Recent Reads - An Unsuitable Job

An Unsuitable Job by Bonnie Hardy - Josie MacFarland is getting a second chance with the Harvey House, and in an unusual position. She was let go as a Harvey Girl, but she's been asked to return to the Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico as a Harvey House detective after a travelling salesman and regular guest was found murdered in his room. Josie hopes she'll have the chance to make things right with the friends she abandoned when she had to leave abruptly just a short time before.

The sheriff has a dangerous sort of charm, but he dismisses Josie as an unserious amateur. Josie wonders how hard he is really trying to solve the case, or if he is protecting someone else. The Harvey House matron was never a favorite of Josie's to begin with, and treats her and her friend Lily with disdain, but is there something more to her meanness? Josie has only her instincts and courage to recommend her, but she's determined to find out exactly what happened, and when Lily is falsely accused of the murder, Josie doubles down on her efforts to save her friend and get to the bottom of the whole story.

I enjoyed the setting and story, and the straightforward narrative style. It's definitely more in the cozy mystery style, and a mostly fun read, but I felt there were some holes and some places where the story was disjointed or would have benefited from more character development. We don't really find out why Josie was let go, and while it's not really necessary to the story, it's a huge part of her need to prove herself so it seems relevant. We also don't really find out why she was chosen as a house detective, other than some hints that as a woman she could blend in with the Harvey Girls and have access behind the scenes, which felt a little unsatisfactory. At a few places, the narrative jumped abruptly from one setting to another in a way that made me wonder if I'd missed a page. To be fair, this could be partially due to formatting since I was reading an ARC - a visual break in the text could easily solve this problem, and I hope that's all it was. 

One other aspect I didn't care for was that when Josie dressed as her alter ego, Joe Mack, the narrative immediately shifted the description as if she had indeed become "him" with the male pronouns. Readers can follow the story quite easily and understand that this is still Josie, just in disguise. The shift in pronouns did not land for this reader and seemed like an effort to tell a story set in 1929 with a nod to the preferred pronouns trends of the 2020s. I did like Josie's independent spirit and her spunk, and that the story doesn't rely on a romance to move the events along. The historical notes at the end were very interesting, and introduced some insights about the setting and the way Harvey House Girls, and women in general, were viewed at the time.

From the Publisher:

In 1930s New Mexico, a Harvey Girl takes on a job she was never meant to survive.

In this multiple award winning historical mystery, readers find themselves immersed in 1929 Las Vegas, New Mexico. When a man is murdered at the Castaneda Hotel, Josie MacFarland is given an impossible role: the first Harvey House Detective. Armed with only her determination, Josie faces a dismissive sheriff, the cold shoulder of old friends, and the hardships of the Great Depression.

She can either return home in disgrace―or fight to prove she belongs in a world determined to shut her out.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with an uneven number of chapters (#24), published in 2026 (#52) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

It's my first case in the March '26 Mini, kicking off the full Mystery Genre Challenge with Case #12 - An amateur sleuth.

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2026 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Secrets of the Maison Fournier

Secrets of the Maison Fournier by Amelia Pine - American Emma Greene is the owner of a small English-language bookshop in Paris, and her shop is in the shadow of the illustrious new Maison Fournier department store. She has heard rumors about the owner of the store, and is rather surprised to receive an invitation to the grand reception celebration Maison Fournier's opening. Along with her new friend Cècile, owner of a neighboring French bookshop, Emma attends the opening. While drinking celebratory toast to the success of his business, Henri Fournier dies, a victim of poisoning. Emma finds herself the most convenient suspect since she is a foreigner, but the detective Inspector Lefèvre also recognizes that Emma is a keen observer of details and a valuable witness. To Emma's great relief Inspector Lefèvre does not believe Emma is the murderer, but the rest of Paris is not so kind and business at her bookshop suffers.

At Cècile's urging, Emma hires an assistant, and soon Luc joins Emma and Cècile in their own investigation of the murder. After all, no one is more motivated to find the real killer than the one wrongfully suspected. Inspector Lefèvre repeatedly warns Emma to stay out of it and to not embark on her own investigation but also seems to understand that his warnings will not be heeded. Luc and Cècile constantly tease Emma that the Inspector's interest is very personal, and Emma admits - at least to herself - that she is drawn to the Inspector and hopes to know him better.

