy in Cedar Grove that has erupted in murder. Getting to the truth is all that matters. But what’s Tracy willing to risk as a killer gets closer to her and threatens everyone she loves?

This was well enough written that it was a great stand-alone, even as the 7th in the series! After reading other books by the same author, it is not a surprise. 

Tracy is a detective on maternity leave since having her first daughter a few months earlier. Her husband is an attorney with the flexibility to return to her parents’ home where she grew up, so they can remodel and potentially sell, or set it up as their own second property in their hometown.

The last time Tracy was in Cedar Grove was surrounding the legal trials of the man who was convicted of murdering her sister. Now, the murder of another girl around the same time is being looked at again, since two subsequent homicides may be related.

Small town stories are always fascinating, while the characters have known each other forever, and think it means they truly understand everyone and their motivations. Of course, this is never the whole story.

The untangling of the murders, and a legal trial involving property and the success and future of the small town, made for an intricate story with engaging characters. The book earned 4 out of 5 stars, and the others in the series could be expected to be equally entertaining. The strong female characters, small town setting as essentially its own character, and family drama will make it a good read for a wide audience.

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited members!}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys compelling stories, reading as an escape vehicle, and good snack foods to enjoy simultaneously. Check out some of her other reads and family activities on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review: We Are the Match, by Mary E. Roach

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Frona is tall, willowy where Helen is curved, and if she were not standing beside Helen I would think of her as beautiful.

From the queen.

Was it this woman before us, pacing at the edge of the boat, her golden hair swept up to reveal smooth white shoulders? Does she fancy herself queen enough to vie for power against Zarek?

She is goddess of secrets and sex, and both are obvious in the tilt of her chin and set of her lips. She is beautiful, but  never in a way that could have rivaled Helen’s.

Paris of Troy had been planning to destroy the Family for a long time, as revenge for destroying the closest thing she had to family when she was younger.

Official synopsis:

Paris is a fixer for mob families on the Grecian islands when a powerful crime lord hires her to investigate a bombing. Insinuating herself into Zarek’s circle is the chance for revenge that Paris has been waiting for since she was a child. Years ago, Zarek wiped out everyone she loved. Now it’s Paris’s turn. Her target? Zarek’s beautiful daughter, Helen.

Helen wants nothing more than to abandon the violent world in which she was raised—and worse, an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. In Paris, Helen sees the perfect tool to help her escape. And in Helen, Paris sees a desperate woman who will be the perfect revenge. As the two work together to find the bomber, and their connection becomes increasingly intimate, Zarek’s empire grows more fragile and their own bonds of loyalty and purpose are tested.

When murder sends them fleeing to Troy, danger only brings Paris and Helen closer together—in love, in fury, and in the will to survive. If Zarek wants a war, Paris and Helen are ready to ignite it.

There’s a delicious electricity between Paris and Helen from the first time they meet. Initially, Paris thinks it will make it that much easier to carry out her plan, but as she and Helen get to know each other, of course things get more complicated.

While Helen’s identity is very much tied up with her crime Family, the ones closest to her that she feels she can trust are the body guard since she was born, Tommy, and her personal assistant, Erin. After Paris saves her life the night they meet, Helen brings her into the inner circle quickly, while assuring her father that she only intends to use Paris as a plaything until her arranged marriage. Anything or anyone Helen values could be used against her by a powerful and cruel man like her father.

The story moved quickly and easily earned 4 out of 5 stars. While each seemed to be evil in their own way, the characters had unique motivations and justifications for their often unsavory actions. The book also showed the fine line between passion and violence. 

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, writing, and relaxing. Some of her other hobbies include jigsaw puzzles and LEGO. Check out what she’s working on at her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review: Six Weeks by the Sea, by Paula Byrne

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Mr. Rose carried a goldfish in a pail. It was a sultry Sunday morning, but he was wrapped in a light wool comforter. His troublesome cough had worsened, despite the sea air and the ministrations of his physician, yet the fatigue he had laboured under when he arrived in Devonshire had dissipated. He felt renewed, invigorated and full of purpose.

That morning he had written again to Mr. Hayley, recounting the secret that the Reverend Swete had imparted to him at the midweek ball, his tongue loosened by several bowls of punch: the true identity of the girl on the beach. The child’s very existence was the strongest proof of all that they had fought for and canvassed. Their beloved poet had not lived to see the fruits of his labours, but Hayley’s Life and Posthumous Writings of William Cowper Esq. would make amends and seal William’s name among the great abolitionists, helped in small part by the addition of Mr. Rose’s own reminiscences and cache of letters from dear Cowper. All in good time, he said to himself.

