Friday, March 1

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for March 1, 2024

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


I'm about halfway through this Lady Darby mystery and I'm still stumped!

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AUGUST 1832
YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND

"Wait, Kiera," my husband, Sebastian Gage, called as he guided his horse to the edge of the road. "It's best to let the coach go first down this hill."

~From the beginning of A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber


New parents Lady Kiera Darby and Sebastian Gage look forward to introducing Sebastian's father to his granddaughter, but instead find themselves investigating an attempt on his life . . .

Yorkshire, England. August 1832. Relations between Sebastian Gage and his father have never been easy, especially since the discovery that Lord Gage has been concealing the existence of an illegitimate son. But when Lord Gage is nearly fatally attacked on a journey to Scotland, Sebastian and Kiera race to his side. Given the tumult over the recent passage of the Reform Bill and the Anatomy Act, in which Lord Gage played a part, Sebastian wonders if the attack could be politically motivated.

But something suspicious is afoot in the sleepy village where Lord Gage is being cared for. The townspeople treat Sebastian and Kiera with hostility when it becomes clear they intend to investiaget, and rumors of mysterious disappearances and highway robberies plague the area. Lord Gage's survival is far from assure, and Sebastian and Kiera must scramble to make the pieces fit before a second attempt at murder is more succesful than the first.


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First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.
*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.
*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower within your post or grab a button.

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Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.

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Ultimately, I chose to break the heavy silence. "I wasn't asking you to tell me who he is, simply whether Eleanor knows."
He swallowed. "Yes. We all know."

~from page 56 of A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber




The Friday 56 was started and hosted at Freda's Voice. She is taking a break from hosting, but Anne at My Head Full of Books has volunteered to host for now, so I'll be linking up there.

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.
*Find a snippet, short and sweet.
*Post it, and share in the Linky.


©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.


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Thursday, February 29

Monthly Bookshelf Review - February 2024

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


If you cannot read all your books, at any rate . . . peer into them, let them fall open where they will, read from the first sentence that arrests the eye, set them back on the shelves with your own hands, arrange them on your own plan so that you at least know where they are. Let them be your friends; let them be your acquaintances. ~Winston Churchill

I absolutely cannot read all my books, but I'm determined to make a dent! I did pick up the pace of reading a little this month, as I usually have a little time to read during my lunch break. The trade-off is that I am slightly less likely to read much before bed. At any rate, here's what I've been working on!

February's Books Completed and Reviewed

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham - Another very entertaining mystery featuring the newlywed husband and wife team Frederick and Grace as they join an investigation into stolen artwork while on holiday in Venice. (Read my review HERE.)


The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews - Helena Reynolds answers a matrimonial advertisement in hopes that the gentleman would offer her protection from her cruel and greedy uncle. Pretty sure this book is still free for Kindle, and I quite enjoyed it. (Read my review HERE.)




During February I started reading:

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage are investigating the strange attack on Gage's father. Highwaymen stopped his coach and shot him to wound but not kill, and yet did not ask for or accept his purse, so robbery was not the motive. And of course, Lord Gage isn't very forthcoming with information that could help.



Wimpy Weak and Woke by John L. Cooper - I got started on this long-awaited book from Skillet front-man John Cooper. 




During February I continued reading:

Ticker by Lisa Mantchev - I got back to this YA steampunk novel that I started reading before the holidays and had to set aside.



Where My Books Took Me in February . . . Here's where I've traveled through the pages during the month, along with One Word to sum up the ones I finished.

The Juliet Code is set in Venice and the surrounding area of Italy.
One Word: Deception
The Matrimonial Advertisement takes place in Devon and in London.
One Word: Trust

A Fatal Illusion is set in the north of England.
Ticker takes place in a fictional steampunk universe, in a city called Bazalgate.


Coming Up in March!

I'm limiting myself to one or two books in this section, because what's "up next" changes often, and I'm reading more slowly. I added a third this time, the likeliest "up next" title on my Kindle.

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette - Has been "next" on my stack for way too long!
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright - I've been wanting to pick this one back up, because I feel so bad that I had to shelve it in the fall!
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai - the cute cover and someone's positive review intrigued me, and I'm pretty sure I got it for just a couple bucks on Kindle.





On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:



On Homeschool Coffee Break:



And on A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



This post will be linked at the current BookWorms Monthly link-up hosted by At Home A Lot; and (if I remember) at the weekly reading list meme hosted at Book Date.

bookworms monthly linky

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

©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.



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Saturday, February 24

Friday Fun - The Friday 56 and First Lines for February 23, 2024 (on Saturday!)

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


I really meant to do this yesterday, but never got around to it! This week I'm featuring a book that I picked up for free on Kindle about a week ago, and read very quickly - something that's unusual for me these days. I think it may still be free if you're interested. My review is HERE.

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North Devon, England
September 1859

Helena Reynolds crossed the floor of the crowded taproom, her carpetbag clutched in her trembling hands.

