I Otter Be Reading

Overall:   Hannah and Simon are a couple on a train headed to Amsterdam for Simon’s sister’s wedding.  They end up in different parts of the train to try and get some sleep.  But, during the night, the train separates and Hannah finds herself in Paris, instead of Amsterdam like Simon and all their luggage.  She has nothing but her phone.  No charger, no luggage, no clothes, no purse.  Then, she loses her phone too!  Luckily, she runs into another passenger who was also in the wrong car who needs to get to Amsterdam.  This other passenger, Leo, is from Paris, and he sees she has nothing, and tries to help her out.  Especially after she injures
her ankle tripping over his luggage!  But, they find out that there is no train going to Amsterdam for many hours.  So, they decide to spend the day together killing time before their train.  He shows her around the amazing city of Paris on a motorcycle.   Leo is a laid-back musician from Pairs, and very different than Hannah’s boyfriend Simon, who is very controlling and Type A.  Hannah and Leo spend a whole day together seeing Paris and then do finally travel to Amsterdam, together.  Hannah has lots of concerns about her relationship with her boyfriend Simon.  Meeting this new man Leo in Pairs just put’s them under a microscope for her to really have to think about what she wants for her future.  Will this chance meeting with a stranger in a Paris train station really change her entire life?       

Opinion:  I have never been to Paris and have always wanted to go.  I buy any book about Paris!  When I read that this book was about being stranded in Paris with a handsome stranger for the day, sightseeing in Paris.…. I had to buy it.  It sounded wonderful!  I loved the beautiful descriptions of all the places they went together.  I did feel that Paris magic I was hoping for.  Also, I liked Hannah’s character.  However, I did not really love the relationships that Hannah had with Leo or with Simon.  I did not feel any spark of chemistry really between her and either of the men.  Simon seems like a total jerk.  Leo seems nice for all the things he does for her while they are there.  But, he also seems argumentative and judgmental towards her too.  I think she would be better off without either of them!  All in all, the premise of this book was very promising but I feel quite disappointed with the actual story.  Next to no romance at all in the City of Love?  What a waste.  Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by most of this book and would not recommend it.  Rating 5 out of 10       

Overall:   This is a locked-room murder mystery about a ski chalet in the French Alps that gets hit by a snowstorm / avalanche and traps everyone there. The two employees running the chalet, along with the executive team of a music-sharing app start-up called Snoop, all become cut off from civilization with no cell service, power, heat, or water …. and that is the least of their problems.  Members of their tight-knit company start to disappear and others are killed.  One by one, their numbers are dwindling, along with their food and their sanity.  None of them can figure out what is happening to their co-workers, but many of them have secrets to hide and motives for murder.  They came to this mountain retreat in the first place because the founding members can’t agree on what to do with their start-up next.  They have a very lucrative buy-out deal on the table that some of them want to accept.  While the others want to remain in control of the company and take it public themselves.  They tried to keep everyone happy by taking in a recreational day of skiing.  However, one of their members never returned from the day of skiing.  Then the big snowstorm rolls in, there is an avalanche, and they are all now trapped together in the chalet worrying about their friend who is still out there somewhere on the mountain.  Only one of them knows where she really is and what exactly happened to her.  Only one of them knows that she is never making it back.      

Opinion:  I found the idea of this music sharing app to be really interesting, and that made the start-up company of Snoop very believeable right from the start.  We get introduced to all the members of the company, and there are a lot of them.  It is hard to keep track of who is who.  The author must have realized this, because there is a helpful section in the front of the book that lists some of their names and descriptions, but does not include everyone for some reason.  I had to bookmark this page and look back at it for half the book until I remembered who everyone was.  Plus, with so many characters, you don’t get a full in-depth feeling for who each of them are.  But, I do love a locked-room murder mystery!  This one was good.  It was believeable the whole time, meaning everyone had reasons for doing what they did.  The story is both a mystery and a thriller.  The plot pacing was good.  I was always wondering what was going to happen next.  There was a lot of suspense throughout the whole book.  I liked that they were all fighting against the problems from the storm (avalanche, snowed-in, no Wi-Fi service, unable to get help, no electricity, no heat, no water) …. and also the fighting against the problems of people being murdered, and knowing they are trapped with a murderer, but not knowing who it is.  There were no plot holes in the mystery, and the ending was exciting.  I recommend this book anytime you want to read it, but reading it in the cold & snowy wintertime (like I did) is best.  Rating 9 out of 10       