This imagined summer holiday gives Jane Austen the love she tells so beautifully for the world.

Official synopsis:

When Jane Austen hears the news that her family is to leave their beloved country home for the city of Bath, she faints with surprise and horror. But there is one compensation: the promise of a six-week holiday by the sea while their new lodgings are being prepared. She relishes the bracing air and beautiful surroundings, takes pleasure in sea bathing, and shares laughter with her sister Cassandra and best friend Martha Lloyd.

To her joy, brother Frank arrives, fresh from naval exploits in the war against Napoleon. His friend Captain Parker seems to be making a play for Jane’s affections, but her sharp emotional intelligence tells her that something is not quite right. Meanwhile, she assists the eccentric Reverend Swete in finding a home for his bi-racial granddaughter who has arrived from the West Indies.

Jane initially takes against another visitor to the seaside resort of Sidmouth, the lawyer Samuel Rose, but as she gets to know him, a wholly different feeling begins to blossom. . . .

This was a truly delightful novel of what Jane Austen’s six weeks while moving from her family’s country home to Bath may have been. Her parents are hoping to marry their daughters into loving relationships, hopefully while elevating their station financially.

Happiness is what matters to Jane and her sister, whose previous fiancé died. While Jane knows the solicitor looks like a better match for success, she feels more attraction initially to another man in the community. But there is more to be learned about everyone, and none of them expects their story to end by the sea.

The story was relaxing and meandering between different members of Jane’s family and her brother’s friends and contacts. The book earned 3 out of 5 stars, but would be a more compelling read for those who are already fans of Jane Austen and want to learn more about what could be imagined for the missing chapters of her life. 

{click here to purchase this book from my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys fresh air, feeling the sun on her skin, and reading books just for fun sometimes. Check out her adventures with her family on her Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review: Sycorax, by Nydia Hetherington

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

My father was of the Sun, and my mother of the Moon, I said, gulping at the air.

Dripping in sweat, I wiped my face and wrapped the muslin over my eyes, as I’d done so many times before. Then, taking a deep breath, letting agony run through me in a silent cry, I concentrated on the sound of my mother’s bells, tinkling around my angle, and stumbled on. Forwards again. Step by step. Forwards. Breathing. Living. Moving.

The crow, patient with my slow advance, flew in circles, soaring above the path it knew so well, now lost within the storm’s debris. As we reached the lane to the market, it alighted on the branch of an upturned tree, before settling gently on my shoulder. It was a powerful act of solidarity, a message I couldn’t help but understand.

We’d enter the town together.

I wasn’t alone.

Without knowing the full story of The Tempest, Sycorax’s story of life before was still fascinating.

Official synopsis:

Born of the sun and moon, shaped by fire and malady, comes a young woman whose story has never been told...

They call her Sycorax. Seer. Sage. Sorceress.

Outcast by society and all alone in the world, Sycorax must find a way to understand her true nature. But as her powers begin to grow, so too do the suspicions of the local townspeople. For knowledge can be dangerous, and a woman's knowledge is the most dangerous of all...

With a great storm brewing on the horizon, Sycorax finds herself in increasing peril - but will her powers save her, or will they spell the end for them all? Find out in this gripping and vivid narrative exploration of one of literature's most mysterious figures.

Sometimes the retelling of one imagined lifetime feels like it lasts even longer. This book was like that. Spanning from the meeting of her parents to the fate of her son, the story of the magic woman born Raven and eventually renamed by the townsfolk to Sycorax, encompassed so many more legends, lessons, and tales than there seemed room for in one life.

The voice and descriptions contributed to a beautiful story with a full range of emotions clearly shared. This book will be readily recommended to those who enjoy period fiction, stories with amazing female characters, and of course expansion on Shakespeare classics. Sycorax earned 5 out of 5 stars.

{click here to purchase this book via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a wife, and mother who does her best traveling through reading, while cozy at home. Find out more about her life and reads on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review: Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found, by Rucker Moses and Theo Gangi

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I’m sitting outside on the stoop and I can’t imagine hitting the pillow. I am wired, my heart racing like it’s got enough voltage running through it to power the county grid.

At 4:00 a.m., the street is so quiet I’d believe I’m back in the suburbs. Must be how they grow trees in Brooklyn, extra thick and gnarly and lush. The leaves swish in the breeze like they’re whispering secrets.

The one word that keeps playing in my head, from all the info my uncle just dumped on me, is sacrifice…

Because that’s what I understand now that maybe I never understood before.

