WWR—What We've Read in February

Anne here, and it's my pleasure to present to you some of the books we wenches have been reading in the last month. 

We start with Pat, who read Deb Richardson-Moor's book, MURDER, FORGOTTEN 

I got quite excited when I started reading this contemporary mystery, thinking I’d found a really good new mystery writer. And the book is definitely well-written, with well-drawn characters and lots of red herrings and one could never be absolutely certain who the killer was until the end. There was even a point at the beginning where I was becoming annoyed with the main character for not realizing the obvious—and the author turned it around beautifully. Unfortunately, she picked up the same clue again later and let the character be an idiot. Worse yet, she killed off a POV character to whom I was attached. And from the very beginning, the one major clue everyone kept asking about was so verrrrry obvious. . .

But its redeeming value is the women’s fiction setting of Sullivan’s Island in South Carolina, with lots of lovely beach homes and nosy neighbors. The two main protagonists are mother and daughter, the mother a writer and the daughter an artist. The book starts with the mother slipping into dementia and her husband already murdered. As the police examine all the close-knit neighbors, secrets are unwound, and it’s impossible to know how much more is hidden. I’ll admit, I read every word and enjoyed it—but there were points when I really wanted to scream: Stop being stupid! So if you want to sink into a southern who-dunnit, this is fine. Just don’t expect perfection.

Next we have Nicola, who read and recommended  A SEASON FOR LOVE by Ally Sinclair, and had a bunch of Wenches running off to buy it. (It's on special too at the moment)

Emma Love takes over her mother’s matchmaking company and with the help of her brother determines to expand the business through a series of events with a Jane Austen style Regency theme.  However, this is Regency with a modern twist in the sense that the book is a contemporary Rom Com so the couples embarking on this old-fashioned style of courtship are more accustomed to online dating and casual hook ups than dancing the cotillion. Our heroine Emma is too fixated on developing the business to consider romance herself – until she bumps into the infuriating Mr Knight, for whom she just doesn’t seem able to find the perfect match. Meanwhile her friends Annie, Jane and Lydia are all at different stages of relationships and all are looking for something but not sure what form, if any, their HEA will take. The plot is structured around a modern version of the events of the Season and it’s completely charming and at times laugh out loud funny. A Season for Love is a book that manages to explore so many different aspects of love, friendship and relationships in a way that is thoughtful, diverse and emotional. It’s such a joyful book but profound and thought-provoking at the same time. I loved it and it left me feeling uplifted.

(Anne notes, this is the English author, Ally Sinclair, not the Australian author, Alli Sinclair.)

Christina says:  There are some authors whose books I look forward to as soon as I’ve finished their latest one and Kylie Scott is one of them. I threw myself into END OF STORY when it landed on my Kindle. I had high expectations and I wasn’t disappointed! This is a little different from her other stories as it has a bit of a magic/paranormal element to it. I have to admit I was a bit dubious about that, but the rest is so wonderful I was prepared to suspend disbelief and just go with it. And I’m very glad I did.

The heroine, Susie, has been badly burned by her latest boyfriend and is grieving for her aunt, who was the most important person in her life and the only one in her family who loved her unconditionally and allowed her to be herself. She inherits her aunt’s house and when her ex’s best friend, Lars, turns out to be the builder she’s hired to do some renovations, she’s understandably wary. Things get even more tense when Lars finds a divorce certificate hidden inside a wall and dated ten years in the future – with both their names on it. It has to be a hoax and they accuse each other of planting it there, but neither of them can figure out how it got there. As they try to find out, they start to see each other in a different light and there is a lot of chemistry. Could the document possibly be right? And should they fight the fate that’s apparently in store for them or go with it and try to change destiny?

Lars is a wonderful hero – the strong, silent type, laid-back and with oodles of self-confidence. Susie is his complete opposite, and she has a hard time trusting anyone (understandable as her family are horribly self-centred). I fell totally in love with Lars and absolutely couldn’t put this book down – superb!

