Substance of Living

Murder by Page One A Peach Coast Library Mystery from Hallmark Publishing (Peach Coast Library Mysteries Book 1) Written by  Olivia Matthews  |  Narrated by  Janina Edwards "Do you have a library card?" opens most of Marvey Harris' conversations with the people she meets.  Marvey, a librarian, and her cat, Phoenix, have recently moved from Brooklyn, NY to the small town of Peach Coast, Georgia. Ms. Olivia Matthews brings forward a refreshing take on the cozy genre.  She combines all the good parts of a cozy; mystery, amateur sleuth, friends, a cat, and a budding romance all the while wrapping this small town of Peach Coast around me like a blanket.  Her characters are brought to life through well-developed characters who are smart, sassy, cerebral, and realistic.   Janina Edwards' (narrator) did a fantastic job bringing voices to each character through her narrating.   I enjoyed her Southern accent and treatment of colloquiali...

  Spells and Spiced Latte: A Coffee Witch Cozy Mystery (Maddie Goodwell Book 1) Book by Jinty James Book 1 of this series had me at coffee.   So glad I took advantage of downloading this free (as of May 28, 2021) book from Amazon.  The title and adorable cat on the cover were sure to entertain me - and it did.  Yes, I am one of those people that chooses their books by the cover. This is a good, clean storyline that includes:  Maddie Goodwell, a witch; Trixie, her Persian cat and "familiar"; Maddie's best friend and business partner, Suzanne Taylor; and coffee. Maddie was seven years old when she found an ancient book titled "Wytchdraft for the Chosen" and learned one spell.  To this day, she is only able to do one spell - the coffee vision spell.  When  Maddie reads Joan's (one of her regular customers) coffee grounds, she sees Joan lying dead in the kitchen.  Within 24 hours the vision comes true compelling Maddie to solve the murder wi...

STOP what you’re doing!   This is a page turner.   In my case, e very excuse was made to listen and I finished in less than three days. Ms. Natalie Barelli’s story was brought to life by the narrator, Emily Rankin.  This is one of those books where the author, storyline, and narrator were in sync to maximize the listening experience. Without giving away the details: Anna Sanchez, our lead character, has the perfect career, perfect marriage, and two perfect children.  Then one of her students dies and her life begins to spiral.  All the while Anna tries to control the situation. Ms. Barelli doesn’t give anything away.  Lots of red herrings.  Ms. Rankin brings us into the story allowing us to feel every emotion, hear the stress, and the see each scene.  Every character had a distinct voice and manner of speaking. This is more than 5 stars.  I will read (listen) more of Natalie Barelli’s books.  In fact, I’m already listening to “Th...

Have you ever read a book that was a collection of short stories or seen tv series or movie trailers?  Then you’ll enjoy reading “ Cozy Case Files ” sampler books. Talking about series, this book is number 8 in the "Cozy Case Files".  This book has six authors: Paige Shelton ,  Diane Kelly ,  Vivien Chien ,  Elizabeth Penney ,   Susan Cox , and   M. C. Beaton showcasing a few chapters in their new book whether in their series or the first book of a new series. There is just enough of each book within to whet your appetite. Take a chance and download this collection – there will certainly be an author or book that peaks your attention. I will be downloading more sampler books. ·         ASIN : B07ZBW8L2L ·         Publisher : Minotaur Books (January 7, 2020)   #CozyCaseFilesACozyMysterySamplerVolume8 #NetGalley #MinotaurBooks Tweet this Post Have a g...

Let's dig into our psyches this month and see if we can answer some tough questions.  Some of the questions are of a moral nature while others are more personal.   What would you do if you opened your mailbox to see your adoptive child on a "Have You Seen This Child" flyer?  In Lisa Scottoline's book Look Again , investigative reporter Ellen Gleeson is faced with such a dilemma. Look Again written by Lisa Scottoline Beautiful, modern Pearl Chin and her younger sister, May, live a life of bliss in 1937 Shanghai until their father gambles away their wealth. "To repay his debts, he must sell the girls as wives to suitors who have traveled from Los Angeles to find Chinese brides. As Japanese bombs fall on their beloved city, Pearl and May set out on the journey of a lifetime, from the Chinese countryside to the shores of America. Though inseparable best friends, the sisters also harbor petty jealousies and rivalries. Along the way they make terribl...