Kingston didn’t think he could return to his old home with his mother and actually find his father, but forces beyond his control seem to be making him look at things a little different. 

Official synopsis:

Twelve-year-old Kingston has just moved from the suburbs back to Echo City, Brooklyn—the last place his father was seen alive. Kingston's father was King Preston, one of the world's greatest magicians. Until one trick went wrong and he disappeared. Now that Kingston is back in Echo City, he's determined to find his father.

Somehow, though, when his father disappeared, he took all of Echo City's magic with him. Now Echo City—a ghost of its past—is living up to its name. With no magic left, the magicians have packed up and left town and those who've stayed behind don't look too kindly on any who reminds them of what they once had.

When Kingston finds a magic box his father left behind as a clue, Kingston knows there's more to his father's disappearance than meets the eye. He'll have to keep it a secret—that is, until he can restore magic to Echo City. With his cousin Veronica and childhood friend Too Tall Eddie, Kingston works to solve the clues, but one wrong move and his father might not be the only one who goes missing.

At 12 years old, of course Kingston doesn’t get much of a vote in what’s going on with his life. So when his mom says they’re moving back to the city where his dad disappeared during a magic trip, but redoing the family’s old magic store to be a coffee shop, Kingston is just along for the ride. He’s a good kid, and usually does as his mom says.

But strange things happen almost right away, and Kingston is given the idea that maybe he could bring his dad back from wherever he disappeared to, and they could go back to being a happy family again. He doesn’t want to go against his mom, but magic is practically happening to him without him doing anything, so it really isn’t his fault.

The book had a plot way more intricate than expected for middle grade fantasy/fiction. The world-building was clear, which is great since it’s apparently the first in an extensive series. The story would be easily recommended to those who enjoy magical realism and fantasy that is entertaining for middle-grade or adult readers. This first book in the series earned 4 out of 5 stars.

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a mom and escape reader. She enjoys parenting and hanging out with middle grade kids, since you never know what they’ll say next. Check out some of her favorite reads and her life on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Book Review: The Athena Protocol, by Shamim Sarif

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I have a mouthful of dirt. Damp earth and pine needles. I fight to twist my way out, but my attacker has legs on either side of me and an arm on my head, and I can’t move. Feeling paralyzed sets me off into panic, but somewhere in my head, there’s a sense of the familiar. The look of the hands that are grasping mine, the scent of the person on top of me. My brain makes a connection. I stop resisting and wait, suddenly realizing who it is. Slowly, Hala releases the pressure of her arm, so I can moore my head to look at her.

“I missed you,” I say.

My face hits the dirt again. Okay, maybe there was just a hint of sarcasm in that comment.

“Let go of me,” I try, but it comes out a garbled mess with my mouth against the forest floor. But suddenly Hala’s grip softens again, and it’s almost easy for me to twist and cuff her off me entirely. I sit up.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, spitting a few times to get rid of the dirt in my mouth.

“I just landed a micro drone on that van,” she says.

While already part of a rogue justice organization, Jessie can’t resist the urge to do something against her direct orders. Those running the organization force her to pay the price, and she misses those she’s used to working with more than she expects.

Official synopsis:

Jessie Archer is a member of the Athena Protocol, an elite organization of female spies who enact vigilante justice around the world.

Athena operatives are never supposed to shoot to kill—so when Jessie can't stop herself from pulling the trigger, she gets kicked out of the organization, right before a huge mission to take down a human trafficker in Belgrade. 

Jessie needs to right her wrong and prove herself, so she starts her own investigation into the trafficking. But going rogue means she has no one to watch her back as she delves into the horrors she uncovers. Meanwhile, her former teammates have been ordered to bring her down. Jessie must face danger from all sides if she's to complete her mission—and survive.

Jessie and two other agents are the brawn of the Athena Protocol, executing the plans made by a handful of powerful women and based on exhausting research on those they’re bringing to justice. The women in charge, of course, leave nothing to chance, and expect their orders to be followed immediately and exactly. When Jessie steps out of line, the consequences are swift and strict. She’s out, even after planning their next mission which puts one of the main women in charge at risk.

They chose Jessie to join the Athena Protocol because she was determined and resourceful, so she utilizes these skills to not be left behind on their next mission. Expecting her to work relentlessly toward vigilante justice and then stop when they say so may not work out as the women in charge expect.

The story earned a high 4 out of 5 stars. This all-female crew was brilliant, talented, and strong, inside and out. There was also a small element of family drama encased in their found family. The book would be enjoyed by those who like strong female characters, justice, and intricate action plans.