(Please note there is a prequel called THE BEGINNING OF THE END which can be bought separately. It was also included at the end of my Kindle copy of END OF STORY, so please check and read that first if so!)

 

Mary Jo here.  I've always been a big reader of science fiction and fantasy, and I think there has never been a fantasy writer like the late Sir Terry Pratchett.  (https://terrypratchett.com/terry-pratchett/) His books are quirky, wildly imaginative, and warm hearted.  He is the creator of the forty-one book long Discworld series.  The Discworld is flat and travels through space resting on the backs of five gigantic elephants which stand of back of a ginormous turtle.  (Pratchett had a number of tortoises that lived in his conservatory.)  

But the stories are deeply human, passionately felt, and often wildly funny.  There are a number of recurring characters who soon become old friends.  He was a working class kid, six years old, when a teacher told him he'd never amount to anything.  He grew up to become one of Britain's best selling authors.  He died too young of a rare form of early onset dementia and continued working until almost the end, aided and supported by his long term assistant, friend, and companion in mischief, Rob Wilkins, who is the author of this excellent biography. 

I was fortunate enough to hear Sir Terry speak twice, once at an event in Washington,. DC, and some years later, at an SFF convention in a DC suburb.  This was several years after his very public revelation of his illness, and with the aid of Rob Wilkins, he was still funny, intelligent, and absolutely and totally one of a kind. 

Where to start if you want to read about Discworld?  A fan discussion on the Novelists, Inc, talk loop once decided that Guards, Guards!  was a good place to start.  I also am very fond of Wyrd Sisters, the first book featuring three witches of very different temperament.  (At a coven gathering, one witch spoke the immortal line, "You brought potato salad, too?" 

It's really hard to explain the eccentric and wholly original charm of Sir Terry's work, but Rob Wilkins does a brilliant job of telling his boss's story, and he has a rather similar sense of humor. 

Andrea says: I’m not a big spy novel reader, but I do love the writing of John le Carré. So when I read in several places that Mick Herron is being called by some the heir to the Master’s mantle, I decided to give Slow Horses, the first book in his Jackson Lamb series, a try. (For those of you who have Apple TV, there is a recent very well-done series based on these books. Gary Oldman gives an absolutely brilliant acting perfornace as the washed-up, cyncial spymaster, Jackson Lamb, and the rest of the cast is wonderful, too. I highly recommend it!)

Slough House, run by by the slovenly, hard-drinking Jackson Lamb, is where MI5 sends its agents who have royally screwed up to fade away into oblivion. Mockingly called the “Slow Horses” the mismatched group—especially River Cartwright, the grandson of one of Britain’s top secret agent—resent their exile and all dislike each other. The only thing they have in common is grumbling about the stupid busy work and lack of respect they get from their lazy, cynicl boss. But things change when Lamb is asked by the head of MI5 to have one of his “horses” do a small, trivial surveillance favor. Bored, River happenes to notice that his colleague seems to be doing something interesting, and decides to poke his nose into what’s going on . . . and suddenly he’s caught up tangle of lies within lies. And then the news breaks—an extremist group has kidnapped a British citizen is threatening to behead him on a livestream. Several other of the “Slow Horses” get pulled into the fray and the ore they uncover, the more they begin to wonder just who the real enemy is. It’s very cleverly plotted, with wonderful characters and dialogue. Herron’s writing may not be quite as elegantly crafted as that of John le Carré, but I very much enjoyed the book and will be continuing with the series.

And finally, it's Anne again, sadly, with no fresh-off-the-printing press recommendations. Christina beat me to the review of Kylie Scott's END OF STORY, and all I will add is that I loved it and devoured it almost in one hit. Kylie Scott does really good banter, and this book is both fun, and intelligent as the two protagonists work out their relationship. (BTW I did not get the short prequel included in my kindle version of the END OF STORY — and I haven't read it, so can't comment.)

Like Mary Jo, I'm a huge fan of Terry Pratchett, and have most of his books. I'd second the recommendations of Guards Guards, and also the Wyrd Sisters trilogy. But there are so many wonderful Pratchett books. And BTW, if you're a cricket fan, then you might enjoy this article. 

