Cookies and Chance Series

(Copies provided by the ever-gracious Catherine Brun herself.) 

TASTES LIKE MURDER

Sally Muccio’s had her crosses to bear: a cheating ex-boyfriend, crazy Italian parents, and an unfaithful husband, just to name a few. After her divorce, she returns to her hometown to start a novelty cookie shop whose specialties include original fortune cookies, served with a sprinkle of foreshadowing. But there’s no warning when her ex-husband’s mistress drops dead on Sal's porch, and police confirm it’s a homicide. Determined to stop her life from becoming a recipe for disaster, Sal takes matters into her own hands. With two very different men vying for her affection, dead bodies piling up, and a reputation hanging by an apron string, Sal finds herself in a race against time to save both her business and life—before the last cookie crumbles.

BAKED TO DEATH

Baker turned reluctant amateur sleuth, Sally Muccio, has finally found the happiness that’s eluded her for years. She’s in love with a great guy, her bakery is thriving, and now she and her best friend Josie Sullivan are gearing up to appear on the popular reality baking show, Cookie Crusades. But a visit from Sal’s greedy ex-husband Colin, who's looking to cash in on the bakery’s dough, changes everything. Within a few hours Sal’s world—like the shop’s original fortune cookies—is broken apart when Colin turns up dead, and her boyfriend’s arrested for the crime. Now Sal’s mixing it up with vengeful former in-laws, a suspicious new employee, slippery baking competitors, and a greasy mobster who’ll stop at nothing to collect on Colin’s unpaid debt. Can Sal prove her man is innocent in time? Or is she about to get baked herself?


Gotta say, Catherine Bruns can turn out a pleasant read. These cozies are unassuming and hit their paces right on target. I spent most of a day reading these books, happily curled up in my wingback chair, drawn in by Catherine's writing. Sally is a modest character--she is not a take-charge vigilante, but quietly determined to make things right. It drove me nuts when she would cave to everyone's demands--I could easily see why she stayed with her awful ex-husband as long as she did--but things seemed to work out for her anyway, and in a believable fashion. So it made sense when her sweet personality drew people in, especially the men who wanted to protect her and keep her safe. I also love the balance her gentleness brought to her friendship with the fiery Josie. But the real mystery is the fortunes in the fortune cookies--they seem to have a predictive magic all their own and the speculative-fiction lover in me wants to know where it comes from!

Anyway, the next time you're looking for a quick read with great writing and a perfectly structured plot, give Cookies and Chance a try. You won't be sorry.


Gentle Reader Alert:There are some swears in the books, but nothing beyond a PG-13 level.

Overthrowing the Dystopian Formula

Once upon a time, back when triceratops stomped small ponds into the ground as they walked across the earth, I was a teenager. My mother made sure that we went to the library every week (it's possible the dinosaurs were imaginary--I remember riding in the back of our enormously long Chevy Caprice, which ran on liquidized dinosaur fossils) and I often scoured the small science fiction and fantasy section, looking for something I hadn't already read that would catch my interest. I made the mistake of picking up an Octavia Butler once--not that Butler isn't a fantastic writer, but her vision of a dystopian future gave me nightmares for days.

So, a few years later (a decade), I reluctantly picked up The Hunger Games on the recommendation of a very well-read friend. It did not disappoint, but I didn't really enjoy it, either. Let's face it--dystopian fiction can be bleak and humorless. In the years since, we've had Uglies, The Selection, Matched, True Calling, and more that I can't remember off the top of my head. But they meet a certain formula--the original government has been overthrown or destroyed, usually through a cataclysmic event or war or act of terror, and the replacement government controls every aspect of life for the greater good (Hello to the reasons my politics are conservative/moderate--I'm all about the less government model. Anyway...). The gap between the rich and the poor is vast and unbalanced, and another revolution is coming, in which our intrepid heroine rises through the ranks to change the minds of the leaders through her unwillingness to bow to the status quo. Also, there is a love interest.

