Much Ado About A Widow by Jenna Jaxon

She's a widow.  With no viable way to support herself, she's been living with relatives.  But that's coming to an end.  And the only way her father will let her come home is if she will agree to marry his choice.  She's not enthused but she has no choice.

Goddess Fish  Promotions allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It is being published today by Kensington Books.

When she is kidnapped by thugs, she does her best to get away.  The men are after her and her maid and there is no place to hide when she runs into St Just, a friend of her brother's.  She implores him for help and he takes to his boat and hides her on board.  He sends his men out to find the carriage because she has two trunks on it.  Find it they do and they create a ploy to get rid of the guards so they can steal the trunks.

They leave on the morning tide and go to his home.  It doesn't take long for her contract husband to show up.  They remove him from the castle.  He sneaks back at night and tries to rape her but she stops him and screams.  He's removed even more forcefully.

Then her father shows up.  Even though she and St Just have fallen in love with each other, he won't listen.  They try to go to Scotland to marry but they are stopped.  Her father intends to force her to honor the marriage contract.  But some new facts are brought out that change the circumstances.  Will her father change his mind?  Will her beloved win the duel?

Jenna Jaxon will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.  Enter here. 

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here. 

 

The Aosawa Murders by Riku Onda, Alison Watts (Translated by)

They are having a big family event:  Three generations are all having birthdays and it's a big party day.  When some children show up later to join in, they find almost everyone dead...

Bitter Lemon Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 18th.

There is one lone survivor.  She's blind and she didn't see what happened.

Someone delivered sake and pop, all of it laced with cyanide.  The cop who questioned her feels she must be responsible but someone had to help her.

They look for the delivery boy and finally find him but he's committed suicide.  The cop still thinks she was part of it but the upper management declares the dead young man as the culprit and closes the case.

The girl next door interviews all she can and writes a book about it. It's like the crime that would never end.  As time goes on, more clues surface but the answers aren't clear.

This is a long book that moves slowly.  You learn about the characters feelings and their thoughts on the murders.  I didn't think we got a cut and dried solution but it will make you think. 

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor

This is a story of a young girl who has to grow up fast.  Her father has left them and her mother is sick.  She has a bad heart.  She works on creating happy memories for her daughter.  It works even if she is so sad after her mother's death.  She still has her goddesses in artwork.  Now if she could just get in the mood to do some more...

Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 25th.

Her mother's sister comes to collect her and her belongings and takes her back home.  She and her love, another woman, are living with an old man.  They keep the house clean, cook him meals and give him some company in return for rent free lodging.

Everyone in this house is an interesting character.  Eileen is jovial and loves her aunt.  The old man enjoys having a young one in the household.  But her troubles aren't over yet.

They adopt another dog and he's a handful.  He does his business in the house, tries to run off outside, and he's strong.  When he leads her down a trail in the woods, the neighbor threatens to shoot him for scaring his cows.  The fact that he is on the old man's land doesn't bother him but it bothers the women.

Then the dog has to have back surgery.  She can't have the neighbor bothering her dog when he comes home, so she peels out of the house after him with her aunts right behind her.  He gets the message to stay off their land.

Then her father comes to visit.  They talk a bit and then she asks him to go.  He goes.

When the dog comes home to keep healing, her family is complete again.  Her challenges aren't over but with her family and friends around her, she'll be OK.

Imaginary Museums by Nicolette Polek

These stories are all short flights of fancy.  You never know where the author is going to take you.  Some stories don't seem quite done so you can decide the ending...

Soft Skull Press and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 14th.

Many of the people in these stories don't know what they want, they are just discontent.  They do strange things just to be doing something.

One story was about two rival falconers facing off over two town's argument.  One story was about a man who went to a spa but kept losing his clothes...  Then there was the bride who was late to her own wedding.

These are strange little stories that will make you think and wonder.