Otherwise, in the last month I've read Mary Jo Putney's LADY OF FORTUNE, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and interviewed her about last week. I've also done a few rereads, starting with Jayne Ann Krentz, Wildest Hearts, (inspired by a discussion on the Wenches) and then I went on to Grand Passion

But that's it from the wenches — so now, over to you, dear Wenchly readers — what have you read and enjoyed in the last month?

Comments

[Janice J.]

I've always admired Terry Pratchett and regret his loss, but he left so much behind for us to enjoy. If you haven't seen the Good Omens series with Michael Sheen and David Tennant, it's wonderful; it catches his humor so well. There is a Series 2 on the way.

I have been continuing catching up on Harlequin Historicals (Regency). Right now it's Secret Heiress by Anne Herries. Series books are a problem for me because I enjoy them while I'm reading them but tend to forget them pretty soon afterwards; what I remember is whether I liked the author or not. I suppose they have an algorithm for that; it would create repeat customers :)

My nighttime audio book is The Reluctant Widow as performed by Cornelius Garrett, which never fails to please. Looking forward to the new Jane Ashford (A Gentleman Ought to Know), which should materialize on my doorstep next week. I have heard good things about The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, which is up after that.

[Christina Courtenay]

I love the GOOD OMENS tv series, Janice - such fun! I think there's another series coming soon and I can't wait!

[Alice Mathewson]

Ally Sinclair’s book is currently £0.99 on Amazon UK, which made it even easier for me to take up a Wench’s recommendation 😀

[Mary Jo Putney]

Anne, thanks for the link to the cricket article! When I lived in Oxford, we had a flat that overlooked the cricket pitch in the adjacent park. As nearly as I could figure, nothing ever happened. *G* I guess I'm just too American to appreciate it.

I second the recommendation for the GOOD OMENS tv series. Charming and funny and wild and sweet. Very Sir Terry and Neil Gaiman.

[Kareni]

February reading ~

— finished my reread of the Touchstone series with Caszandra, Gratuitous Epilogue, In Arcadia, and Snow Day by Andrea K Höst. I enjoyed them all once again.
— enjoyed Setting the Hook (Love’s Charter Book 1) by Andrew Grey which is a contemporary romance featuring two men who have to make life changes to be together.
— The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain for my old, now online, book group; it’s about a man facing retirement who begins a search for his long ago teen love. While I enjoyed the book, I felt a little distant from the characters. I did find it very British which was fun.

— stayed up late finishing A Coup of Tea (Tea Princess Chronicles Book 1) by Casey Blair; this was an enjoyable cozy fantasy. I would be happy to read more in the series.
— Aetherbound by E.K. Johnston was an enjoyable young adult science fiction novel that did some interesting things.
— Agnes Moor’s Wild Knight by Alyssa Cole was a quick read, a historical romance novella featuring a black woman in medieval Scotland in the court of King James IV.
— DOODLE ART HANDBOOK: The Non-Artist’s Guide in Creative Drawing by Lana Karr, a book about doodling which I enjoyed reading.
— The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict for my local book group. This is a fictionalized account of the life of Belle da Costa Greene who served as the personal librarian of J. P. Morgan. Part of what makes her life so interesting is that she lived most of her life passing as white.
— Previously I read the first in a science fiction series by a favorite author; I finished the follow on book, Regi’s Goddess (Gods of Misfortune Book 2) by Lyn Gala, which I also enjoyed. I would happily read more.
— enjoyed reading the young adult science fiction novel A Beautiful Friendship (Honor Harrington – Star Kingdom Book 1) by David Weber. This novel tells the story of humans’ first interactions with treecats; it’s a standalone story in the Honor Harrington world and features her ancestor.
— quite enjoyed the contemporary romance Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade; the author’s wit appeals to me and had me laughing aloud several times. The book is about two actors and spans some six years.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks for this, Janice. I haven't seen GOOD OMENS and when I looked it up, it seems that I'll have to sign up to yet another streaming service to watch it. (sigh) I will, eventually but not just yet.
I'm glad you've discovered the Harlequin Historicals — it's where both Nicola and I got our start.
Thanks for your other recommendations.