Formulaic. It works, obviously, since people have been buying and reading and talking about these books for years, but still. It's algebra--plug the right things into the right part of the equation and presto! You have a dystopian novel.

But what about The Giver, you say? Male protagonist! A breath of fresh air! Brilliant writing! Complex without being overly weighty! Yes, The Giver is all of that, but I am so disenchanted with the bleakness that is dystopian fiction that I haven't got the energy to give the rest of the series a try. Ender's Game? Oh wait, another male protag. Apparently the formula gets more flexible if the lead is male. Interesting, right? It works, but Ender's Game strays into science fiction the further you go, running away from dystopia into something new.

I have found a small niche of dystopian fiction that I've somewhat enjoyed, and I'm waiting for the writing to get better. I read The Misfits, a dystopian work that was set so far into the future that the echoes of the catastrophe were barely felt, but the remaining inhabitants were just beginning to make forays into creating a brand new world WITHOUT the suffocating government. And I just finished The Scourge over the holidays. That was almost delightful, and it really was a breath of fresh air. The fact that the society is dystopian is gradually revealed over the course of the story, but the focus is on the survivors and the limits they placed on themselves. Also, there are zombies. Normally I would avoid zombies, but in here, they *worked*.

So, dear readers, if you've stuck with me this far, here's the question: Are there more dystopian works out there, ones that do NOT involve overthrowing the oppressive upstart government? If so, do you enjoy them, and why?

New Year, New Tone

Hello friends and fellow book lovers!

The holidays are over, the kids will be back in school tomorrow, and I've read a TON of books! I ended up reading a couple of dystopian novels, which made me think about the dystopian genre in general--there will be an introspective blog post on that in the near future--and a few favorites got a re-read.

Definitely looking forward to the near future, as well! I have a couple of cozy mysteries from Catherine Brun to review, as well as some NetGalley books I'm taking a chance on. Some of my favorite books from last year, including The Secret Circle, Dahlia Moss, and Shattered Blue, were sent to me from NetGalley. Cannot say enough nice things about the folks NetGalley brings together. What a great service, especially for voracious and opinionated readers like me!

Also, I had time to think over the break, and I realized a couple of things. First of all, I love blogging, but it's really hard to blog in a vacuum. Secondly, I write my best blogs about books and topics I'm passionate about. I've spent the past four months reviewing like mad, doing my best to get this blog off the ground, but now I want to take things in a new direction. There will still be reviews, but I'd love to do some discussions as well, something that will really make the comments thread explode. So, less reviews, more discussion. Shall we?

On that note, dear reader, how were your holidays? Did you get to read something good? If so, what was it?

HOLIDAYS!

Hey friends and fellow readers!

The holidays are upon us and I've given myself permission to take a break from reviewing until the new year. I swear, I give myself the best gifts! :D Anyway, look for new reviews to come in January--just because I'm not reviewing doesn't mean that I'll stop reading. READING IS LIFE!

Thanks for sticking around and see you in the new year!

My Wicked Half-Sister

(ARC provided by the author for a fair and honest review. Click on the picture below to pre-order.)



From Goodreads:

“Chloe didn’t set out to be famous, but her marriage to Hollywood A-lister, Jason Vanderholt, made her a celebrity by association. Jealous and nosy fans heckle her in public and the tabloids portray her as cold, arrogant, and unworthy of her husband. As bad as that is, it’s about to get a whole lot worse.

Her brother, Chris, is being paroled from prison, where he has been serving time for shooting and nearly killing Chloe when she was a child. This is not a situation that she wants splashed all over the headlines, especially because this could incite her brother to try to finish the job.

When Chloe gets word of a string of crimes that might be tied to her brother, she finds she has yet another enemy: their father, Dr. Winters. He refuses to cooperate with Chloe’s security team and even gives the police a hard time when they try to investigate.

