The King's Seal

 

The King's Seal (Magicians of Venice Book 3)- Amy Kuivalainen

BHC Press

Release Date: June 24, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: The search for the legendary ring of King Solomon has begun, and Penelope must sift through its long and convoluted history of lost emperors, crusaders, and other famous historical figures—including one with whom the magicians share their own complicated past— if she hopes to find it in time.

As Penelope's magic continues to grow stronger with the coming high tide, she and Alexis will have to depend upon each other more than ever to keep everyone they care about safe from the continuing attacks by Thevetat’s priests.

When the magical high tide finally peaks, the long-awaited battle against Thevetat will begin, and Penelope, Alexis, and the magicians will have to rely on both powers of old and new if they hope to defeat their enemy once and for all.

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The King's Seal is the third and final book in the Magicians of Venice trilogy- here Penelope and the magicians must find the Ring of Solomon to help them defeat Thevatat and his plan to not only provide a body for himself but also unleash more demons on the world. Penelope learns more about the complicated histories of her friends, meets an emperor, and begins to try and understand her place in this magical world- which includes understanding powers of her own.

The Magicians of Venice is definitely a trilogy that should be read in order. Each book builds on the other as pasts are unveiled, alliances formed, and the danger Thevatat and his followers presents build to the ultimate climax. But it isn't all terror at the coming fight. Like in The Immortal City and The Sea of the Dead, Amy Kuivalainen takes time to develop her cast of characters and provide bits of the joy, awe, and sorrow that must come from being immortal. Meeting the emperor Constantine brings up emotions from all of the magician's pasts and when the Sforzas and Medicis are brought into the mix we get to see Phaidros and Aelia at some of their most emotional states (both for better and worse). Thankfully in a house of magicians there's always someone able to put the thrown china and other breakables back together. 

I enjoyed the continued thread of Phaidros and Aelia in their will-they-won't-they relationship, especially since we finally get to see Aelia at her most vulnerable and hear why they haven't gotten together when the two of them seem to be the only ones who don't realize they are in love with each other. With the continuing threats Alexis is at some of his fiercest Defender moments, but there are also delightfully sweet and tender scenes with Penelope as she helps him remember the good that was Atlantis and not just the wars. Penelope continues to be her strong and stubborn self, refusing to be overawed by ancient magicians or murdering demons.  She and Marco take things in admirable stride, no matter what weirdness gets thrown at them. Constantine helps shake things up but also helps bring together the final battle and fits well into the mix.

At first reading I thought the final battle was a little anticlimactic, but after thinking about it for a few minutes I changed my mind. No spoilers here but I think it ended exactly the way it should have.  In the end, life goes on and learning to celebrate the joys as well as the sorrows is something even immortal magicians need to learn.  Kuivalainen wrapped things up beautifully, but maybe we can still hope for more in this world of hers. Constantine may be a jerk at times but would be an interesting spin off, as would focusing on some of the magicians we get less of like Zo or Galenos and Lyca  Even more interesting would be going back to Atlantis and the first wars that ended the island. But even if this is the last book Kuivalainen writes in this world, it is certainly a world we can be grateful we can return to any time, just by picking up the books. It is certainly one I plan on returning to frequently.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Confidence Men

 

The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History- Margalit Fox

Random House

Release Date: June 1, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Imprisoned in a remote Turkish POW camp during World War I, having survived a two-month forced march and a terrifying shootout in the desert, two British officers, Harry Jones and Cedric Hill, join forces to bamboozle their iron-fisted captors. To stave off despair and boredom, Jones takes a handmade Ouija board and fakes elaborate séances for his fellow prisoners. Word gets around, and one day an Ottoman official approaches Jones with a query: Could Jones contact the spirit world to find a vast treasure rumored to be buried nearby? Jones, a trained lawyer, and Hill, a brilliant magician, use the Ouija board—and their keen understanding of the psychology of deception—to build a trap for their captors that will ultimately lead them to freedom. 

A gripping nonfiction thriller, The Confidence Men is the story of one of the only known con games played for a good cause—and of a profound but unlikely friendship. Had it not been for “the Great War,” Jones, the Oxford-educated son of a British lord, and Hill, a mechanic on an Australian sheep ranch, would never have met. But in pain, loneliness, hunger, and isolation, they formed a powerful emotional and intellectual alliance that saved both of their lives. 