Overall:   Isla Thompson just got fired from her job as a social media consultant for the rich and famous. She is now an unemployable, former influencer in Manhattan who desperately needs a job to support herself and her 14 year old sister Dani.  She takes the first job she can get, being a dog-sitter for a very spoiled, and devil-tempered Dachshund named Camilla.  The dog’s handsome  owner is Theo Garrison, who inherited the hell-hound dog from his socialite/philanthropist Grandmother who recently passed away.  Theo is busy running the family publishing empire that he has been running since his parents died, and he has no time or interest in being a “dog-dad”.  He has gone through numerous dog-sitters already because he can’t find anyone that Camilla will be nice to.  But, Isla radiates warmth and sunshine and Camilla takes a liking to her right away.  Theo does too.  But, he does not have time for, nor wants to be in any kind of relationship with neither a dog or a human.  Theo has a nickname as ‘The Hermit of 5th Avenue”.  He does have a harsh, stay-away-from-me, type of exterior.  But, once she gets to know him, Isla sees him as kind, sweet, and funny.  She needs to see him only as her boss though, because she can’t do anything to jeopardize her paychecks that she desperately needs.  But, as the two spend more time together, they start to think that they just might be what the  other has been looking for all along.     

Opinion:  I liked that this was a cute take on, The Devil Wears Prada. (I loved that book!)  I enjoyed that there was a Dachshund as one of the main characters in the book.  Her posh and pampered lifestyle was ridiculous, but I guess that is how those wealthy Manhattanites really treat their pets?  I liked how the story had a modern, social media focus too.  The relationship between Isla and Theo was both realistic and romantic.  I liked that this was a sweet rom-com, but also had serious topics mixed into the story.  These were two grown adults with various heavy baggage, trying to navigate their own lives, and their lives in a relationship with eachother.  I also loved the sunshine / grumpy trope.  The only issue I had with the plot is that you could see the “3rd Act Conflict” coming from a mile away.  This is not to much of an issue I suppose, since all rom-com’s have that conflict for the couple to overcome before they get their happily-ever-after.  At least it was not from some stupid miscommunication  or misunderstanding like in some books.  

This is the first book in what will be a series of stand-alone books called, “Paws In The City” series.  They will all feature female friendships, cute pets, and lots of romance in NYC.  I really did enjoy this adorable story of Theo, Isla, & Camilla.  It was romantic without being sappy or sentimental or over dramatic.  It was a believeable storyline that was sweet and a little spicy too.  Overall an entertaining and enjoyable rom-com.  I will be reading the next book in this series when it comes out.  Rating 8 out of 10           

Overall:   Noelle Butterby gets stranded along with hundreds of other motorists on a very unexpectedly snowy night in England.  The blizzard shuts down the roads for the night until they can get it cleared when the snow eases up.  Noelle is obviously not prepared for such an emergency.  She has no food or water with her and her phone charger does not work.  Luckily, the stranded motorist in the car next to her asks if she needs anything. He is a very handsome American named
Sam Attwood.  He has a nice warm car and a phone charger she can use.  They talk all night and end up having a wonderful time together stranded in his car.  When the roads get clear, they go their separate ways and expect to never see eachother again because he is flying back home to the United States.  But, fate has other plans for them.  They unexpectedly run into eachother again and again until they realize that the Universe might be trying to tell them both something.      

Opinion:  This is a Hallmark-Movie type wintertime romance love story.  It is a wholesome, sweet story about fate leading us to our destiny.   I really liked the two main characters, and there are lots of interesting secondary characters in the story as well.  The book is not all sappy sweetness either.  It deals with lots of life’s struggles such as post-partum depression,  car accident deaths, health problems, family troubles, anxiety, suicide … many deep issues are covered in this book.  But, it is not a depressing story at all.  It is a story about two young people trying to find their way through their lives and somehow be able to achieve the dreams they are hoping for.  They are doing the best they can, and trying to live their lives along the way.  The plot is both realistic and romantic as Noelle and Sam grow and learn as they navigate through their lives, trying to grow into the people they are meant to be.  It was a heartwarming, heartbreaking, and also very charming romance that I really enjoyed reading.  It was perfect for Valentine’s Day!  Rating 8 out of 10               