In the meantime, the investigation takes Emma and her friends to the offices of Maison Fournier, the studios of Fournier's associates, and to the opera, collecting valuable information and clues. Can they piece it all together before the murderer silences Emma or the suspicions swirling around her destroy her reputation beyond repair? 

I enjoyed these charming and quirky characters, the period details of the mystery and Paris setting, and the simmering attraction growing between Emma and Inspector Lefèvre. Although there's a murder and a bit of darkness, it still has the feel of a cozy mystery. Emma's background, and the circumstances that brought her to Paris, are revealed a little at a time, and Lefèvre's even more slowly, and I really liked him. Cècile is a character that is over-the-top and requires a bit more suspension of disbelief to accept. The writing is done well, though I felt that there were too many personification descriptions, especially in the first half or so. They were lovely and creative descriptors for the most part, but lost their charm when there were several per page for successive pages. This was noticeable to me, but didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. And I will be looking for the next installment, eager to find out what is next for Emma, the brooding Inspector, and Emma's interesting friends. 

From the publisher:

Paris, 1888. A city of light, love, and deadly secrets.

When American bookseller Emma Greene opens a small English-language bookshop in the Latin Quarter, she hopes for a quiet life among books, not whispers and suspicion.

After the powerful owner of the glittering Maison Fournier department store dies under suspicious circumstances, Emma becomes a reluctant suspect. To save her reputation, she must untanble Parisian society secrets with the help of a guarded detective, a circle of found-family neighbors, and a slow-burn romantic tension that could be just as dangerous as the truth.

A Belle Époque historical cozy mystery with bookshop intrigue, a clever heroine, and romance under gaslight.

Perfect for fans of Miss Scarlet and the Duke, Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, and Tasha Alexander.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book featuring the literary device personification (#44), and has a diacritical mark on the cover (#47) for The 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2026

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot.

©2008-2026 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Monet For Nothing

Monet For Nothing by PJ Fitzsimmons - Teddy Quillfeather's third mystery takes the clever flapper to Paris in order to help out her friends Stella and Dabs. The situation is questionable right from the start - it's something to do with Teddy smuggling a painting out of France to England, and Stel and Dabs and all their circle in Paris are strange characters. 

There's a lot going on and a lot to keep track of, and Teddy slips lightly through the entire labyrinth, always seeming to have a plan or a backup plan. Stella is supposed to get a painting of her grandmother back to England, but the trick to it is that the painting may have been done by a famous master, which is why it will need smuggling. Shortly after Teddy arrives, Dabs confesses that he's "enhanced" a signature on what is believed to be an unfinished Monet painting . . . that has been authenticated and is scheduled to go to auction. This unlikely crew comes up with a scheme to make enough copies of the unfinished work to confuse the issue, but then the original is stolen which confuses things even more thoroughly!

The characters are exaggerated and often ridiculous, but oddly likeable for all that. Dabs is supposed to be painting for an upcoming exhibition but he can't concentrate. Stella is impatient for Dabs to finally marry her. Mick and Melda are an author couple who are perpetually hosting parties and roasting each other in the way that only truly loving couples can. Oola La is an over-the-top art agent representing Dabs. Even Teddy's dear friend Stilts makes an appearance. 

Delightfully fast-paced and packed full of clever alliterations, word plays, and turns of phrase, the narrative certainly kept my attention, though I felt the clues and important details were in danger of being obscured by so many interesting words. I loved the humor and hilarious visuals I imagined from the descriptions. It's not strictly necessary to read the previous Teddy Quillfeather adventures in order to enjoy this one, but it would set you up to enjoy it even more.