{click here to purchase via my affiliate link}

Becki Bayley is a homebody who enjoys reading and building LEGO when she’s not at work. See what else she and her family are up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Fog and Fury, by Rachel Howzell Hall {ends 8/4}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Saturday morning brought with it thick fog. But as I drove north on Highway 1 – before I could even begin to list types of gems – the fog thinned, and sunshine spread like butter across the blacktop. And then I saw the blue sky and the gray ocean, and ahead of me, there was nothing but a straight road without one curve or bend.

This was not the devil’s highway.

Why couldn’t all of this highway be straight? Why was it crooked headed back to LA?

My grip loosened, and I unclenched my sphincter and rolled down the windows. I was now driving like I wasn’t on my way to court-mandated therapy.

I’d save that list of gems for a true emergency.

Sonny initially thinks life with her mother in Haven will be a relaxing change from LA. Soon enough, Haven is showing her its other side, and even destroying what she thought she’d miss from LA.

Official synopsis:
After ten years on the force, LAPD cop Sonny Rush relocates with her elderly mother to peaceful Haven, California, to join her godfather’s burgeoning PI business. What crimes could possibly happen in a town nicknamed “Mayberry by the Sea”? Sonny’s first case: find Figgy, a missing goldendoodle last seen sporting a Versace collar. At least scouting out a dognapper gives Sonny a chance to get to know her new neighbors.

Forty-eight hours in town and Figgy’s disappearance entangles Sonny in an unwelcome reunion with her ex, one of Haven’s wealthiest citizens. And when the body of a teenage boy is found along a popular hiking trail, Sonny is drawn into a web of strange beyond anything she ever saw in LA.

Then comes a local’s warning: question everything. Haven hides secrets that could destroy its idyllic facade. Or destroy Sonny first.

Oh, Sonny. Leaving the LAPD and moving to lil' Haven was supposed to be a re-start and refresh. She was ready to set up somewhere safe to live with her mom while her mother’s dementia progressed. Instead, her first intro to the community where her godfather was welcoming her to his business was clients with a definite link to the past she was trying to leave.

Before long, Sonny’s detective skills have connected a missing dog, a murdered high school boy (who wasn’t even her case!), and the whole image built on lies of what’s supposed to be a delightful and stereotypical small town. Unfortunately, there are some residents of blissful Haven who aren’t appreciating her ability to make the connections, and she and those she loves are being threatened. What’s meant to scare Sonny off the case instead strengthens her resolve to get to the bottom of things.

Fog and Fury is the first Haven Thrillers book, and introduces lots of complex characters. While the story presented within this book resolves the initial plot points, there are several loose ends to be wrapped up in subsequent books. Overall, this strong intro to the series earns 3 out of 5 stars. Sonny is an engaging and positive character with reasonable flaws, and she inspires a reader to want the best for her. Those who enjoy small town stories with a bit of police procedural and strong female characters will enjoy this book, and likely those to come in the Haven Thrillers series.

{click here to purchase on Amazon via my affiliates link - currently FREE for Kindle Unlimited users!}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, counted cross-stitch, and tending to her flowers to watch birds and butterflies through the summer. Check out some of what she sees on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Fog and Fury!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, August 4th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be contacted via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Fog and Fury, by Rachel Howzell Hall {ends 8/4}

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Book Review: The Speed of Falling Objects, by Nancy Richardson Fischer

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

I sleep fitfully, waking again and again in the dark morning hours to insects burrowing beneath my sweatshirt. The worst part is that I have to look at them in the firelight, hairy legs, twitching antennae, stingers and pincers, to make sure they’re not deadly before I brush them away. Some sting, some don’t. They’re all repulsive. When Gus leaps to his feet, shakes out his shirt, shivers in revulsion, I’m glad. He sees me watching in the flickering light, hesitates like he’s considering coming over, trying to talk. I turn my back. He can spoon with my dad since he likes him so much.

The rains start like someone flipped a light switch. Rivulets find their way through the piled palm fronds. Each time I shift, another drips on me. It’s like water torture. Sometime before dawn, the switch flips again and the rains stop. Without the steady patter of water, I can hear Cass sniffling. She’s sitting at the edge of our shelter by the fire, feeding it with branches and pages from Jupiter’s book to keep it going. I’m furious at her. Beyond furious. I crawl over. “What’s up?”

Danny Warren would do anything to be closer to the father who left her life after an accident left her with only one eye. She’s watched every episode of his adventure show, and is sure his invite to star with a teen movie idol will be the ticket to the relationships her mother kept her from having with her father.

