• About
  • Review Ratings
  • Author’s Information
  • Recommended Authors

Whiskey With My Book

~ And a cozy spot to enjoy them both.

Whiskey With My Book

Monthly Archives: July 2022

The Secret of Bow Lane (A Below Stairs Mystery, #6) by Jennifer Ashley – Review

26 Tuesday Jul 2022

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, historical, Jennifer Ashley, mystery, romance, series, Victorian England

Review

This is the book Kat Holloway fans have been waiting for.  I’ll tell you why, but first….

In The Secret of Bow Lane, the mystery is about Joe Bristow, the man Kat thought she was once married to until she found out he was already married to someone else.  The death of her ‘husband’ left Kat in poverty, but it is also what led her to become the best cook in all of London.  While he died many years ago, his actual wife contends that he left a fortune somewhere and she needs help finding it. Bow Lane is Kat’s old neighborhood and there is more than one intriguing secret to uncover there.

Joe’s ability to pretend he was something he was not, reminds her a little too much of her friend Daniel McAdam, who is a master of the many disguises he uses in his investigative work.  So, when Daniel tells Kat how he feels about her, she pulls back.  There is nothing to be done, except find out more about the real Daniel.

In her life, there are two men that Kat has gotten close to.  Joe and Daniel.  Throughout the story, the details of both of their lives are slowly brought to light, revealing all the sordid details of one and the worthy details of the other.  So, you see, Kat Holloway fans, this book is for you.

The mystery the Kat must solve in this tale is just as fascinating and twisty as it always is.  Also, all of Kat’s helpers are there to make sure they uncover every necessary clue while still allowing Kat to see to her cooking duties and her daughter.  And Daniel is ever present to give his support, friendship, and a kiss now and then.  I recommend you enjoy this historical mystery with a nice cup of hot tea and a biscuit.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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

About The Secret of Bow Lane by Jennifer Ashley

A stranger who appears on Kat’s doorstep turns out to be one Charlotte Bristow, legal wife of Joe Bristow, the man Kat once believed herself married to—who she thought died at sea twelve years ago. Kat is jolted by Charlotte’s claims that not only was Joe murdered, but he had amassed a small fortune before he died. Charlotte makes the cook an offer she cannot refuse—if Kat can discover the identity of Joe’s murderer, Charlotte will give her a share of the fortune Joe left behind.

With the help of Daniel McAdam, her attractive and charismatic confidante, Kat plunges into her own past to investigate. When it becomes apparent that the case of Joe’s death goes far deeper than simple, opportunistic theft, Kat and Daniel’s relationship is put to the test, and Kat herself comes under scrutiny as her connection to Joe is uncovered. She must race to catch the real killer before she loses her job and possibly her life.

Links

Add The Secret of Bow Lane books to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase books in the Below Stairs Mystery series (The Secret of Bow Lane releases 8/2/22):

Wolf in the Shadows (The Legend of All Wolves, #5) by Maria Vale – Review

22 Friday Jul 2022

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, favorite series, Maria Vale, paranormal romance, romance, series, shifters, wolves

Review of Wolf in the Shadows

Let me start by saying that The Legend of All Wolves is my favorite series about shifters.  Maria Vale’s unique take on wolves has enchanted me from the beginning.  The wolves of the Great North Pack are a family that only wants to live life on their own terms.  But the outside world keeps trying to interfere. 

Among the worst meddlers are the shifters.  These are beings that can shift at will, or even not shift at all.  This sets them apart from the wolves of the Pack who are influenced by the moon. 

Wolf in the Shadows storyline overlaps with Season of the Wolf with new viewpoints introduced.  In these stories, shifters have invaded the Pack’s land for nefarious reasons.  The Pack has prevailed so far, but more than one shifter has been captured by the Pack.  Julie is one such shifter and, in this story, she struggles to survive in this new environment.  She is assigned to Arthur, who’s own past is complex and poignant.  As they spend time together, they evolve into strong indivudals doing their best to overcome their pasts.

I am fascinated by the Pack’s dichotomy of sharp intelligence and unworldliness.  Nature governs their existence and they have adapted to make the most of life in their territory.  The outside world constantly challenges.  The Pack does not understand what motivates people in the outside world.  Even worse, the outside world will never understand the Pack.

Each book in this series makes the story deeper, richer, better.  These stories of wolves who take human form are unique within the paranormal genre and I recommend them to anyone that enjoys wolf/shifter fiction.