[Anne Gracie]

That's great, Alice — I knew it was on special, but the price varies from country to country. I also have it, but haven't started it yet. I hope you enjoy it.

[Anne Gracie]

LOL Mary Jo. Cricket is an art, and yes, it seems slow to some. But it's a passion with men (especially) in so many countries, not just England — Australia, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, New Zealand and more.
I remember I once got into a taxi with a West Indian driver and as we passed a cricket match he said to me, "I don't like cricket" — and I said "Oh no, you love it" — which are the words of a reggae song. He laughed, and admitted it. The song is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2Ey-h-KUXA

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Kareni — prolific as usual. I will check out Andrea K Höst and Olivia Dade — thanks. And I looked up Bella da Costa Greene. So interesting.

[Janice J.]

I read your books and Nicola's from the start because I had heard good things about both of you. But at that time I found most of the Harlequins with their silly titles too formulaic for my taste, I guess - I was saving my book money for other writers. I have never been the reader who bought all the titles of any given brand name every month (not even the Signets :). Also the Harlequin Historicals were not carried by all the chain bookstores then; I guess they didn't sell as well as the other Harlequin lines or the few they got sold out too quickly for me to see them. Whatever.

The swap club I belong to now has an inexhaustible supply of old Harlequins, and now if I see a new title by an author I like (Catherine Tinley is one) I can order it. So they are more available to me.

[Vicki L]

I read The Personal Librarian a few months back. She is a fascinating person to go down a rabbit hole with... Grin.

What have I read....all rereads. I didn't have the mental bandwidth to read anything new. Then I thought of a couple of tidbits from various books and said, let me refresh my memory. I've enjoyed my rereading binge.

Right now I'm in the middle of Mary Jo's Lost Lords series. Read quite a few Anna Jacobs books following the thread of one character.

Read Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key for my book club read. It is a YA book which has held up over time since I first read it probably 50 years ago. I enjoyed reading it again. A brother and a sister have unusual abilities and realize they need to leave the youth home they are in. Evil people want to use them. All about their adventures as they make their way back to the spot where they can be reunited with their distant relatives.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Janice. Back then there were two editorial houses for the Harlequin Historicals — the main one being the US and the other being the UK one — M&B historicals. Nicola and I were the first two M&B historical authors to get a retail release (ie on shelves in bookstores) in the USA. Up to then, some — for example by Stephanie Laurens and Julie Byrne —were released through the Harlequin website, but were not on sale in shops.My feeling is that the US stories were more formulaic, but that's just a guess. I know that my editor for M&B historicals (and there was only one editor) hardly ever did tell us what to write or tried to influence us, which gave us more freedom. The only restriction she gave me was that she didn't want any Australian historicals. And she made me change a hero's name because she said there had been too many of that name out recently. She also told me that books set in the UK did better than ones set overseas, but left it up to me to set them where I wanted.

As for the "silly titles" — a lot of the authors cringe at them too, but the thing is, those "hook" or "trope" titles sell better than some of the more poetic ones. Sad but true.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Vicki — yes The Personal Librarian looks fascinating, doesn't it? I know what you mean about not having the mental bandwidth to read many new things — I, too have been rereading some old faves. I don't know Alexander Key, but it sounds interesting.

[Janice J.]

Thank you. That is good information. I love these little bits of inside history that we sometimes get here :)

Yes, the titles are silly, as if a malfunctioning AI were choosing them. I have learned to look past them now, but back in the day I wouldn't let people see that I was reading a Harlequin; I just didn't want to get into it with them. I knew I wouldn't change any minds.

No Australia? Has that changed now? People here don't know a lot about Australian history. Is it an unexplored setting?

[Anne Gracie]

No there were a few Australian set historicals in the UK line — but my editor said something like "Australia only has convicts and gold and we've had quite enough of that!" Ignoring completely that the book I'd proposed had neither convicts nor gold. I ended up using a re-written version of the opening I'd written for it for His Captive Lady. I'd originally written it as a bullock wagon hauling through the thick forest of Gippsland (part of the state of Victoria, an area I'm very familiar with). I turned it into an English forest instead.