Official synopsis:

Danger “Danny” Danielle Warren is no stranger to falling. After losing an eye in a childhood accident, she had to relearn her perception of movement and space. Now Danny keeps her head down, studies hard, and works to fulfill everyone else’s needs. She's certain that her mom’s bitterness and her TV star father’s absence are her fault. If only she were more—more athletic, charismatic, attractive—life would be perfect.

When her dad calls with an offer to join him to film the next episode of his popular survivalist show, Danny jumps at the chance to prove she’s not the disappointment he left behind. Being on set with the hottest teen movie idol of the moment, Gus Price, should be the cherry on top. But when their small plane crashes in the Amazon, and a terrible secret is revealed, Danny must face the truth about the parent she worships and falling for Gus, and find her own inner strength and worth to light the way home.

A life-or-death adventure really brings out the best—and worst—in people. The beginning of the story was full of foreshadowing about nothing going quite the way Danny and her dad expected them to go. While Danny’s obsession with her dad’s show was certainly never healthy, when wildlife survival skills were needed, all the knowledge she had gleaned from just trying to get to know her dad saved her life, and others.

The characters who continued through the story showed dramatic evolution between their public personas, or who they even planned to be, and who they really were, when their lives boiled down to only survival.

Overall, the story and setting were fascinating, and the book earned 5 out of 5 stars. Those who enjoy books with engaging and varied characters, action/adventure stories, and rainforest or wildlife survival stories will love this one.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys nature from the safety of her porch, with pretty birds, butterflies, and even snakes, but no biting or stinging creepy-crawlies. Check out the delightful view from her porch on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Into the Leopard's Den, by Harini Nagendra {ends 7/14}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Kaveri gave Ramu a watery smile, gripping his hand. ‘Last week, on her sixtieth birthday, Uma aunty told me that she feels like her life has restarted all over again.’

‘Of course it has,’ Ramu agreed. ‘Her son and daughter-in-law constantly tell her that she is old and should sit at home. But ever since she became part of the Bangalore Detectives Club, a whole new world has opened up.’

‘I hope she is careful tomorrow,’ Kaveri fretted. ‘If we are right, then the killer is a very intelligent and careful person. Someone who plans well ahead and doesn’t like to make mistakes.’

Ramu nodded. ‘It was only by accident that Venu found Kupamma so soon after she was stabbed. The murderer must have expected that the death would be discovered only later the next morning, when Hiramma arrived with her daily tiffin. Perhaps he even planned to pin the murder on defenceless Hiramma.’

‘Not defenceless anymore,’ Kaveri reminded him. ‘Now she has us to uncover the truth.’

Kaveri Murthy’s reputation as a good detective has spread, and people continue asking for her help to solve cases involving their loved ones, even while she is pregnant with her first child. Luckily she has the unwavering support of her husband, doctor Ramu.

Official synopsis:

Bangalore, 1922: Pregnant and confined to the house by her protective mother-in-law, Kaveri Murthy has resolved to take a break from detection. But when an elderly woman is murdered at night and dies clutching a photograph of Kaveri while asking for her help—how can she refuse? Missing the assistance of her husband Ramu, who is working in Coorg, Kaveri investigates her new case with her able assistants, milk boy Venu and housemaid Anandi. They find a trail of secrets that lead them to suspect the killer may be in Coorg.

Eager to be reunited with her husband, Kaveri sets off to Coorg to investigate. When she arrives, she encounters a thorny thicket of cases. Why does a ghost leopard prowl the forests at night, terrorizing the plantation workers? And who is trying to kill Colonel Boyd, the Coffee King of Coorg? She finds suspects in every coffee bush and estate—from Boyd’s surly plantation manager and security guard to the feuding brothers who own the neighboring plantation—and the many women the Coffee King has pursued and abandoned.

When two vulnerable children appeal for her help, Kaveri is drawn deeper into the case, becoming emotionally involved in finding the killer. Soon, one murder turns into two—and then a few days later into three. Now the killer has tasted blood and needs to be stopped. Racing against time, Kaveri must take on her most complex challenge so far, with the assistance of Anandi and Venu in Bangalore, and with Ramu and Inspector Ismail in Coorg. In this stunning new novel by an acclaimed master of the form, the Bangalore Detectives Club must find and expose a brutally intelligent killer before they strike again.

In this, the fourth book in the Bangalore Detectives Club series, Kaveri again is asked for help with  multiple cases with some similarities. Is there a link between the ghost leopard, the murder of an old Bangalore woman, and the attempts on a plantation owner’s life in Coorg? When so many random occurrences seem to overlap, it seems inevitable that solving one will lead to solving the rest.