From the publisher:

Taking refuge from London's mating season, Teddy travels to Paris for a little light smuggling but soon finds herself at the centre of the impossible heist of a priceless masterpiece on its way to auction. Her friends are under the gavel for forgery, fraud, and filching fine art, but sorting the clues from the counterfeits only gets more surreal as Teddy's seemingly simple smuggling scheme turns into yet another impossible theft, and she must canvas the capricious, suspicious, and radically seditious authors, artists, swindlers, and socialites of the literary Left Bank of 1920s Paris.

Like all Teddy Quillfeather Mysteries, Monet for Nothing aims to frame a caper in comedy for those who take their cosies with a couple of coats of clever.

By the same author: Frauds On Favourite, Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book's plot includes a heist (#5) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Black Fog

Black Fog by KT McWilliams - Elizabeth Bowmar is a young woman in 1618 London hoping to earn her midwife's license. It is early on a foggy morning when she and fellow midwives are attending a mother in a very difficult birth, one that will require assistance from the inventors of a mysterious birthday device, but that will cost money. Elizabeth is tasked with finding the father and getting him to pay, and with finding the inventors and convincing them to come help. After the successful delivery of the child, it is discovered that the father, Master Prowler, has been murdered, and that Elizabeth was one of the last to see him alive. This will mean she is likely to be a suspect, and even being questioned could mean the loss of her midwife license.

With help from her trusted friends and some new allies, Elizabeth hurries to find and outwit the murderer before the disgruntled inventor goes to the sheriff to cast suspicion on her. They are constantly surrounded by the black fog, and in danger from the likely murderer and those who do his bidding, but Elizabeth holds on to her hope that all will unfold according to God's plan, and faces all the challenges and uncertainty with as much courage and confidence as she can manage.

There is a prologue that hints at a harrowing experience from Elizabeth's past, and there are some references throughout the story linking this terrible event to her attitudes and to the unusual training she has in using knives to protect herself. Snippets of this backstory are teased into the narrative, creating a curiosity about it and providing some explanation for Elizabeth's unconventional and independent approach to solving the dilemma she finds herself in. The bits and pieces of the backstory didn't always satisfy as an explanation, leaving me with more questions about how it could possibly fit together.

Although this isn't a detective story, there is a mystery that must be solved, and the characters must be resourceful in their pursuit of answers. I enjoyed this creativity and the unusual characters, though I was sometimes a little unsure of their relationships and uncertain of the plausibility of all the events and their happening during the given timeframe. I felt like there was an awful lot to fit into just one day, stretching believability at many points. Some of the threads of the story didn't get woven together in a way that felt natural. The black fog is mentioned often in the narrative, and its ubiquitous presence in the city is important to the setting and mood, and necessary to the plot as it obscures clear vision. In my opinion, it is mentioned too often - it felt too obvious. As this novel is a debut and an introduction to a series, I'm curious about how the subsequent stories with connect to this one, and hope that some of these characters might be featured and further explored in the next installment, and as the author develops her storytelling voice.

I read an Advance Reader Copy, so I understand that punctuation and minor errors will probably be corrected before publication.

Note: This review will be updated with a link to purchase once available on Amazon.

From the publisher:

Where kindness battles cruelty, a woman's quest for truth is a fight for survival & divine justice.

In the heart of 1618 London where the shadow of the past lingers, join Elizabeth Bowmar, a young, aspiring midwife, as she navigates the complexities of birth, betrayal, and a chilling murder.

Elizabeth faces the impossible: convincing two irascible men to accept life altering change to save the life of a mother and her child.

But as life and death hang in the balance, one is murdered, and the other seeks revenge against Elizabeth.

Elizabeth must rely on her wit, strength, and unwavering faith to uncover the truth before time runs out.

Black Fog is the introduction to the On The Wings Of Angels series. Experience a world where true kindness lifts souls, and God's plan guides the journey. Dive into this historical fiction enriched with Christian suspense and immerse yourself in KT McWilliams' latest novel.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with a title of 10 letters or less  (#13) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Frauds on Favourite

Frauds On Favourite by PJ Fitzsimmons - Teddy Quillfeather is back in another lighthearted caper in which she must investigate just about everyone involved in Middleditch horse racing in an effort to protect her uncle's stable from being banned. Some questionable betting and results in recent races led to questions about race fixing and possible conspiracies. Teddy and her friend Stilts see that there are some very dodgy and unlikely odds and outcomes, and Uncle Markham's explanation for his horse's sudden improvement on the track is completely unbelievable to everyone but himself.