The one ally Chloe has in her own family is her half-sister, Beth, a public prosecutor intent on bringing Chris to justice. Her approach is so aggressive that everyone from Chloe’s security specialist to the police detective insists that she is doing more harm than good. Beth assures Chloe that her way is the only way that will work, which leaves Chloe to decide whether to trust the experts, or the sister she barely knows. The wrong choice puts her very life in danger.”


~~~~~
You know what the best thing is about being a reviewer, even one who's only been operating for a few months? ARCs (advance reader copies) of books that I am totally excited about from my favorite authors!

Take, for example, E.M. Tippets. I stumbled onto the Someone Else's Fairytale series after having read Paint Me True (click here for the Amazon link), a stand-alone LDS romance. Paint Me True is fantastic--compelling but slow-burning plot, an entirely different take on romance, and the character development is AMAZING. I love it and I've read it several times in the last year. So I nosed around Amazon to see what else Ms. Tippets had to offer. Someone Else's Fairytale is free (true story--click the link and see!), and free is ALWAYS a price that fits into my budget. The problem is that Ms. Tippets writes really, really well, and I'm addicted to good writing, so I ended up buying all the rest of her books. Bye bye book budget!

SO. Someone Else's Fairytale--the book and the series--are fantastic. Naturally, that would lead me to sign up to be on Ms. Tippetts mailing list and then she went and offered ARCs of My Wicked Half-Sister and I got one and I was impossible to live with for a couple of hours because I would giggle and clap with glee every time I thought about it. Yes, I'm a mature adult--a mom to four kids, even. Giggling is still not off my radar, though. Sometimes I'm an excitable human being.

ANYWAY.

My Wicked Half-Sister continues the story of Chloe and Jason. (IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED, GO GET SOMEONE ELSE'S FAIRYTALE AND READ THAT FIRST.) I was expecting more of a mystery, but instead the book focuses a lot on Chloe's relationships. Since these complicated relationships define her life, whether she wants them to or not, it makes sense to spend some time on them.

Chloe herself has a dispassionate voice, which can almost come across as mechanical, but it makes sense to me, since she's the survivor of severe childhood trauma. Emotional disconnect is a survival mechanism. And since she's so dispassionate and often confused about what she's actually feeling, I enjoyed seeing her think through her relationship with her mother and do some reaching out and forgiving of her own. Chloe and Jason also work hard on trying to find balance between their home life and his celebrity life, which is only just touched on, but is vitally important to the story. But what I really liked was seeing Chloe get closer to her half-sister, Beth, and the lengths Beth would go to to protect Chloe. The true sibling affection that grew between them through the story was enjoyable to read. I always like it when families go to bat for each other.

Sometimes the story got a little dialogue-heavy and I lost track of who was speaking. And occasionally I didn't feel like I was inside some of the characters' heads enough to understand their motives. But as the story is written from Chloe's perspective and she has trouble getting inside people's heads, it makes sense. Really, Ms. Tippetts is a brilliant writer and I love her books. GO READ THEM. SHARE IN THE JOY.

Gentle Reader Alert: I found nothing of concern.

Tabitha

(Copy submitted to The Kindle Book Review.)



From Goodreads:

“From the author of the groundbreaking series, A Prairie Heritage, comes the compelling story of fiery-haired, fiery-tempered Tabitha Hale. Rescued from a life of depravity, Tabitha gives her heart to God and her life to nursing.

As this tenacious, redeemed woman perseveres toward the vocation God has placed on her life, her temper and stubborn independence threaten to derail her selfless aspirations. Will Tabitha pass the trial by fire that is necessary for God to truly use her?

And what is Tabitha to do with her feelings for Mason Carpenter, the man who simply refuses to give up on her? Is it even possible for God to ordain a shared future for two such different people, both with fervent callings upon their hearts?

When the Great War erupts in Europe, Carpenter leaves for England to train British pilots to fly reconnaissance missions over Belgium and France. Soon after, Tabitha hears God asking her to nurse the war wounded. However, because America has not joined in the fight, Tabitha has few options. Will the elite British Nursing Service make a place for her? Will they accept the services of an American volunteer? And will Tabitha and Mason overcome the differences that stand between them?

Revisit Palmer House—a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution. Renew your acquaintance with Rose Thoresen, Joy Michaels, and the others who live at Palmer House. Glimpse the years between Stolen and Lost Are Found.”