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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

About Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Shifter Julia Martel has been spoiled and pampered by all the alpha males around her whose urge to protect her have left her uninformed and vulnerable. Now the Great North Pack has relegated Julia to the care of the wolf at the very bottom of the Pack hierarchy, Arthur Graysson. Julia wants nothing to do with the Pack, except to escape back to her life of luxury and idleness, but the more time she spends with Arthur, the more she learns about the Pack, the dark secrets Arthur carries with him, and the fierceness within herself that could save them all…

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

Links

Add Wolf in the Shadows to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase books in the The Legend of All Wolves series (Wolf in the Shadows releases July 26):

The Wedding Plot (Mercy Carr, #4) by Paula Munier – Review

18 Monday Jul 2022

Posted by WWMB in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, contemporary, dogs, mystery, Paula Munier, romance, series

Review of The Wedding Plot

The Mercy Carr series is one of my favorites in contemporary mystery.  It features former Army MP Mercy Carr and her retired bomb-sniffing dog Elvis. They have retreated to beautiful Vermont’s Green Mountains to heal their invisible wounds after the death of Martinez, Elvis’s handler and Mercy’s fiancé.  When U.S. Game Warden Troy Warner and his canine search-and-rescue partner Susie Bear meet Mercy and Elvis, the four form a partnership as they solve mysteries in Vermont while quoting Shakespeare.

The Wedding Plot is book four in the series.  You can read it as a standalone.  But I was glad to know the background of these characters going into this mystery.  Why?  Because there are soooo many characters.  Blame it on the wedding, I guess.  Remembering who is who proved to be a challenge.  That is my only complaint though.

The complex plot is packed with twists and turns which leads to much guessing about who the bad guys or gals are.  Favorite characters from the series each played substantial roles, not content with being relegated to the background.   And the dogs are always in the thick of things, uncovering bodies, evidence, and untrustworthy individuals while they zero in on all the dog lovers at the wedding.  I admit, the dogs are why I read this series.  Trust a good dog to sniff out villainy while helping us find the best in people.

The wedding background inspired the author to start each chapter with a quote about love. It also had Mercy’s family hinting that she and Troy might be ready to get married themselves.  I have enjoyed watching Mercy and Troy get to know each other while they navigated their own personal demons.  Maybe, the time is just right for them?!

Through NetGalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

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

About The Wedding Plot by Paula Munier

Love never dies a natural death…

When Mercy’s grandmother Patience marries her longtime beau Claude Renault at the five-star Lady’s Slipper Inn, it promises to be the destination wedding of the year. Just as the four-day extravaganza is due to begin, the inn’s spa director Bodhi St. George disappears—and Mercy’s mother Grace sends Mercy and Elvis to find him. But what they discover instead is a stranger skewered by a pitchfork in the barn on the goat farm where St. George lived.

As Mercy tries to figure out who the victim is and where St. George is hiding, the bride and groom’s estranged relations gather for the first of the pre-wedding festivities. Long-buried rivalries and resentments surface—and Mercy realizes that they’re all keeping secrets that could tear both families apart. When Elvis interrupts the escalating melodrama to alert Mercy to an intruder on the estate, she finds a wounded St. George in the cottage where she and Troy are staying. St. George is not who he says he is—but when he escapes from the hospital and disappears again, Mercy thinks he’s gone for good. With the wedding imminent and the families at each other’s throats, she decides finding St. George will have to wait.

The big day arrives—but the danger is far from over. With the families and the festivities still under threat, it’s up to Mercy and Elvis together with Troy and Susie Bear to stop the killer and save the bride and groom—before death do they part.

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

Links

Add The Wedding Plot to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase books in the Mercy Carr series:

← Older posts

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 444 other subscribers

Tags

4 stars 5 stars Adventure aliens Art book feature Book Review cats excerpt fantasy giveaway guest post historical humor magic mystery paranormal Pauline Baird Jones reading romance scifi scifi romance series space opera Steampunk

Recent Posts

  • The Unlucky Charms series by T.M. Cromer – Review
  • Catagenesis (Cat Ship, #3) by Jody Wallace – Review
  • Another Year!
  • Fury of Frustration (Dragonfury Scotland, #6) by Coreene Callahan – Review
  • A Love by Design (The Secret Scientists of London, #3) by Elizabeth Everett – Review

Archives

  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016

Currently Reading

NetGalley Challenge 2016

2016 NetGalley Challenge

Copyright Notice

© This site's content is protected by copyright.

FTC Disclaimer

Some of the books reviewed on Whiskey With My Book are provided by authors, publishers, or other third party promoters. Other than review copies, no compensation is accepted for reviews.

Affiliates

This blog uses affiliate links to direct you to sites where you can make purchases. Use of these links supports this blog and is much appreciated!

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Whiskey With My Book
    • Join 331 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Whiskey With My Book
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...