Teddy is brilliantly observant and practical, but her bright wit and unserious demeanor allows her to question suspects, make everyone her ally, glean information, and cleverly resolve situations. In short, she is a truly unflappable flapper. The characters are all delightfully ridiculous and even the 'villains' have a sense of fair play and good humour. Even the young racehorse Spoons is a point of view character in some sections. Both narrative and dialogue are fast-paced and full of wit, puns, clever alliterations, and comedic turns of phrase. Descriptions of characters and actions made me feel like I was watching a hilarious but sophisticated cartoon. 

With stable owners, bookmakers, jockeys, tea ladies, touts, leg men, the vicar, the butler, and others involved in the story, the narrative was a challenge to keep track of in some places, especially when there was a lot of racing or betting lingo, but the story fit together for me. There were several mysteries or conspiracies to be unraveled ― whether the races are being fixed in the first place, who is giving the incredible betting tips, who the potential swindlers or conspirators were, and how it benefitted those involved ― but the solutions were surprisingly simple when all was revealed. Another clever cozy that I truly enjoyed. 

From the publisher:

Fun-loving, fast-talking, fraud-flipping flapper Teddy Quillfeather is off to the races in this multi-layerd multiplier mystery of dark horses and sharp courses, dodgy jockeys, unstable stables, impossible odds, crooked bookies, and a track-wide conspiracy to deny the punter an even chance. That's more than enough to invite a counter-swindle from Teddy, but when the family paddock is implicated in race-fixing, she does what she does best when the odds go against her ― she raises the stakes.

When Teddy's dotty uncle's eccentric efforts to encourage his horses to faster finishes results in a steward's inquiry that could get the entire stable ― and Teddy ― banned from racing for life, she steps in to prove him innocent against all charges and against tall odds, only made longer by Uncle Markham's vexing habit of confessing.

Further complicating the conspiracy is a series of seemingly random disqualifications, a mysterious little old lady with the unerring ability to pick winners, a spy in the stable, and a vast cast of jockeys, bookies, leg men, touts, and a forgetful racehorse named Spoons.

To save the family paddock, a beloved horse, and the wagered fortunes of family and friends, Teddy must race unknowable and uncountable swindlers and cheats to the finish in her fastest-paced fiddle yet.

Like all of Teddy's titles, Frauds on Favourite is a clean and clever cozy in the canon of Quillfeather and Boisjoly, and will appeal most to those who like a little comedy in their crime.

By the same author: Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book with a pun in the title (#1) for The 52 Book Club's 2025 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2025

This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot, and at  the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2025 hosted by The Intrepid Reader and Baker.

#histficreadingchallenge

©2008-2025 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. This post was written by a human.  http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

Hardy Haul at Hardy Hall (Teddy Quillfeather Mysteries Book 1) by PJ Fitzsimmons - From the first page, this cozy is full of snappy narrative and plenty of humour. It starts off with a prologue that sets the tone and explains how Theodora acquired her quirky sidekick Tuxedo Bird. The real mystery begins when Teddy arrives at the country manor Hardy Hall, to reconnect with some old friends and with instructions from her mother to choose one of the eligible bachelors present so she can settle down to a respectable marriage.

Teddy's goal for the weekend is to have a good time but to avoid a betrothal. Turns out she doesn't need to come up with her own distractions, because the hostess's distinctively ugly but valuable necklace is stolen sometime during dinner on the first evening. The manor is surrounded by a moat so clearly the thief is one of the guests and not a drifter, as was the case in a previous theft . . . and in that situation, almost all the same guests were present . . . so Teddy is presented with a fascinating conundrum to solve. She does so with a mischievous sense of humor, quick wit, and inventive theories. 