~~~~~
Tabitha is definitely a Christian work first and foremost--there is a lot of ministry in its pages. Some readers may find it refreshing or it may cause them to ask questions about the Christian faith--all good results. On the other hand, this believer who is solid in her faith found the story compelling enough that I just wanted to get to the plot to find out what happened next!

Tabitha's voice is strong, and she tells the story of her early years and her training to be a nurse with the viewpoint of someone who realizes she's made many mistakes and is doing her best to overcome her personality flaws. I like that kind of character refinement--when someone takes their own rough edges and starts smoothing them--and I was happy to watch it unfold in Tabitha's case, to her credit. It sounds like she wasn't very likeable in the first books of the series.

The romance wasn't sweep-you-off-your-feet, but it was a solid connection between two people who were doing their best to follow God's plan for them in difficult times. Mason felt a bit bland at times, but that may have been to due to the extraordinary amount of info dumping he did on planes while out with Tabitha. Good thing she was a fan! The ending was predictable but satisfying. Truly, Tabitha is a sweet story.

Gentle Reader Alert: I found nothing of concern.

Stealthy Steps

From Goodreads:

“My name is Gemma Keyes. Other than my name, I am utterly forgettable--so those who never paid much attention to me in the first place haven't exactly noticed that I've disappeared. Vanished. Oh, it's much more complicated than it sounds. And let me tell you, invisibility comes with its own set of problems.

I should tell you about Dr. Samuel Bickel, world-renowned nanophysicist. We used to work together, but I'll be candid with you: He's supposed to be dead. Well, he's not. (Imagine my surprise.) Instead of the proverbial "six feet under," he's subsisting in an abandoned devolution cavern beneath the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base here in Albuquerque.

"I need to show you what I'm protecting here, Gemma," he insisted.

I stared into the clear glass case. I could hear . . . humming, clicking, buzzing. A faint haze inside the box shifted. Dissolved. Came back together. It reminded me of how mercury, when released on a plate, will flow and form new shapes. Only this, this thing was flowing and forming in midair.

"Do you see them?" Dr. Bickel asked.

"Them?" I was confused. My mouth opened to a stunned "o" as the silver haze resolved into blue letters.

H E L L O

Dr. Bickel hadn't pressed any buttons. Hadn't said anything to them. Hadn't gestured.

He grinned. "Ah. They've noticed you. They know they haven't seen you before."

"Well, I wish they wouldn't notice me!"


And I need to warn you about General Cushing. The rank and name likely conjure images of a lean but muscled old soldier, posture rigid, face cemented in unyielding lines, iron-gray hair cut high and tight.

Let me disabuse you of that impression.

General Imogene Cushing is short and a tiny bit plump. She wears her silvered hair in an elegant braid knotted at the nape of her neck, and she knows how to smile sweetly.

With the deadliest of sharks...

You wouldn't suspect a two-star general, an Air Force O-8, of being a traitor, would you?”


~~~~~
Stealthy Steps was an intriguing read. The tone is very informal and personable, which works with the diary-like feel of the entire narrative, and gives Gemma a very distinct voice and personality. I was very impressed with how Gemma's past was carefully woven into the narrative and clearly showed how those events drove her actions and influenced her need to be resourceful.

There is some very dense scientific information dumping in the first few chapters, but even Gemma calls Dr. Bickel on it and it became part of his personality. I would have liked to see more of their non-conflict interactions, just to establish their relationship a little better.

The genre itself--Christian science fiction--was bound to be somewhat compelling, due to the juxtapositions of faith versus tangible discovery, but what I really enjoyed was that Gemma was a lapsed Christian who struggled with the situation she found herself in and what it meant for her life. Her doubt leaves room for character growth in the next few books, as she becomes more sure of herself and the circumstances she's now forced to live in. Overall, this story is interesting and I will happily read the sequels.


Gentle Reader Alert:I found nothing of concern.