Calling on Quinn by Blue Saffire, Series: The Blackhart Brothers

Alicia was almost at the altar this time last year and she's still feeling the effects of picking the wrong man.  Then her best friend uses all her money and she ends up homeless.  She's strong enough to land on her feet.  But she has problems ahead of her...

Sourcebooks Casablanca  and Edelweiss let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 25th.

Quinn's sister and her husband are shot in front of their home.  Since they are in the hospital, Quinn gets to go with his niece to her driving lesson.  Alicia is the teacher.  When they see each other it's like a bolt of lightning.  He thinks she's beautiful; she thinks he's hot.  But after her failed wedding, she doesn't want to get involved in a relationship.  He gives her no choice.  He's willing to wait but he's not giving up.

He's from a big Irish family.  She's all that's left of hers.  She's almost afraid to meet them.

He charms his way into her bed (there is graphic sex described) and eventually into her heart.

He's trying to find out who shot up his sister and it's slow going.  Alicia has someone after her, too.  It comes to showdown at the end and you wonder if Alicia will make it...

The Lilac Princess: The Princess Series Book 1 by Wanda Luthman

The Princess isn't allowed to go out  past the castle walls.  It's too dangerous.  But the fields of purple flowers draw her.  When a boy at the market inside the walls gives her a flower, she loves the way they smell.  He tells her they are lilacs.

BooksGoSocial and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  This has been published and you can get a copy now.

Next time she sees him she asks if he can get her a cloak to wear so she can sneak out.  He brings her his dead father's cloak.  She sneaks out with the peasants as the sales end and plays in the lilacs.  She sees an animal approaching her but doesn't know enough to be afraid.  He's a dragon and he asks her if she would like to go on a ride.   She accepts and suddenly she is missing.  When her little friend sees the posters, he feels guilty and he decides to save her.

He's not too big and he has a small sword and a knife but he got her into it and now he's going to get her out of trouble.  Of course, the dragon has some thoughts about that.

The battle is vicious and the dragon is injured.  He asks them for forgiveness.  Could you forgive someone who was trying to kill you? 

The Wish and the Peacock by Wendy S. Swore

Paige and her family are living on a farm that has been in her family for generations.  When father dies in a road accident due to a driver that was texting, all she can do is think it's her fault.  She should have gone with him but she said no...

Shadow Mountain Publishing and Edelweiss gave me the opportunity to read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published February 4th.

Now it appears her mother is going to have to sell the farm.  They can't keep up with the payments.  Paige may only be twelve but she knows how to take of the farm.  He has a calendar for when you do what and she helped him all the time.  She doesn't want to give it up.  So she comes up with a plan...

The realtor's sign disappears.  Her transportation is full of grasshoppers.  (Boy, can she scream!)  Her friends help her make all the animals look sick.  But there's no time left.

Paige has one more idea.  Can a peacock help her save her farm?

Glass and Gardens: Solarpunk Winters edited by Sarena Ulibarri

This is an anthology of short stories written by:  Sarena Ulibarri, Wendy Nikel, Holly Schofiel, Sandra Ulrich Almazan, Sarah Van Goethem, Steve Toase, Heather Kitzman, Tales from the EV Studio, Commando Jugendstil, Tessa Fisher, Jennifer Lee Rossman, Thomas Badlan, Lex T. Lindsay, R. Jean Mathieu, Brian Burt, Jerri Jerreat, Catherine F. King, Shel Graves, and Andrew Dana Hudson.

World Weaver Press and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you).  It will be published January 7th.

Many of the stories are set after world disaster.  Much of the time it was natural failure due to humans using everything up.  There are several same-sex couples in the stories.

What I found most intriguing was that no one gave up.  They found other ways to do things.  They hid in shelters, grew their own food, and still found joy in life. 

From saving narwhals, to trying to bring snow back to Maine, to eating moss, there are many tales of fantasy.  These authors used their imaginations.

I found it to be an enjoyable read.  All the stories were good.