The clues in this story lead Kaveri to travel by car and driver to Coorg from her home in Bangalore. She leaves a few members of their detective club working the clues in Bangalore and joins her husband who is in Coorg at a clinic helping local plantation workers. She’s certain the death of an old woman in Bangalore is related to a rumored trip to Coorg not long ago, so Ramu already being there is quite convenient for her to disguise her motives for traveling while pregnant.

Kaveri, Ramu, and their cast of friends and family are such likable characters. This book also wrapped up with some of the recipes Kaveri enjoys while visiting Coorg. The book earned 4 out of 5 stars. Publication information states this is the final book in the series. This story and the earlier three in the series would be enjoyed by those who like strong female characters, historical fiction depicting 1920s Bangalore, and warm family and found-family relationships.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a Gen X mother who likes reading by her flowers, and taking breaks to watch the birds and butterflies and to refresh her drink. See what else she’s been up to on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of Into the Leopard's Den!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Monday, July 14th, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email the next day and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

Into the Leopard's Den, by Harini Nagendra

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Book Review: Knife River, by Justine Champine

Review by: Becki Bayley

Later that night as I tried to fall asleep, I remembered a woman, a self-described psychic, who called us at the house years ago. It was just weeks after our mother disappeared, and we were still sleeping with the phone then, the receiver resting between both our heads on the floor in our mess of quilts. Liz answered on the first ring. It was after one in the morning. My sister put the call on speakerphone just as the woman began to say that our mother’s body was in water. She couldn’t say exactly where, but described a lake with a faded red boat house and two Adirondack chairs at the end of a dock. Liz grabbed her notepad and began to furiously jot it all down, tearing the pages off as she filled them and letting each one fall to the side. I remember the chill that came over me then, lying there in the dark still dressed in my day clothes, eyes crusted over with sleep, listening to the sound of this strange woman’s voice fill our living room.

The lives of Liz and Jess are forever changed when their mother, Natalie, doesn’t return home one night. The police never charge anyone with a crime, and can’t even find Natalie’s body. When her bones are discovered fifteen years later, Jess moves back home to hopefully find closure with her sister.

Official synopsis:

When Jess was thirteen, her mother went for a walk and never returned. Jess and her older sister, Liz, never found out what happened. Instead, they did what they hoped their mother had done: survive. As soon as she was old enough, Jess fled their small town of Knife River, wandering from girlfriend to girlfriend like a ghost in her own life, aimless in her attempts to outrun grief and confusion. But one morning, fifteen years after their mother’s disappearance, she gets the call she’s been bracing for: Her mother’s remains have been found.

Jess returns to find Knife River—and her sister—frozen in time. The town is as claustrophobic and rundown as ever. Liz still lives in their childhood home and has become obsessed with unsolved missing persons cases. Jess plans to stay only until they get some answers, but their mother’s bones, exposed to the elements for so long, just leave them with more questions. As Jess gets caught up in the case and falls back into an entanglement with her high school girlfriend, her understanding of the past, of Liz, of their mother, and of herself become more complicated—and the list of theories more ominous.

Knife River is a tense, intimate, and heartrending portrayal of how deeply and imperfectly women love one another: in romantic relationships, in friendships, and especially as sisters.

Jess was a unique character to narrate this story. She was only 13 when her mother disappeared, so her high school years were spent with her sister raising her, and the constant suspense of hoping their mother would return while knowing she was probably already dead. Liz sacrificed her dream of college to stay in their small town and see her sister to adulthood. They were different girls with not much in common when their mother disappeared, and suddenly having to navigate life without their mother did not make them closer.

When some children playing discover human bones and the authorities contact the sisters, Jess leaves her suburban life with her girlfriend to return to the small town where she never felt like she belonged. Liz still lived in the same house, so she would be there if their mother was ever able to return. The sisters anxiously anticipated finally getting some answers.

The book earned 5 out of 5 stars. The story was complicated, but well told and resolved by the end. This could be recommended for those who like family dramas and small towns as a setting.

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a Gemini who enjoys reading in her flower garden with a refreshing drink when she’s not on-the-go having adventures with her kids. See what they’re up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: The Ashtrays are Full and the Glasses are Empty, by Kirsten Mickelwait {ends 6/22}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

On our last day we prowled the shops, and I bought a small guitar for Baoth, an embroidered shawl for Honoria, and a toy bull for Patrick. After dinner, there was a fireworks display, and the locals gathered at city hall to sing “Pobre de Mi” by candlelight as all the men formally removed their red kerchiefs until the following year. The crowd formed circles to dance the traditional sardana and we followed along as best we could. 