As a lead character, Teddy is a delight. She has a razor-sharp wit and while she is cheerfully avoiding a marriage her defiance of her parents' wishes seems gentle and not disrespectful. She is a buoyant and light-hearted heroine, and even when challenging the stories or actions of other characters, she does so with a surprising amount of kindness, grace, and good humour. 

The characters are all so likeable and each one has hilarious quirks and mannerisms that continually add laugh-out-loud humour to the fast-paced narrative. There's no murder and everyone is polite and well-meaning, and the solution to the mystery brings wonderful satisfaction, especially after enjoying the witty repartee and comedy of errors along the way. The narrative is so clever and humorous in a very sophisticated way, while describing characters and situations that had me picturing the action as if in a crisp animation style. I'm already looking forward to the next adventure of Teddy Quillfeather!    

From the publisher:

The theft of an immensely valuable, immensely ugly necklace is only the beginning of the intrigues and idiosyncrasies of a country weekend at Hardy Hall where Teddy Quillfeather's mother has sent her with strict instructions to select an eligible bachelor from a shortlist of aristocrats, plutocrats, and copycats.

But when Teddy sets out to discourage the suitors and discover the looters with her natural knack for applied shenanigans she instead uncovers countless conspiracies, complicated by country house courtesies. It's a comedy of manners and caper of manors and the only solution, if you're Teddy Quillfeather, is obviously another heist . . .

This series starter is a clean, clever cosy that will appeal, obviously to readers of Anty Boisjoly but also PG Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L Sayers, and above all to those who like a little, or, ideally, a lot of comedy in their cosies.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a locked-room mystery (#1) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Silencing The Siren

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee.

Silencing the Siren (Ever After Mysteries) by Denise L. Barela - This novel is part of the Ever After Mysteries, a series of fairytale retellings with a mystery element. It is also a debut novel for author Denise L. Barela. It is a retelling of The Little Mermaid, set in 1920s New York City. I was curious as to how the character Annabelle would be similar to a mermaid, and how figurative that aspect would be. Annabelle has a disability - she has a deformity in her legs which confines her to a wheelchair, but as part of a Coney Island "freak show" she dons a costume and performs as a mermaid. Andrew Grayson is the "prince" who is mesmerized by the mermaid's beauty and quickly falls in love with her. Since he is from a wealthy upper crust family with domineering, controlling parents, he sneaks away from home to visit Coney Island and spend time with his little mermaid and her troupe. 

It's the prejudice and snobbery of Andrew's parents and the young lady they want him to marry that puts the challenges in the way of his relationship with Annabelle. The Graysons view Coney Island and the freak show troupe as being socially so far beneath them that they are horrified that Andrew spends time there. They are especially repulsed by Annabelle's disability. Andrew, however, has found friendship and acceptance with the troupe, and is determined to marry Annabelle. Instead, the Graysons arrange a marriage for Andrew to a wealthy socialite, Valerie. Andrew is trying to figure a way out of his dilemma when Annabelle suddenly goes missing and her father is told she is dead. In his grief, Andrew determines to find out what really happened, and he has to finally stand up to his parents to do so.

I loved that the female lead character, Annabelle, was shown as a strong and gracious heroine who happened to have a disability and was in a wheelchair. I also loved that despite his pretentious and sheltered upbringing, Andrew was a kind young man who wasn't deterred by Annabelle's much lower socio-economic standing or her disability. Both are likable and sympathetic characters who rise above the limitations and obstacles they face. In contrast, Andrew's parents and Valerie were more like stereotypical and one-dimensional fairytale villains. Andrew's age was a bit of a puzzle to me, as he was old enough to drive and to be married, but at times he acted like a very young teenager in his compliance with his parents' demands. He withdrew his own funds from a bank and opened a new account of his own, and engaged an investigator, but obeyed when he was sent to his room as if he was a small child. I would have liked to see his character developed with a bit more emotional depth and consistent with his age and circumstances.

I felt that I did need to keep in mind that this is a fairytale retelling, and as such, the characters were not as fully developed as one might expect in a novel, and there were plot devices that were coincidence straight out of a fairytale rather than fully believable occurrences in a more realistic world. It's a sweet and clean fairytale quality romance, and in my opinion would be suitable for young readers.