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When we think of great POW escapes, we generally think of the daring tunnelers who escaped from German POW camps (The Escape Artists).  But in The Confidence Men, Margalit Fox introduces us to perhaps the most unusual POW escape in history.  In a remote POW camp in Turkey, British POWs tried a variety of methods to entertain themselves, including making a Ouija board to try and contact spirits. Harry Jones became an expert at running the board and tricked his fellow officers into believing they were talking to spirits. in séances. When the men running the camp heard Jones was a talented medium, what began as a way for Jones to pass the time and entertain his fellow prisoners became the basis of a long con that would eventually lead to freedom for himself and his partner Cedric Hill- via six months in a Turkish asylum.

Margalit Fox does an excellent job balancing the story of Jones and Hill with explanations on why the con worked- the psychological and sociological factors behind séances and spiritualism of the times, the psychology of cons both long and short, and the various factors that allow them to work.  I never felt like these aspects of the story were forced in, they flowed as a part of a behind-the-scenes aspect of the con Jones and Hill were performing. Using detailed research, including the men's autobiographies, Fox describes how Jones and Hill were able to trick the camp prisoners, commandants, and medical professionals at an asylum into believing first that the séances were real and second that the madness the two men suffered as a result of those séances was real.  

Confidence Men reads as a gripping thriller, a psychological drama that had real life or death consequences, You hear Jones and Hill's voices, feel the weight of the challenge they have set for themselves, the stress they are constantly under and the physical and mental effects when they reach the asylum. You cheer every victory and, even knowing from page one that they will eventually succeed in their plan, you worry along with them every step of the way for all of the things that could go wrong. 

An excellent read for World War I historians, military history aficionados, and people whose interest lies solely in the confidence game, Confidence Men is a book for the casual reader as well as the dedicated historian.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summer of No Attachments

 

The Summer of No Attachments- Lori Foster

HQN Books

Release Date: June 22, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Symopsis: After putting the brakes on her dead-end relationship, local veterinarian Ivey Anders is ready to soak up this summer on her own terms. The way she sees it, no dating means no disappointment. Why complicate life with anything long-term? But when she meets Corbin Meyer—and his troubled young son, Justin—Ivey’s no-strings strategy threatens to unravel before she can put it into practice.

Trust doesn’t come easy for Ivey’s best friend, Hope Mage, a veterinary-clinic assistant who’s affected by an incident that’s colored every relationship she’s had. Though Hope’s happy for Ivey, she can’t quite open her own heart to the possibility of love. Not just yet… Maybe not ever. Soon, however, she’s faced with a dilemma—Corbin’s older brother, Lang. He’s charming, he’s kind…and he may just be the reason Hope needs to finally tear down her walls.

And as the sweet summer months unspool, the two friends discover love won’t give up on them so easily.

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Corbin is a laid back guy who's just discovered he's a dad- to a 10 year old boy. Corbin and Justin move to  the small town of Sunset and meet Ivey, a veterinarian with a huge heart for both animals and people. Having just broken up with her boyfriend, Ivey is planning on having a summer of no attachments- just casual, laid back fun. The biggest attachment she'll have is to a new dog, Daisy, and her pups that have come into the clinic. That plan goes out the window as soon as Ivey and Corbin meet. The two click perfectly. It isn't just a case of explosive chemistry- it is better than that. They click. They discover that together they are the better versions of themselves, that supporting one another makes them an incredible unit. Neither planned to find forever, both are worried about what too much change could do to Justin, but how do you ignore it when the perfect partner falls into your life?

It might sound sappy, but I loved Lori Foster's book because of how easily and nicely the people fit together. This wasn't a story of instant lust, chemistry and danger. It was a story of family and friends who are family, of support and discovering who you are and who you can be.  Ivey didn't have to change anything about herself to fit into Corbin's life, they worked simply by being themselves. I loved how the character of Hope, Ivey's friend, was written- someone who's lived through trauma and is slowly becoming comfortable with herself and others again. Ivey supports her with friendship instead of pity and never suggests Hope can't or shouldn't do something because of her fears. The two women simply give it to each other straight and support whatever decisions are made. Hope gets to come out of her shell and still face some of her past, and we get to see her grow and move on as she does. Hope may be a 'secondary' character but she (and her relationship with Corbin's brother Lang) never feels secondary, and gets plenty of page time and development.