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. You might remember the name Rachelle Ayala from a previous book review Taming Romeo where we met the Sanchez family and heart throb Romeo Garcia.  This time we meet Carina Chen, fresh out of an ivy league school and interning through the summer for an investment bank in Berkley, California.  At the same time we are introduced to Carina, we have the pleasure of meeting the free-spirit Dylan Jewell who is the oh-so-yummy barista.  Did I mention that Dylan is also the lead singer and guitar player in a band? Don't worry, I won't spoil the story for you, but want to tease you a little so you rush over to Amazon and purchase yourself a copy of Whole Latte Love (New Adult Romance) . Ms. Ayala has a way with words that truly pulls the reader into the story.  At first, I liked Carina Chen but as the story progressed, I found myself wishing she would grow up.  Guess I was frustrated with Carina because ...

Welcome to summer or in some areas of the world, winter!  A lot happens this month; Father's Day , school's out (in most places for the summer), vacations, backyard parties, family reunions , and so much more. Lavinia Esposito, a.k.a. Vinnie, wants answers when a box is mysteriously left on the front porch for her recently deceased aunt.  Vinnie can't let this mystery drop even after the cops find nothing amiss with the "gift".  Vinnie is a criminal justice instructor. For Love of Livvy - J.M. Griffin Jazmine Crawford wants only one thing from life; that is to be invisible.  Events unfold that disturbs Jazmine's world and she is forced to be in a school play, make friends, and learn the truth about her dad. Invisible - Cecily Anne Patterson What would you do if you had a dilemma, dialed the wrong number and the man on the other end of the phone gave you sage advice in a sexy voice - only to be disconnected? A lot is packe...

May seems to be one of those in-between months.  It doesn't really have the freshness of spring and it isn't the month of brides but it is a magical month nonetheless.  Did you know that " Maia (meaning "the great one") is the Italic goddess of spring, the daughter of Faunus, and wife of Vulcan." " Maius has always had 31 days." Want to learn more about May and other months? Visit Crowl.org . Looking at the book selections for this month's reading, and I noticed they all have a couple things in common.  Each book has strong female characters, talks of food, and has a death.  Can you find other similarities? To begin our reading it only seems fair that a cat or in this case cats lead the way.  Tatania and Zeus, the magical cats, allow humans Grace and Jack to join them in solving mysteries throughout the 1920s. Grace, Jack & Magical Cats by Mary Matthews If you've ever been in a relationship, married, or have had the privile...

Ever hear of the phrase, "Until death do us part"?  Poor Amanda can't even divorce her husband after his untimely demise. THE EX WHO WOULDN'T DIE - written by Sally Berneathy A military cop, a lonely stretch of railroad in a small Mississippi town, and a cover-up...  THE AFFAIR - written by Lee Child Sloane Templeton reluctantly joins the Granny Oakleys Book Club in order to find out if her mother's death was truly a heart attack.  Who knew cooking could be so deadly? COOKING THE BOOKS - written by Bonnie S. Calhoun If you've enjoyed reading Jane Austen and watching Downton Abbey or The Grand, then you're going to enjoy the dance of romance between Chad and Gillian. THE FIVE KISSES - written by Karla Darcy Last month we really didn't read anything romantic, in fact, we read about (wait for it...) murder.  So, in case you didn't get enough romance last month, here you go! TEN SHADES OF SEXY - written by Kelly Leig...

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial. Taming Romeo by Rachelle Ayala is a full-on sexy and very adult read leaving very little for your imagination.  Rachelle's style of writing is laced with powerful adjectives throughout enabling the descriptions to form a movie in one's mind. Evie Sanchez, a medical student, has returned home to nurture her broken heart and work in her family's Filipino restaurant.  What she didn't expect was to find her childhood secret sweetheart, Romeo. Romeo Garcia is the sexy bad boy that has graduated from a boy band into a promising acting career.  Romeo has also never forgotten his first love, Evie. The story revolves around Evie's struggle to fully acknowledge her unresolved feelings for Romeo and his need to find out why she left him, without word, the night of their prom. As much as I enjoyed Evie's antics from dumpster diving to debuting in the movies, and Romeo's relentless pursuit of truth ...

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.   Jessica Fuqua is an author of poetry and blogs about being a mommy at Shatterlion .  When I was offered the opportunity to review her collection of poetry, it was an absolute YES! It's been a long time since I've sat down with a poem, let alone a collection of different types of poetry. "I have chosen to release 25 poems in a novel today in celebration of World Poetry Day (March 21st) and the Spring Equinox (March 20th)." - Jessica Fuqua If you love nature, spring, and poetry, then you'll enjoy Jessica's beautiful words written in six styles. Haiku (Japanese style) - a poem written in three lines; containing 5, 7, 5 syllables respectively; seasonal reference Tanka (Japanese style) - a poem consisting of  5 lines and 31 syllables; 1st and 3rd lines have 5 syllables while the other lines have 7 syllables Triolet (French style) - a poem or stanza consisting of 8 lines; the first line i...