From the publisher:

Andrew Grayson thought he had everything . . . until he met her.

The indulged son of wealthy parents, Andrew has always gotten whatever he wanted almost before he knew he wanted it - clothes, gadgets . . . even a car! What more could a young man desire?

Enter Annabel Thompson. Freakshow mermaid extraordinaire . . . in a wheelchair!

Of course, her beauty attracts him. How could it not? Add to that a kind heart, and Andrew can't help but fall for her.

Annabel's connection with the freakshow repels his parents and their society friends. They want him to sever all ties with her and his new friends. Oh, and marry the "right" girl with the "right connections." But he won't do it. He'll defy them and marry his little mermaid.

When Annabel turns up missing, declared dead, things don't add up, andrew begins asking some difficult questions, the most important being, "What happened to the little mermaid of the Coney Island freak show?"

Find out in this next book in the Ever After Mysteries, combining beloved fairy tales and mysteries. Silencing the Siren offers a retelling of "the Little Mermaid" that will keep you gripped to the edge of your seat as you watch the story unfold.

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a book that includes a wedding (#44) for The 52 Book Club's 2024 Reading Challenge.

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2024

©2008-2024 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Recent Reads - Bridges

This post contains affiliate links - using affiliate links from Just A Second helps supply books and coffee. 

Bridges by Linda Griffin - Neil, a middle-aged chauffeur, and Mary Claire, a blind college student, have little in common when they meet, but they both love books and Mary Claire finds Neil an ally in her grandfather's household. Mary Claire and Neil don't even share similar faith as he claims to be an atheist and she is a devout Catholic. She has been summoned from her college to be with her grandfather during his final hours.  Mary Claire's aunt, who has been running the grandfather's household, is rude and condescending and bullies Mary Claire, and Neil wants to protect her. Mary Claire appreciates that Neil always treats her with respect and recognizes that she is intelligent and capable.

When the grandfather's will is read, he leaves his mansion and most of his wealth to Mary Claire . . . with two provisions. She must allow Aunt Edna to live at the mansion, and she must marry within a year and stay married. If she does not, everything will go to the state. Mary Claire has no desire to be married, and has trouble standing up to her aunt, and frequently talks to Neil about her dilemma. When Aunt Edna insists on arranging a marriage to a man Mary Claire can't stand, she finally pushes back, refusing her aunt's choice, and instead she arranges a marriage of convenience to Neil so that Mary Claire can keep the house and continue to employ all the servants.

What neither of them expects is that they could learn to truly love each other. And if they act on that love, what will it mean for their friendship and for their other relationships?

While this short novel tells an intriguing and sweet May-December love story, the narration is spare and the relationship moves very quickly from respectful distance to trusted confidantes. The dialogue moves the story along effectively, but given that this is a shorter story I had a sense that the characters lacked some dimension. Neil is the viewpoint character and it's through his perspective that we see how Mary Claire matures, and how Neil grapples with his changing attitude towards her. He struggles with the idea that he could be romantically involved with a girl so much younger, but doesn't seem to give much thought to any other personal dilemmas. Aunt Edna's role is rather like a stereotypical wicked stepmother, and other supporting characters are little more than names on the page. Overall, I enjoyed this story as a quick read with a new twist on the marriage of convenience theme, and I liked that the ending was left somewhat open as to how Neil had come to terms with himself and his choices.

From the Publisher:

In 1963, Neil Vincent, a middle-aged World War II veteran and "Christian atheist," is working at Westfield Court as a chauffeur. He spends most of his spare time reading.

Mary Claire DeWinter is a young, blind, Catholic college student and reluctant heiress. To secure her inheritance, she has to marry within a year, and her aunt is pressuring her to marry a rich man who teased and bullied her when she was a child.

Neil and Mary Claire shouldn't even be friends, but the gulf between them is bridged by a shared love of books. Can they cross the bridge to more?

I received a digital copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book features an inheritance (#2) for The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge

#the52bookclub #the52bookclub2023

©2008-2023 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/ 

 We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.