An overall lovely new book, this looks at family and friends, the bad as well as the good, and how we are all more able to face the bad when we have a solid core of good in our corner. And never have to change who we are to get it. A book of humor and fun, heart and heat, a perfect summer romance.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Madhouse at the End of the Earth

 

Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night- Julian Sancton

Crown

Release Date: May 4, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: In this epic tale, Julian Sancton unfolds a story of adventure and horror for the ages. As the Belgica’s men teetered on the brink, de Gerlache relied increasingly on two young officers whose friendship had blossomed in captivity: the expedition’s lone American, Dr. Frederick Cook—half genius, half con man—whose later infamy would overshadow his brilliance on the Belgica; and the ship’s first mate, soon-to-be legendary Roald Amundsen, even in his youth the storybook picture of a sailor. Together, they would plan a last-ditch, nearly certain-to-fail escape from the ice—one that would either etch their names in history or doom them to a terrible fate at the ocean’s bottom.

Drawing on the diaries and journals of the Belgica’s crew and with exclusive access to the ship’s logbook, Sancton brings novelistic flair to a story of human extremes, one so remarkable that even today NASA studies it for research on isolation for future missions to Mars. Equal parts maritime thriller and gothic horror, Madhouse at the End of the Earth is an unforgettable journey into the deep.

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I've read several books about expeditions to the Arctic (Labyrinth of Ice), as explorers search for the Northwest Passage and brave polar bears to reach the North Pole. But this is the first book I've read on exploring Antarctica. By the late 1890s Antartica was one of the last places on earth to be explored, a blank space on a map to fill in. Adrien de Gerlache of Belgium wanted to fulfill a boyhood dream of being a polar explorer and saw Antarctica as a way to claim glory for himself and Belgium. What followed was perhaps one of the first international exploration efforts, as the crew of the Belgica sailed to Antarctica to claim new records for Belgium's glory and scientific research.  As the book's title suggests (and anyone who has read anything on polar exploration already knows) this voyage cannot possibly go smoothly. The Belgica becomes trapped in the ice and the crew is forced to winter in Antarctica.  Between inactivity, months of darkness, and scurvy, the men suffer to various degrees both physically and mentally.  

Julian Sancton's tale of the Belgica and her crew is well-written, well researched, and utterly captivating.  From the beginning when the reader is questioning the sanity of men who want to explore Antarctica and suffer the inevitably harsh conditions, to the shock and awe of the crew on seeing icebergs for the first time; from the rank stench of penguin colonies that virtually leaps off the page in his descriptions to the horrors of the darkest and longest nights the crew are trapped on board the Belgica, Sancton brings the entire expedition to life for the reader.  Equally as interesting to me (as an archivist) was Sancton's Author's Note at the end of the book, describing his journey to the archives in Belgium to read the diaries of the crew themselves and his trip to Antarctica to discover the polar land for himself. His comments on the damage current tourism and climate change is causing to the area, and its inevitable conclusions, comes as both a dark warning and a well timed reminder that there is still much we don't know about the world and how we as humans react in certain situations (expeditions like the Belgica's are apparently being studied by NASA for how space explorers might react) but that there are other situations we can understand, and can hopefully still work together to solve.

An excellent book on an amazing expedition. A must read for polar armchair explorers. In addition to the fascinating story, the photographs taken by Belgica doctor Frederick Cook are absolutely gorgeous.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake

 

Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake- Alexis Hall

Hachette Book Group

Release Date: May 18, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Following the recipe is the key to a successful bake. Rosaline Palmer has always lived by those rules—well, except for when she dropped out of college to raise her daughter, Amelie. Now, with a paycheck as useful as greaseproof paper and a house crumbling faster than biscuits in tea, she’s teetering on the edge of financial disaster. But where there’s a whisk there’s a way . . . and Rosaline has just landed a spot on the nation’s most beloved baking show.

Winning the prize money would give her daughter the life she deserves—and Rosaline is determined to stick to the instructions. However, more than collapsing trifles stand between Rosaline and sweet, sweet victory.  Suave, well-educated, and parent-approved Alain Pope knows all the right moves to sweep her off her feet, but it’s shy electrician Harry Dobson who makes Rosaline question her long-held beliefs—about herself, her family, and her desires.

Rosaline fears falling for Harry is a guaranteed recipe for disaster. Yet as the competition—and the ovens—heat up, Rosaline starts to realize the most delicious bakes come from the heart.