But she was also uninterested in Scottish settings as well, so it was a personal thing, I think.

And these days, since publishers in Australia finally cottoned on to romance, there have been quite a few Australian historicals published here. I'm not sure that our history has a lot of appeal to overseas people, though. One day I will write the book I wanted to write.

[Binnie Syril Braunstein]

I just finished Mary Jo's Lady of Fortune and I loved it. No spoilers here, but plenty of applause on the way things worked out for characters I came to love. I'm now working my way through Rebecca Zanetti's chilling (pun intended-lots of snow and ice) You Can Hide. Lots of black dahlias, too. Be kind and please don'y scatter any on my lawn. Happy reading!

[Constance]

Not much to offer this month, but very much enjoyed the four books I’ve finished:
Ms. Demeanor (great title, no?) by Elinor Lipman was recommended by my sister who warned it might take a while to get into, with which I agree. But it was definitely worth it if you enjoy dry wit and the vagaries of human nature. A successful litigator in New York City ends up with a suspended license and 6 months of home confinement, ankle monitor included, after having a romantic interlude on the rooftop terrace of her building reported to the police by a neighbor. There are many laugh-out-loud moments on the way to a very satisfactory ending.
Miss Devotion, the latest in Grace Burrowes’s Mischief in Mayfair series, was pretty formulaic but her writing is so good it doesn’t matter. It follows the story of the brother of the heroine of an earlier installment, and a widow who wants to be recognized as a great portraitist at a time when women were not accepted readily into the Royal Academy. Their romance is not a slow burn, but the challenges they face in finding their HEA are realistic and affecting.
A Killing of Innocents is the latest in Deborah Crombie’s mystery series featuring detectives Duncan Kincaid and Gemma Jones, along with their families and friends, in modern day London. The mystery, as always, is intriguing and not easy to figure out, but even more compelling, also as always in this series, are the relationships among the recurring characters and the depiction of London life. Each book also has the most wonderful map of the section of London featured in the story!
Last, but most certainly not least, was Mary Jo’s Lady of Fortune, which I gobbled up like chocolates one snowy day! Lovely story, wonderful H&H, just enough tension, just enough humor, just perfect!
And, Anne, I’m sure we’re all now waiting for that story you wanted to write! I think Australia has a fascinating history and could inspire innumerable historical romances - and you’d be the one to tell them!

[Annette N]

I always enjoy finding what y'all are reading, have read or plan to read. And I inevitably find books I need.
You have much for which to answer.
Thanks for the post. Thanks for introducing me to new books.
I have had a hard time reading recently. Some ups and some downs. Lots of books which simply did not do it for me.
For instance, I did some rereads and was reminded how much I had enjoyed those old books.
Again, I thank you so much for everyone telling me about more books I will enjoy.

[Karin]

I read mostly outside my usual genres of historical romance and historical mystery this month. I read Heartmate by Robin D. Owens, a sci-fi romance which takes place on a planet somewhere, populated by people originally from Earth, who fled in spaceships long ago after being persecuted for their paranormal abilities. Not the greatest sci-fi, but if you're looking for pure escapism, this might hit the spot.
I read an old Silhouette book, Outlaw Lover, which was romantic suspense, set on a Native American reservation in the U.S. West. Very likeable hero and heroine, the author did her homework on the setting.
Then 2 Harlequin romantic suspense books by Susan Cliff featuring U.S. Navy SEALS, always a popular choice for a hero! In "Stranded With The Navy SEAL'(they do tell you exactly what's in the package with category titles!) the hero and heroine are stranded on a small island in the Pacific. So a large part of the book is how they survive, making fire, finding food, building a shelter, etc. The heroine is a chef, so she knows how to make the most of whatever they are able to catch or forage. Think Robinson Crusoe with a slow burn romance, great stuff! I enjoyed it so much that I looked for another book by Cliff, and found "Navy SEAL Rescue". This one is set in the Middle East, and after the hero escapes from captivity, he, the heroine, and a group of refugees make their way to safety, climbing mountains and dodging terrorist groups along the way. Both of these books had great believable settings and characters that rang true to me, and they were page-turners.