Overall:  This is the 3^rd and final book in the “Inheritance Games Series”.  The first book, The Inheritance Games, was one the best books I read in 2022.  I loved it and rated it a 10 out of 10.  The second book I liked, but it was not as fantastic as the first book.  This third book starts off just where the second book ended.  As part of the inheritance terms of the will, Avery had to live (survive) in Hawthorne House
with the Hawthorne family for one year.  Her year is almost up.  She will be turning 18 soon, her year of living in the house will be over after that and she will become one of the richest people in the world.  But, of course there are several unexpected and new complications.  A surprise visitor shows up at Hawthorne House to stir things up.  No one knows why she is there and if she can be trusted.  Two people that Avery cares about are kidnapped.  Also, the old man leaves Avery one last riddle to solve.  In the previous books, we thought they had figured out why the rich old man chose Avery to inherit all his fortune, even though she did not know the old man.  But, in this book, she finds out that he did it for a different reason entirely…and not a good one.   All those things are intertwined together throughout this book and Avery and the Hawthorne grandsons all work together to try and figure out everything and win the game before it’s too late.     

Opinion:  This book is fast paced, suspenseful, and fun to read.  You never know what the next move will be and I love how you get to go along for the ride right along with Avery as she makes decisions and tries to do the right thing.  Avery is a wonderful lead female character for this YA series.  She makes a great role model. She is brave, smart, creative, adventurous, independent and strong-willed.  This book is still filled with new riddles and puzzles and things for them to figure out and solve.  There is still the love triangle of Avery / Jameson / Greyson. 
However, by the end of this book Avery makes her choice and you understand that she made the right one.  The very end of the book/series wraps-up in a believable way for Avery’s character.  I loved this 3 book series and recommend it to anyone who loves books about inheritance mysteries / games / puzzles / riddles.  It is so smartly written and full of excitement.  Rating 9 out of 10

I heard that these books are going to be made into a series on Amazon Prime.  I think that is a great idea!  This series in so action packed and full of cool and unique visual imagery.  If they do it right, it should be so much fun to watch!       

Overall:  This book is about a wife, a husband, two daughters, and a home-wrecker.  Amber Patterson is envious of everything she does not have …. money, prestige, power.    She is a con-artist scheming to get all the things she wants in life.  What she wants now is the perfect life of Daphne Parrish.   The very rich,
beautiful, pampered, socialite wife of the handsome and successful Jackson Parrish.  Amber schemes and plans how to manipulate herself into Daphne’s first-class life and become her friend.  Daphne welcomes Amber into her charity
organization and they do become unlikely friends.  But, Amber has everyone fooled and is not the sweet, helpful, meek, young woman they think she is.  Amber does everything she can to get closer to Daphne’s handsome husband Jackson.  Amber wants to become his new wife and steal Daphne’s beautiful life right out from under her.  Amber is ruthless and will stop at nothing until she gets what she thinks she deserves.    

Opinion:  I would call this book a disturbing domestic thriller with some great twists.  It is not particularly thrilling or suspenseful, but the plot moves along at a good pace throughout.  This is a unique and addictive story that just keeps you always wanting to read more to find out what happens next.  This is a ‘don’t-judge-a-book-by-it’s cover’, cautionary tale.  It is a clever story with some villainous characters that keep you interested the whole way through.  The twists are shocking and wickedly wonderful.  The ending is perfect and very satisfying.  I highly recommend this captivating book.  Rating 9 out of 10  

Overall:  First of all, if you have not read Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None, you need to read that book before you read this one!  (And why wouldn’t you read it, it is one of the most perfect murder mystery novels ever written!)  Anyway, the entire plot of this book by Peter Swanson is blatantly stolen directly from that book.  That Christie novel is discussed all throughout this book, and the ending of that books is given away in this one.  So, you really need to read that book first, or it will be ruined for you forever.  That said, this book, Nine Lives, is about 9 strangers that each get an envelope with a list in it.  The list is of 9 names and their name is on it.  None of the people on the list know eachother or seem to have anything in common.  They do not think much of the list and some even throw it away, not worried at all about what it is, or why their name is on it.  But, one of the people on the list is FBI Agent Jessica Winslow.  She finds out that one of the people on the list was murdered, while holding the list in his hand.  This gets her investigating the list and what possible connections the 9 names on the list might have to eachother.  She does not think the 9 names were chosen at random by a crazy serial killer.  She believes that even though each person on the list she calls says they do not know any of the other names on the list, Jessica thinks they have to be somehow linked.  She is working on the mystery of who these people are and why they are on this list, but, then another person on the list is murdered, and then another.  By then, everyone on the list that is still alive is put under police protection and scared that they will be the next to die.  FBI Agent Winslow is trying to solve the case before her name comes up to be the next one killed.    