Suddenly, the little brass band broke into the “Savoy Hop” and the crowd began chanting “Dansa Charleston! Dansa Charleston!” Gerald and I were confused until we saw the look on Ernest’s face: knowing we’d learned this newest dance craze, he’d tipped off the band. Gerald took my hand and let me to the center of the crowd, where we giddily swung our arms and kicked our feet in time to the beat. I caught his eye and we both grinned. After a week of trying so hard to fit into Ernest’s world, it felt good to be ourselves. 

Sara and Gerald Murphy led unique lives through such interesting times—international homes and travel, two world wars, evolving art and culture, a depression—and the author presented Sara’s imagined voice to narrate it all.

Official synopsis:

Raised in New York's Gilded Age, pampered heiress Sara Wiborg dreams of a more creative life than the rigid future prescribed for her. It's only when she meets Gerald Murphy that she finds a man who shares her creative, aesthetic ideal and, after a friendship of eleven years, they marry despite the strong disapproval of her family.

Against the sizzling Jazz Age backdrop of 1920s Paris and Antibes, Sara's innate style and gift for friendship attract the bohemian elite of the new century-including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Picasso, and Dorothy Parker. But by the 1930s, her fortune is lost and tragedy strikes-not once, but twice. Sara's strength and resilience allow her to find a new equilibrium over time, long after the parties have ended. A heartbreaking story of love and loss, The Ashtrays Are Full and the Glasses Are Empty follows Sara through her very modern life to reveal how tragedy can be healed by faith, unconditional love, and a creative mind. 

Sara Wilborg married a bit later in life than was usual in the early 1900s. She waited until she found someone she truly wanted to spend the rest of her life with, and by all appearances, her marriage with Gerald Murphy was worth the wait. The retelling of their privileged and entertaining life shared the good and the bad, along with Sara’s potential emotional reflections on it all.

Living their lives with her family’s money and opportunities, the Murphys were close friends with well known artists like the Picassos, the Hemingways, the MacLeishes, and the Fitzgeralds. While it sounds like lots of fun and glitter, Sara’s perspective also included the darker parts of even the happy parts of their life. 

No life is without tragedy, and the Murphys had more than their share. The author’s ideas of Sara’s possible reflections on the losses in their lives and possible lessons to learn were especially touching. Who hasn’t wondered if a different choice on something seemingly unrelated could have led to a different outcome?

The book ran the full range of emotions - the Murphys had documented experiences of joy, fun, and unquestionably happy events, as well as losses no one ever wants to bear. Overall, the story earned 4 out of 5 stars. While it was fiction, it could be recommended to those who like stories from the early 1900s (though it spanned into the 1970s), memoirs, and womens’ stories. 

{click here to purchase via my Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife, mother, and stereotypical Gen-Xer. Read more of her reviews and other life adventures on her blog, SweetlyBSquared.com.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a copy of The Ashtrays are Full and the Glasses are Empty!

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Sunday, June 22nd, at 11:59pm ET, and winner will be notified the next day via email, and must respond within 24 hours, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

U.S. residents only, please.

Good luck!

The Ashtrays are Full and the Glasses are Empty, by Kirsten Mickelwait

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Book Review: The Woke and the Dead, by Mark S. Bacon

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

Suspicion, distrust, and curiosity tugged Lyle in different directions. He stood at the desert gun range and plucked his wrist rubber band. He had soaked up everything he saw, heard, and smelled during the rapid fire and later. Visions of the child behind the machine gun made him want to smack the father or just hop in his Mustang and put the entire group in the rearview; still he wanted to know more.

Many of the shooters headed to their trucks; a few remained. Lyle pulled out his phone, hoping to take quick, unnoticed photos of the few guys left.

Crack!

One gunshot and a cry of pain grabbed the stragglers’ attention. Lyle spun around and saw a man drop his semi-auto and fall to the ground clutching his leg. Lyle dashed to the middle-aged man and knelt over him. The idiot shot himself.

Lyle Deming and his girlfriend Kate Sorensen are determined to solve the hate crimes at Nostalgia City, especially while the governor is determined to claim they’re random acts of violence instead of targeted murders.

Official synopsis:

A public war between a governor and a theme park lights the fuse on an explosive story of hate, death, corruption, bigotry, and espionage. This Nostalgia City mystery is a stand-alone political thriller.

