ARC Review: Word to the Wise by Jenn McKinlay

Title: Word to the Wise
Series: Library Lover's Mystery #10
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Cozy Mystery
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; September 3, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

It's no-holds-barred murder, in the latest page-turning Library Lover's Mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Hitting the Books. 

Lindsey Norris is finally getting married to the man of her dreams--but it's not all roses for Briar Creek's beloved library director, as gardening enthusiast and town newcomer Aaron Grady gives the term "book lover" a whole new meaning. Inappropriate looks and unwelcome late-night visits to Lindsey's house have everyone from the crafternooners to Lindsey's fiancé, Sully, on edge. When Grady's dead body is found staged outside the library and all the clues point to Sully, Lindsey knows it's up to her to dig through the hidden chapters of Grady's previous life to find the real culprit and clear Sully's name. But becoming a thorn in the killer's side is not without its consequences, and the closer Lindsey gets to the truth, the more determined the murderer is to make her just a footnote....

I’ve been looking forward to Jenn McKinlay’s follow-up to Hitting the Books since I read it last year. In Word to the Wise, some of the themes—like harassment and climate change—leaned toward the more timely side. McKinlay nailed the unusual weather patterns, enabling actions of others, the emotional toll, and the disconcerting characterization of characters like Aaron Grady. Because of that, there was an eerie—and sometimes exasperating—feel to the whole story. The mystery was anything but straight forward, and the twists were especially twisty in this one. As such, Word to the Wise was a page-turner. It also turned out to be one of my favorite installments in the Library Lover’s Mystery series.

At first, everything seemed great for Lindsey Norris. She had her job at the library. She was getting married to Sully. And I was happy about the development, because it meant that the romantic subplots of previous books were finally beginning to pay off for the characters. Plus, the stages of wedding preparation were fun, okay. However, once the mystery of who killed Aaron Grady began, some of that happiness evaporated. I liked the mystery here, because the suspects had sufficient motive to want Grady gone. He was a creep who used his reputation as an upstanding citizen as an excuse, a cover, to get away with harassment and stalker behavior. But, just like there was more to Grady, the mystery was also a complex issue. Nothing was as it seemed, and the twists kept coming.

The characters were as great as always. In particular, I liked the library staff who worked for Lindsey, as well as many of the other reoccurring characters. I liked the setting as well. Briar Creek is a small, idyllic coastal town: if you’re familiar with this series, then you know what it’s like, and there isn’t much more to say about it.

Overall, Word to the Wise was an excellent addition to the series. If you’ve read any of the previous books, then this one should be on your TBR List.

About the author...

Jenn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series and will be debuting a new women's fiction series in June 2017, starting with the title About a Dog. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets and her husband's guitars.

Website     Goodreads    Twitter     Instagram

Disclaimer: This copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (89): Jidenna

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I’m currently listening to Jidenna’s new album, 85 to Africa. One of my favorite songs is Jungle Fever.

What are you listening to this week?

The Friday 56 (159) & Book Beginnings: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Under the streets of London there's a place most people could never even dream of. A city of monsters and saints, murderers and angels, knights in armour and pale girls in black velvet. This is the city of the people who have fallen between the cracks. Richard Mayhew, a young businessman, is going to find out more than enough about this other London. A single act of kindness catapults him out of his workday existence and into a world that is at once eerily familiar and utterly bizarre. And a strange destiny awaits him down here, beneath his native city: Neverwhere....

Beginning: "The night before he went to London, Richard Mayhew was not enjoying himself."

56: ""A spy from the Upworld," said the Lord Rat-speaker."

Comments: Neverwhere is one of those books I've been meaning to read for a very long time. Recently, I finally got around to checking it out from the library, and I loved the story. What are you reading this week?

ARC Review: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Title: Well Met
Series: n/a
Author: Jen DeLuca 
Source/Format: First to Read; eARC
More Details: Contemporary; romance
Publisher/Publication Date: Berkley; September 3, 2019

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jen DeLuca. 

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him? The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying? This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek....

I was here for the renaissance fair and stayed for the characters and romance. However, there was a lot more to like about Well Met than that. Everything from the writing, characters, story, and of course the romantic elements were done so well. At times, there were even hints of a will-they-won’t they kind of situation. So, I have to say, Well Met by Jen DeLuca is probably one of the most interesting, fun, and charming romance novels I’ve read in a while.

Well Met was a quick read, and the story was pretty straight forward. It was easy to get into and also the kind of book that kept me turning the pages, because I was so invested that I needed to know what happened next.

I liked the main character, Emily, especially after she was roped into volunteering at the annual renaissance faire in Willow Creek. I liked Emily’s emotional journey from beginning to end. She had issues to work through, and I liked the progress she made. Toward the beginning of the novel she was stuck in her past. While she was a good aunt and sister, she had a tendency to willingly put others before and above herself. So, I knew she would have to work on that before she could open up to anyone else, value herself, and move on with her life. I also liked Emily’s family—her older sister, April, and her niece Caitlin. I loved the bond between the three of them, especially Emily and Caitlin. She was very much the cool aunt kind of character, and I thought it was great that she was willing to do the faire so Caitlin wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity. There was a whole host of other side characters—including Simon—and they were as interesting as Emily. I liked the bits of backstory and glimpses of their usual lives outside of the faire.

I also liked the romantic relationship. Since the novel takes place toward the end of the school year and over a summer, I liked how gradual the relationship felt as it developed. The banter was a whole lot of fun since the characters often did so while using their faire personas. Speaking of which, one aspect that stood out was the renaissance faire. That’s a good thing, because it was such a large part of the story. The renaissance faire worked very well as a setting for the romance to take place. It was such a unique thing to do, and I enjoyed reading about how the faire came together: the auditions, rehearsals, costumes, and even during the summer when the event was going on.

Overall, Well Met was great. If you’re a fan of romance novels with a unique spin, then I would recommend giving this book a try. As for me, I’ll be over here waiting for Jen DeLuca’s next novel.   

About the author....

Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Central Florida with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets. She loves latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma. Well Met is her first novel, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire.

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Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by First to Read for this review, thank you!

Music Monday (88): Post Malone & Swae Lee

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: Last week, I finally got around to watching Spiderman: Into the Spider-Verse. It’s such a great movie. I loved the story and how urban and colorful the setting was (it’s now one of my all-time favorite animated movies, so there’s that). Also, the soundtrack for it was just as amazing as the rest of the movie. One of my favorite songs from the album is Sunflower by Post Malone and Swae Lee.

What's one of your favorite movie soundtracks or scores?