~From the beginning of The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews


She Wanted Sanctuary . . .

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill - though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome - is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption . . .

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household - and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

***************
RimSP button

First Line Fridays is hosted at Reading is My SuperPower

*Share the first line or two of the book closest to you, then visit other FLF participants.
*Please keep posts family friendly or clean reads.
*Link back to Reading is My SuperPower within your post or grab a button.

***************


Book Beginnings on Fridays is hosted by Rose City Reader.

*It's Book Beginnings on Fridays! Time to gather with our fellow book lovers and share the opening sentence (or so) of the books we are reading this week. Or share from a book that is on your mind right now -- whatever catches your fancy.

***************

The memory left a taste in his mouth as bitter as poison. Never before, not even his darkest days in the orphanage, could he recall having felt so alone. So unwanted. 

~at 56% in The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews




The Friday 56 was started and hosted at Freda's Voice. She is taking a break from hosting, but Anne at My Head Full of Books has volunteered to host for now, so I'll be linking up there.

*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to Page 56 or 56% on your e-reader.
*Find a snippet, short and sweet.
*Post it, and share in the Linky.

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And here is the weekly bookish question in the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.  

This Week's Question: How do you organize your bookshelves?

My Answer: When we moved and downsized, I really pared down the collection of books that I brought with me. Most of what I brought along fits on just two shelves. *gasp* I started by grouping the author series that I have together, in the series order (Connilynn Cossette, Anna Lee Huber, and Deanna Raybourn) and grouped the others around those based mostly on how they fit in the available space.








©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.


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Wednesday, February 21

What I'm Reading - February 21, 2024

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

 It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

This weekly reading list meme is hosted at Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next! Although the Book Date link-up happens weekly, I don't update that often. Usually I do this around the middle of the month, and try to share my monthly bookshelf summary on the last Monday of the month. Since it's been awhile since I last did this update, and it's a short month, I'll keep this one short! Here's what I've been working on lately!


I finished reading . . . 

The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews - I noticed the Kindle edition of this book was free, and since I've read and enjoyed a couple of previous titles by this author, I picked it up. And before I knew it, I had finished the entire story! Helena Reynolds answers a matrimonial advertisement in hopes that the gentleman would offer her protection from her cruel and greedy uncle. (Read my review HERE.)



The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham - Frederick and Grace are honeymooning in Venice when their friend Detective Jack requests their help with a hunt for an art thief and possible murderer, and deciphering clues from the remaining pieces of artwork that may lead to a hidden treasure. (Read my full review HERE.)



I'm currently reading . . .

A Fatal Illusion by Anna Lee Huber - Kiera and Gage take it upon themselves to investigate the strange attack on Gage's father. Highwaymen stopped his coach and shot him to wound but not kill, and yet did not ask for or accept his purse, so robbery was not the motive. Could it be revenge or retribution?



Ticker by Lisa Mantchev - I'd started this back in the fall and took a break, but am working on it again. Penny has a clockwork heart that continuously needs rewinding in this YA steampunk novel.



Wimpy Weak and Woke by John L. Cooper - I finally got started on this one, and am reading it just a little at a time. Wish my lunch break was longer so I could get into it!



Up Next . . . On the TBR stack . . . 

The stack grows faster than my ability to read it, especially lately! It's been a long time since I did a What I'm Reading post, but I still haven't got to the books that were probably on the stack then! Maybe I'll fill this section in next time I post.


On my blogs recently . . . 

Besides the reviews, here on Just A Second you'll find:



On my main coffee break project, A Fresh Cup of Coffee:



And on my "first cup blog", Homeschool Coffee Break:


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I haven't done many Friday Fun posts recently, but I liked the current Book Blogger Hop question and didn't want to miss out. Here is the weekly bookish question in the Book Blogger Hop, hosted by Billy at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.  

This Week's Question: Do you keep an active list of favorite authors - that you would spend your milk money on - to have it when they publish a book?

My Answer: Over the years my "milk money authors" have changed a few times, but there's always at least one or two that I like well enough that I will just buy their latest book as soon as it hits the shelves, or even pre-order it. Of course, since I've been behind on reading lately, I might not immediately READ the book, but I will buy it! For the past few years I have pretty faithfully bought every book by Anna Lee Huber and by Connilynn Cossette.



What are you reading?


This post will be linked at What's On Your Bookshelf? #whatsonyourbookshelfchallenge hosted by Deb's World. 

 ©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.

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Tuesday, February 20

Recent Reads - The Matrimonial Advertisement

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



The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews - At the time of writing this, this book is free for Kindle from Amazon, and in fact, that's what prompted me to pick it up and read it - without reading the book blurb! The cover, and that it was by Mimi Matthews was good enough for me to snap up a free book and start reading. And I was not disappointed.