Opinion:  Again, you need to read Agatha Christie’s, And Then There Were None, before you read this book!  I bought this book because it was based on that amazingly good one. I knew it was “based” on that book, but I wish it was not so similar!  Not nearly enough was changed in my opinion.  However, there was a surprise add-on to the ending of this book that is new and not something that Christie could have done in her book.  As for this book, I enjoyed it.  I appreciated that at the very beginning of the book, there is a page that tells you all the names on the list and gives you a brief description of each person. That was very helpful and I put a Post-It Note on that page and kept referring to it for a while until I knew who all the characters were.  The pace of the plot was quick, and there was always suspense to keep you guessing on who was going to be the next victim.  The book kept you reading with its short chapters and it’s plot line of wondering if the FBI Agent was going to solve the case or get murdered before she figured it out.  I really enjoyed the book.  Probably because this thriller was so much like the Christie book.  This book is an entertaining, well told, well paced, murder mystery.  I did not want to put it down.  So, if you have already read, And Then There Were None, and enjoy murder mystery / thrillers, I think you will really enjoy this book too.  Rating 9 out of 10  

I have had this book review website for a year now.  It is a lot of work, but I am enjoying it.  I hope you are enjoying reading my book reviews blog too.  This is my very first year-in-review post!  I read so many good books this year, it was very hard to narrow it down to just 10 favorites.  But, here are my Top 10 Favorite Books Of 2022.  They are listed and photographed in no particular order.  Just 10 great book suggestions for you to consider.  In case you are looking for a few good books to read this winter.  I highly recommend these books.  

I am just writing a quick synopsis of the books here, but if you want to find out more about any of them, just click on the title, and it will send you to my full-length review of the book.  Hopefully you can find one or two here that you will enjoy reading!  They are listed in no particular order:

THE KIND WORTH KILLING:  A thriller full of twist and turns about a man who makes plans with a stranger he meets on a plane to kill his wife, who he believes is having a secret affair.  Things do not go how you think they will.   

THE INHERITANCE GAMES:  A fast-paced, family inheritance mystery full of riddles, puzzles, and secrets about a girl who suddenly inherits billions from a man she has never met and does not even know.                       

THE GUEST LIST:  The “It Couple” plans a lavish, expensive wedding on a secluded island and someone winds up dead.  A unique murder mystery where you don’t know who the killer is, or who dies either.  

BETTER THAN THE MOVIES:  A sweet and funny High School contemporary romance filled with all the romance novel tropes we love.  As a bonus, it is all about the 80’s classic rom-coms!

THE PARIS APARTMENT:  A mysterious, atmospheric thriller about a woman trying to find her missing brother in a strange old Paris apartment building filled with highly suspicious tenants. 

NO EXIT:  An exciting, action packed thriller about being stranded at a roadside Rest Stop during a mountain blizzard with strangers, some of whom are possibly child kidnappers and/or murders.  

BOYFRIEND MATERIAL:  A sweet, LGBTQ, fake-dating romance set in England that is full of heart, and hilarious, witty dialogue and banter.  

A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER:  A girl decides to do her senior project about the murder of another girl from her High School who was killed a few years ago.  It was ruled a murder / suicide, but she does not believe that is actually what happened.  

NEON GODS:  A modern re-telling of the Hades and Persephone story from Greek Mythology.  It is uniquely set in an ultra-modern version of the city of Olympus.  It is a very steamy romance, full of hot and spicy sex scenes.  

NOVEMBER 9:  A beautiful, heartbreaking, hopeful romance with a twist.  Two people  meet on November 9th, and have an instant strong connection.  But, they are young and one is moving to New York.  They decide not to contact eachother at all throughout the year, but only meet up every year on that same date.    

