The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern / Lynda Cohen Loigman

 

3.5  out of 5 stars

This is a very sentimental novel, framed around Augusta Stern's retirement and the lost love of her youth. The author manages to incorporate many ideas to frame this dual timeline story. We get a peek into the pharmacy business and the gangster culture of the 1920s, Jewish history and heritage, herbalism, the treatment of women by the medical profession, and the importance of family in any era.

When Augusta moves into the seniors complex that her niece helped her select, the last thing she expects is to run into Irving Rivkin. He was the delivery boy for her father the pharmacist and the boy who she fell in love with in high school. He was also the guy who suddenly disappeared out of her life, married one of her classmates, and moved away without saying goodbye. Augusta worked hard her whole life to fill her time and her thoughts with anything but Irving's perfidy. How could this happen?

Although the plot is rather predictable, there were a few small surprises along the way. The love story delayed was well thought out, and Augusta and Irving's misunderstandings and antics were entertaining. Although it won't be one of my favourite books this year, I do not regret reading it.

Fan Service / Rosie Danan

 

3.75 out of 5 stars

This book is better than the cover art would lead you to believe. It should appeal to people who have participated in an obsessive fandom or to fans of all things werewolf.

Alex Lawson had a rough childhood—her mother abandoned the family when she was very young and she didn't fit in to the small town community where she and her father lived. She found solace in the TV drama The Arcane Files. She moderated a comprehensive fan website where she finally belonged and was internet famous as the Mod. But at a con, Alex meets the star of the show, who says unkind things about her when he thinks she's gone. Alex's feelings morph from adoration to wrath in that moment.

Meanwhile, Devin Ashwood is rapidly discovering that his Hollywood career is over and he is hanging onto his werewolf character by his fingernails. It's making him crazy and he wonders why he feels like he's becoming a real life werewolf. After shifting twice, he is looking for help when he discovers the fan website and emails an old address.

Alex can't believe that Devin Ashwood wants her assistance, but he's willing to pay and her dad has medical bills. She'd be a fool to say no, but what help can a vet tech be in this situation? However the arrangement puts them in close proximity and they gradually get to know each other. You can see which direction this is headed.

Mild warning: there's a bit of bondage.

Salvage Right / Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

 

4.25 out of 5 stars 

Book 8 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

How I adore this series! I never tire of adventure in the Liaden Universe. I've been considering why this is and I have found two reasons. First and foremost, this is an optimistic universe. Yes, there are bad actors who are persistent (the Department of the Interior and the Lyre Institute), but there are far more decent persons (biological and artificial) who give me hope. Secondly, it is an excellent mix of science fiction and fantasy. There are artificial intelligences, space ships and space stations, but there are also Healers, wizards (the Dramliz), and sentient, manipulative Trees. In addition, many of my absolute favourite books are written by man-woman teams. I think this provides a balance that I find very attractive.

In this volume, we return to the out-of-the-way space station, Tinsori Light, a relic of the old universe, possessed by the Enemy, held in check only by two devoted Light Keepers, Jen Sin yos'Phelium and Lorith of the Sanderat. They have been murdered and reconstituted by the Light so many times over the last two centuries that they teeter on the abyss, having difficulty trusting that the old intelligence that ran the station is wiped out and that they can be safe again.

Korval, having Jen Sin on site, has salvage right to this damaged station and have declared their intention to return it to its position as a thriving space port. The Cousins start pouring in to assist, overwhelming Jen Sin, who has relied only on Lorith and himself for centuries. Can he adapt to this new reality? And of course, with this many members of Korval together, the luck will ensure no lack of other challenges.

I appreciated the afterword by Steve Miller describing some of their process, for instance that they alternated which one took the lead on each book. I was especially entertained by their inspiration for Tinsori Light. While vacationing at the seaside, they developed a habit of listening to the maritime weather radio. Every day, they heard, “Matinicus Rock is not reporting.” First it became a catch phrase, but it morphed into a distant space station in the far flung ocean of the universe, cut off by malfunction. It is selfish of me, but I hope that Sharon will continue to write without her life-mate Steve.

Direct Descendant / Tanya Huff

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Several words come to mind: creepy, snarky, charming, cozy. Cozy eldritch horrors, anyone? But you get that in a small town that has an Agreement with the Dark. The Four, direct descendants of the original pact-makers, do the Dark's bidding when needed and the Dark keeps Lake Argen prosperous and untroubled. Cassie is the current Mouth, who can give orders that can't be resisted, and she is the last to see a stranger stab himself in the foot and disappear into the Dead Grounds.

When a private investigator comes to town to look into the man's fate, Cassie is instantly attracted to her. But she knows that at some point, she will have to explain her town's odd circumstances if she wants a real relationship. There may be some problems with that! Especially since the vanished man seems to be unsettling the Dark and changing the balance.

This book shows off Tanya Huff's sharp sense of humour and her vivid imagination. I loved the assortment of characters in Lake Argen, the wild, funny ravens, and the matter-of-fact dealing with the Dark. As if deals with the supernatural were an everyday thing. I love urban fantasy (even when it takes place in non-urban environments) and I really enjoy Huff's versions of it.