Helena Reynolds has responded to a matrimonial advertisement in a London newspaper, with the help of her friend and companion, and she's clearly in a desperate situation. But just what that is remains unknown for the first part of the book. It's clear to the reader, and to Justin Thornhill, who has advertised for a bride, that she's frightened and out of options. Justin does his best to scare her off, knowing immediately that she's a lady of quality and not likely to be content in the wild isolation of his home in Devon. Helena remains determined despite her fear, and Justin relents and brings her to Greyfriar's Abbey.

One thing Helena has been forthright about is that she is in need of a protector, and quickly. So their marriage ceremony takes place almost immediately, and shortly afterwards Helena's worst fear comes to pass - her uncle's henchman comes for her. Justin drives the man off, and rescues Helena from the cliffs, and then Helena tells him the whole story of how her uncle has been trying to commit her to an insane asylum in order to gain control of her inheritance; and that is why she has been in need of a protector.

Together with Justin's friend and attorney, they come up with a plan to expose her uncle's deviousness and abuse, and as they put the plan into effect, both Justin and Helena wrestle with their growing feelings for each other, but while in London Justin becomes more convinced than ever that Helena doesn't belong with him and he can't make her happy. 


From the publisher:

She Wanted Sanctuary . . .

Helena Reynolds will do anything to escape her life in London, even if that means traveling to a remote cliffside estate on the North Devon coast and marrying a complete stranger. But Greyfriar's Abbey isn't the sort of refuge she imagined. And ex-army captain Justin Thornhill - though he may be tall, dark, and devastatingly handsome - is anything but a romantic hero.

He Needed Redemption . . .

Justin has spent the last two decades making his fortune, settling scores, and suffering a prolonged period of torture in an Indian prison. Now, he needs someone to smooth the way for him with the villagers. Someone to manage his household - and warm his bed on occasion. What he needs, in short, is a wife and a matrimonial advertisement seems the perfect way to acquire one.

Their marriage was meant to be a business arrangement and nothing more. A dispassionate union free from the entanglements of love and affection. But when Helena's past threatens, will Justin's burgeoning feelings for his new bride compel him to come to her rescue? Or will dark secrets of his own force him to let her go?

By the same author: Fair As A Star, The Viscount and the Vicar's Daughter

This is a book picked without reading the blurb (#30) 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.

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Saturday, February 10

Recent Reads - The Juliet Code

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


The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham - Frederick and Grace have certainly had a very exciting time during their honeymoon! After their thrilling time in Egypt, which involved a mystery and a lot of danger and intrigue, they have carried on to Venice and are enjoying the beauty and history of the city when they are drawn into another adventure and mystery. Their friend Detective Jack Miracle enlists their help in tracking down some stolen paintings and figuring out whether the deaths of former owners were simply coincidences. As you might imagine, there's a lot to unravel, and mystery-loving Grace is thrilled to be part of the investigation team. Even Frederick is learning to appreciate the excitement of solving mysteries together with his bride. 

The investigation takes them all to an eccentric millionaire's private island, where they find secret rooms and a whole cast of characters who may not be who they say they are. Their host, Laraby, seems to be treating it all as a game, even though there are murders connected with the paintings. Frederick and Grace are certain that someone among Laraby's friends, servants, and houseguests is lying about their identity, and is willing to commit murder in order to obtain all the Juliet paintings, which contain clues to the location of a treasure. But Frederick, Grace, and Detective Jack are determined to find the thief and to decode the clues before any more lives are lost.

Grace's character is the driving force in the story, and she is still mischievous and almost childlike in her enthusiasm for stories and mysteries. She is also clever and resourceful, and has a big heart. Frederick has a much more reserved demeanor, but a recurring theme for his character in the story is his desire to see his young wife safe and happy - which do not always seem to be compatible outcomes! I enjoyed the characters and how they all interacted, and am looking forward to more in this series.


From the publisher:

Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley Finally Reach Their Honeymoon Destination Only to Encounter a New Mystery in Need of Solving

Frederick and Grace Percy finally make it to Italy to enjoy a delayed honeymoon and explore the beauties of the historic city of Venice. To their surprise, their friend, Detective Jack Miracle, is also in the city, investigating a series of art heists starting at the house of eccentric millionaire, Laraby Covington. Drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and parties of the rich and unusual in Venice, Frederick and Grace learn of the existence of the Juliet paintings (Renaissance paintings featuring Shakespeare's tragic heroine), rumored to hold a secret code to an underground vault of similarly treasured artwork assumed lost over the centuries. As Freddie and Grace are pulled deeper into the mystery and their beloved Detective Jack disappears, can they use their wits and work as a team to find the thieves and Jack before it's too late.

The Juliet Code is a Freddie and Grace Mystery, sequel to The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse.

Visit Barbour Publishing for more info on where to buy.

By the same author: The Cairo Curse, The Heart of the Mountains, Hope Between the Pages; The Red Ribbon; My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge: Laurel's Dream

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.


This is a book featuring the ocean (#8) 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.




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