Overall:  One December day Laurie is on a crowded London bus on her way home from work.  At a bus stop, she looks out her bus window and locks eyes with a man.  She does not know this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, they lock eyes and neither of them looks away.  She feels the magic between them and if the
bus was not completely packed with passengers, she would have gotten off the
bus to go over to him and introduce herself.  She has never felt love at first sight before, and spends the whole next year searching London trying to find him again.  Then one day, she is rewarded and finally sees the stranger again.  Only problem is that when she sees him, he is being introduced to her as Jack, her best friend’s new boyfriend.  Jack and Laurie both remember eachother from that magical moment at the bus stop, but they can’t say anything to eachother about it because Laurie’s best friend Sarah is so busy excitedly introducing her new boyfriend Jack to her.  Sarah and Jack are now together and so Laurie and Jack are forced to become just friends.  They try to navigate this friendship for the next many years while Sarah and Jack are in a relationship, and Sarah and Laurie are best friends and roommates.  They are all twenty-somethings trying to find themselves and figure out their lives, loves, careers, and futures.  This story about
Laurie and Jack takes place over a ten-year period.  Will the timing ever be right for both of them to finally be able to be together?  Maybe the timing is never right because they are just really not meant to be together?  Or will the stars align and let their love-at-first-sight feelings truly be their destiny after all?    

Opinion:  This is a charming book for the hopeless romantic in all of us.  This is not your typical love story of boy meets girl and they fall in love.  Yes, that happens, with their love at first sight. But real life often gets in the way of people’s happiness.  This is not a funny, lighthearted rom-com.  It is much more realistic.  (I know that sounds strange about a love-at-first-sight-story.)  But, over the many years of this story, there are successes and tragedies, happiness and disappointments, things that we all go through in our lives.  I like that this story was written from both Laurie and Jack’s points of view so you can know what they are both thinking.   They go through so much in their twenties and really grow as people throughout the story.  I loved all the characters in the book. 
I was really rooting for the timing to finally be right for Jack and Laurie to be able to be together.  If you like romance, this is a delightful, heartwarming, wintertime read that I highly recommend.  Rating 9 out of 10  

Overall:  By the charming Christmastime cover of this book, I just thought it was just a sweet Christmas romance story.  Well, I was sort of right, it is a cute Christmas romance, but it is also surprisingly steamy!  I was not prepared for the level of spice this book has!  That said, it is a grumpy + sunshine trope, where the woman is the grumpy and the man is the sunshine.  I love an opposites attract
romance and this book delivers that….. along with some very unexpected sexy spice and lots of dirty talk!

Stella stops to look at the holiday window display of a fancy department store.  She finds it lacking and pathetic, even though she could never afford to shop there, she does not like the display the have.  Asking for her opinion about the window and definitely getting it is Aiden.  He just happens to own the store and challenges her to do the window display job better.  She applies for the job even though she is an ex-con who thinks she will never get hired.  Stella is hired on a trial basis by the hot store owner Aiden who believes in her ideas and wants to help her get her fresh start.  Aiden’s upbeat and cheerful personality is the perfect match for Stella’s fear and pessimism.  Stella turns out to be wonderful at her job
as a window dresser and really enjoys her work.  Stella and Aiden become romantically involved while trying to navigate the office romance situation of him being her boss.  Plus, trying to balance the dynamics of other members of his family working there too and finding out about Stella’s past.  Also, Stella’s best friend gets released from prison and wants to pick-up right where they left-off, but Stella is trying to start a new and very different life.   Despite being such opposites in every way and living very different lives before they meet, Stella and Aiden are good for eachother.  They both help eachother grow as people.  Stella gains confidence and independence and Aiden gains strength and the ability to stand up to his family.  I liked the ending of this book and wish it were longer so I could find out more about how their life turns out.    

Opinion:  This book is a “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”!  I mean that for the actual physical book because the cover makes it look like a bland holiday romance, but it is very spicy inside.  But, also the storyline is a “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”  because Stella looks very rough around the edges and is just out of prison, but Aiden did not judge her for that.  He gave her a chance and she proved to be very talented at her job, and a great romantic partner for him as well.  The unexpected and interesting storyline is not your typical, cutesy holiday romance.  It has unusual depth, while also being sarcastic and sexy at the same time.  I would recommend this book if you are looking for a quick, and quirky read with lots of sexy spice this holiday season, this book is for you.  Rating:  7 out of 10