[Teresa Broderick]

I've had a mixed months reading and am in a bit of a slump. I did a few re reads to try and kick start my reading. On audio I listened to Evil Under the Sun by Agatha Christie and I enjoyed it. My re reads were Bachelor Duke by Mary Nichols who is a favourite author of mine but I wasn't enamored of this one this time. Marrying Miss Hemingford by the same author is an absolute favourite and I loved it again.
Followed on with Pride and Prejudice and then a total change to From Time to Time by Jack Finney. I do like this author and have read quite a bit of his works.
I'm now doing one of my regular dips into my childhood reading and enjoying Enid Blyton books.
I just bought A Season For Love as I do like the sound of it. Great post!!

[Anne Gracie]

Lady of Fortune is a lovely book, isn't it, Binnie Syril? I'm glad you enjoyed it. I don't know if I could read a chilling book with lots of snow and ice, while in the dead of winter! I'd be saving those for summer. ;) And black dahlias? I don't get the reference.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Constance. Mary Jo's Lady of Fortune is lovely, I agree. And you've reminded me that I've fallen behind with the Deborah Crombie books. I have most of them, but they're still in boxes — I haven't set up my new library yet. Am dreading the cull that will have to take place.

Thanks for the vote of confidence re my Australian historical — the characters and story are still alive in my brain, and gently reminding me that they want to be written, but there are other priorities needing to be written first.

[Anne Gracie]

Hi Annette. It's annoying when you hit a reading slump and find it hard to find a book you simply dive into. I do the same as you when I'm in that position — dive into old favorites.

[Anne Gracie]

Thank you, Karin. I'll check out your recommendations, as I'm in a bit of a reading slump myself. I also reread an old silhouette recently — The Notorious Groom, by Caroline Cross — and really enjoyed it. Not romantic suspense, just a nice marriage of convenience story. I have a weakness for those. *g*

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Teresa, I think some of the Enid Blyton books have been rewritten for political correctness. There's a lot of that around. :( I don't think I've read Mary Nichols, or Jack Finney, so I'll try them out — thanks.

[Kareni]

I read Heartmate a number of years ago, Karin, and many of the sequels. I found them to be fun/light reads.

[Kareni]

I don't believe I've read From Time to Time, Teresa, but Finney's Time and Again is a book that has lived on my shelf for years. I still have a fondness for books with a time travel element.

[Kareni]

I agree, Constance, that Ms. Demeanor is a great title!

[Janice J.]

I hope you do write that book :)

I have come up with one Australia-set novel I liked very much - The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline. Set in 1840, the story of a bunch of people who arrived in Australia the hard way, as convicts, and one native Australian girl. I would recommend it.

[Anne Gracie]

Thanks, Janice — and thanks for that book rec. which I haven't read. There are actually lots of Australian historicals — though not necessarily romances. The question is whether the rest of the world is interested in them.
One you might enjoy — and can get hold of is Golden Urchin by Madeleine Brent. Not easily available any longer but maybe in used bookstores or libraries. Set in Outback Australia.

[Teresa Broderick]

From Time to Time is a follow up to Time and Again Kareni but there were a lot of years between both books. It isn't the same as T&G. It's more descriptive and meandering but I enjoyed it for the slow pace and walking through the past with a great author.

[Teresa Broderick]

I heard they were Anne but I believe they didn't do very well. I'm sick of all this rewriting hullabaloo!! I read them as of the time they were written. How can anyone learn from the past if they keep erasing it.

[Janice J.]

I reemmber Golden Urchin! I tumbled to the fact that the author was a male (Peter O'Donnell, who wrote the Modesty Blaise stories) when he spent three pages describing the features of a wooden rowboat. It was a good story :)

[Kareni]

Thank you, Teresa, for that information!