Lyle Deming finds a body in Nostalgia City's parking lot during an LGBTQ event. The ex-cop turned theme-park cab driver takes a breath and steps away from the bullet-punctured corpse. Was this a hate crime?

Arizona governor Rod Gudgel, running for reelection, calls it a random shooting. He mocks Nostalgia City theme park for its inclusiveness using homophobic and racial slurs.

Kate Sorensen, the park's blonde, 6' 2½" PR director, calls out Gudgel's insensitivity and prejudice. The governor retaliates saying the park's rides are unsafe, then threatening the park's permits.

When Nostalgia City employees demonstrating at a Gudgel campaign office are killed and injured, Kate joins Lyle in a mad scramble to find the killers and shut up or shut down the governor. Lyle hits blind alleys, then he runs afoul of an armed hate group.

At the same time, Kate digs into the governor's long history of malfeasance, enraging Gudgel allies and attracting the menace of state guardsmen. The governor seems to have armed supporters everywhere.

With Lyle's wry humor and Kate's unflappability, the story moves quickly as puzzles and subplots multiply and loop together threatening the park, their relationship, and their lives.

Multiple plot lines make this book quickly engaging. There’s a murder, then a mass shooting, then obvious corruption. A reader is left wondering if it’s all connected, or just a really bad week. A connection with it all, short of just the targeted community, would mean less bad guys.

Lyle, the former police detective (turned cab driver) also fears whether his daughter could be too closely connected with the first target. He wants to continue doing his job, but preferably without having to worry about his family’s safety at the same time.

While this is the fifth book in the Nostalgia City Mysteries, it read all right as a stand alone. More may have been gained from previous engagement with the characters, but the book earned 3 out of 5 stars on its own. It would be recommended for those who enjoyed previous books in the series, and readers who enjoy LGBTQ characters and storylines.

{click here to purchase via Amazon Affiliates link}

Becki Bayley is a wife and mother who enjoys reading, counted-cross-stitch, and doing LEGO. Check out more of what her family is up to on Instagram, where she posts as SweetlyBSquared.

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Book Review and GIVEAWAY: Dear Future Me, by Deborah O'Connor {ends 6/12}

Guest review by: Becki Bayley

MIRANDA

Saltburn, 2023: The morning of…

The day starts with an argument. Whispers that snip at the dawn air. It’s been like this for weeks, a horrible back and forth that feels like we are throwing the same rock at each other, over and over again.

After last night, though, our words have a new intensity, an urgency, like everything is about to come to a head.

In 2023, a class receives letters they wrote to themselves 20 years earlier. Some of the people are where they expected to be, in the life they had planned or expected. One person leaves her home only to die off the sea cliffs nearby, and her best friend wants to untangle what may have happened 20 years before to lead to this unexpected tragedy.

Official synopsis:

In 2003, Mr. Danler's high school class got an assignment to write letters to their future selves. Twenty years later, they receive them in the mail.

Upon opening them, the students are shocked to find that their envelopes contain old secrets that threaten to expose the truth about the tragic death of one of their classmates. And when one letter makes the beautiful and successful Miranda jump off a cliff to her death, the small community is rocked to its core.

Stunned by what has happened and armed with a clue of her own, Miranda's best-friend Audrey decides to track down her old classmates to get to the bottom of Miranda's death. And in doing so, she sets off a chain of events that could expose the truth not just about one untimely death, but two.

Time is moving fast when the classmates originally write letters to their future selves. They start the letters, go on an overnight class trip where one of them dies, and then finish the letters after they return from the trip. Audrey misses out on the trip and some other school when she’s unexpectedly sick. Now that her best friend has died, probably after reading what was written in her letter, she’s determined to find what happened on that trip to cause not only the death of a classmate back then, but creating a lingering conflict to cause Miranda’s death when the letters are delivered.

Entanglements, young love, divorce, affairs—how much of it is part of life, and could some of it have precipitated a murder? Audrey has usually kept to herself and raising her brother, but now she’s on a mission to discover which of her former classmates is hiding something that could have led to her best friend’s death.

While the ending of the book gave it an extra star to bring it to 4 out of 5, the middle got somewhat confusing with multiple character dramas and potential plot lines. The story was told from multiple viewpoints to tell of Audrey’s investigation compared to flashbacks in the content of other student’s letters and memories of the fateful school trip. This entangling mystery could be recommended for those who like school stories, murder mysteries, and complicated relationships.

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Becki Bayley loves reading, writing, and having fun with her family and friends. Check out her blog at SweetlyBSquared.com.

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Dear Future Me, by Deborah O'Connor

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