Under Loch and Key / Lana Ferguson

 

3 out of 5 stars 

I'm not exactly sure why I found this shape shifter romance as silly as I did. You may feel quite differently about it. I mean I guess the whole idea of being able to transform from human to animal form is a fantastical thing. Why does it matter to me what form the animal is? Not sure, but this felt a bit goofier to me.

I did like the Scottish setting, the estranged family angle, the ancient curse, and the family feud that Keyanna encounters. It's a matter of taste, but I found that the progression of enemies to lovers happened a little too quickly and easily for my enjoyment. I prefer to enjoy the anticipation but I realize that others want to get to “the good stuff“ right away. Even as a kid, I liked the lead up to Christmas better than the gift opening event. Then, right as I felt that nagging disappointment, there was the author wrote in the inevitable setback, and I was appeased.

So, gothic romance complete with monster. Much preferable to a plain, vanilla human romance, am I right?

Story of a Murder / Hallie Rubenhold

 

3.5 out of 5 stars 

I have been in awe of Ms. Rubenhold's research skills since reading her wonderful book The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper. I was slower to engage with this book simply because I was less familiar with the crimes or the criminal in question. However, as the facts piled up, I felt my interest quickening. It's an extremely effective method of eliminating any romantic notions about the people involved. Additionally, Rubenhold treats the women involved as worthy of our attention and care. They are not just props to tell the male criminal's story.

We get to examine all the sordid details of Crippen's underhanded and swindling ways of business. I knew generally about patent medicines—their inefficacy, their possible harmful side effects, and the dashed hopes of those who paid money that they couldn't afford to use them. Being privy to all the wheeling, dealing, and scheming to defraud gave me a new appreciation of the sliminess of the process.

We also meet a Doctor Crippen who likes the company of women but intensely dislikes dependents (like children). He is responsible for abortions, one wife's ovaries being removed, moving suddenly to avoid consequences, and the elimination of women that he no longer wished to deal with. He has few compunctions about his treatment of other people and he is a compulsive liar. But like so many of this kind of person, his superficial charm and glib tongue seem to have smoothed his way through society, since most of us expect decency and empathy in those we deal with.

Crippen's big mistake, it seems, was not noticing that normal people have friends and family who care about them. He thought that his second wife's friends would just carry on with their lives after her disappearance, because that was exactly what he planned to do. He failed to recognize the determination of those friends to find out what happened to Belle.

I was left pondering his mistress, Ethel. I can't imagine being willing to put up with being a (not so) secret mistress or a henchman in illegal and immoral business dealings, but she must have had her reasons. I have to also wonder why she was willing to don boy's clothing and go on the run with Crippen. I can see why Crippen wanted her along—she literally knew where the body was buried, as she had worked hard cleaning up the murder scene. She also knew far too much about his shady business. It must have been jarring for her when Crippen proposed splitting up when they arrived in Quebec. Nevertheless, she stayed true to him until the end of her life.

It is the last chapter which chronicles the changing narrative of Belle Elmore from murder victim to awful, repulsive woman who deserved to be killed. Belle was self confident, hard working, caring, and well connected. Crippen had arranged for her ovaries to be removed early in their marriage, so she pursued careers in opera and music hall, ending up very involved in charitable pursuits. Instead of divorcing this wife, Crippen likely tried to poison her and the situation went wrong, leaving her body with unmistakable signs of foul play. Notably, it was in the early days of the 20th century that an independent woman would be interpreted as cruel and uncaring to her husband, when women were seeking wider roles for themselves and men were resentful. Male writers switched up the story until Belle was the wicked witch and Ethel the innocent young thing. Ms. Rubenhold sets the record straight.

Installment Immortality / Seanan McGuire

 

4 out of 5 stars 

Book 7 of the 2025 Read Your Hoard Challenge

The previous book in this series ended on a very sad note and I felt a bit of trepidation about this one. Sure enough, the Price-Healy family are still mourning their losses, but they are heartened when the family's caretaker ghost, Mary Dunlevy, returns to the fold. Mary was blown to smithereens during the Price family's bombing of the Covenant’s HQ and has just recently been reconstituted by the Anima mundi. At first, Mary thinks that she may be free to care for her family without restrictions, but the Anima mundi has other ideas.

Somehow, the Covenant figured out that a ghost was part of the bombing destruction and they can carry grudges like nobody's business. They have arrived in New England, where they are capturing unsuspecting ghosts and tormenting them. Mary is instructed to stop them. Being a caretaker ghost, Mary is leaning in that direction already, but it seems like larger matters may be involved.

McGuire teaches us more about the ghostly existence that she has invented and throws in a couple of new cryptids as a bonus. Elsie and Arthur accompany Mary on this mission, perhaps finding some comfort in the process.

A short story about Verity Price-de Luca at the end of the volume is a poignant reminder of her losses. Will she be able to contain her grief enough to care for the immanent new baby? Will her older child, Olivia, be able to rejoin her mother? There's nothing like a deadly critter crisis to put life into perspective!

I get the impression that McGuire is winding this series down. Although there will always be work for the family, it seems that the Covenant isn't the big threat that it used to be. If an ending is in the offing, I will greatly miss the Aeslin mice. HAIL!