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Rosaline Palmer is a single mom, a baker, and has the low self-esteem of a flattened soufflé. Her rich and classy parents wanted her to go to medical school like they did and see anything less as very "less". Not even landing a spot on the nation's favorite baking show impresses them. Now on top of all the things she has to juggle every day, Rosaline has met two guys who interest her: suave Alain and shy Harry. One is parent-approved, one would be sent to the servants entrance is such things still existed. Can Rosaline sort out her home life, love life, and still make the most baketacular bakes ever?

What I loved about Rosaline from the beginning was how very "every person" she was. She isn't put together and doesn't have a great job, but instead has massive low self esteem, constantly questions her choices and decisions, and is desperately trying for some level of parental approval even while telling herself that as a grown woman she shouldn't be defined by her parent's lack of approval. Rosaline is a genuinely nice person trying to help others as well as herself, she has the support of her ex-girlfriend Lauren and her eight year old daughter Amalie and some days that's enough. Other days the stress is overwhelming and she could cry in her dulche de leche. A baking competition that bears a remarkable resemblance to The Great British Bakeoff is a great opportunity for her to meet new people and maybe get a better job.

It's hard to get into plot details in a review that won't give away some spoilers, but here's my big take away. This is a book about people. How do we judge them, how do they judge us, how do we think they are judging us, does it matter if they are, in fact, judging us? And perhaps mostly importantly: how do we judge ourselves? Rosaline's journey through the book is one of self-discovery and growth, full of snarky British humor and delicious desserts.  A sparkling and delightful British LGBTQ rom-com that should be an instant must-read!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Lady Has A Past

 

The Lady Has A Past (Burning Cove 5)- Amanda Quick

Berkley/Penguin Group

Release Date: May 5, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Investigative apprentice Lyra Brazier, the newest resident of Burning Cove, is unsettled when her boss suddenly disappears. Lyra knows something has happened to Raina Kirk, and tracks down her last known appearance at an exclusive hotel and health spa. The health spa is known for its luxurious offerings and prestigious clientele, and the wealthy, socialite background Lyra desperately wanted to leave behind is perfect for this undercover job. What Lyra lacks in investigative experience she makes up for in gut instinct, and her gut isn’t happy that she’s saddled with a partner by Luther Pell, Raina’s dangerous lover, who wants to bring in someone with more experience to help.  

Instead of the suave, pistol-packing private eye she expected, though, Simon Cage is a mild-mannered antiquarian book dealer with a quiet, academic air, and a cool, remote gaze. Lyra suspects that Simon is much more than what he seems, and her instincts are confirmed when they arrive at the spa and pose as a couple: Simon has a unique gift that allows him to detect secrets, a skill that is crucial in finding Raina. 

The unlikely duo falls down a rabbit hole of twisted rumors and missing socialites, discovering that the health spa is a façade for something far darker than they imagined. With a murderer in their midst, Raina isn't the only one in grave danger—Lyra is next.

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Lyra Brazier is barely a week into her new job as an investigative apprentice when her boss, Raina Kirk, leaves her in charge and disappears. Lyra and Raina's lover, Luther Pell, know instantly something is wrong and they aren't going to stop looking until they find her. When Luther calls in a specialist, Lyra finds herself working with Simon Cage to track down Raina. The trail leads them to Labyrinth Springs Hotel and Spa where they discover Raina isn't the only woman who has gone missing. Secrets, attempted murder, accomplished murder, blackmail, and more mean that Lyra's first big case may end up becoming her last.

Lyra is definitely not someone you would imagine as a private investigator. She's vibrant, optimistic, interested in everyone, and willing to listen to them talk. And everyone talks to her, sooner or later. But while she's easy to underestimate, the more cynical Simon, Luther, and Raina all learn that she has the instincts for the job, and the tenacity to see it through. She may be a glass-half-full optimist, but she is willing to face potentially unpleasant truths in order to get answers. She's a force of her own, and I loved how people would underestimate her one minute and then she'd stand up to them the next. She never thought twice about standing up to even Luther when it was required. Lyra also accepts people as they are, not judging them for actions they may have needed to take in the past or things they found hard to accept about themselves. Simon is a quieter presence, but a force in his own right. He accepted that Lyra was going to work the case even though he didn't want her to, and learned to acknowledge her contributions to the search. Lyra's acceptance of him and his unusual talent for reading hot energy allowed him to slowly begin accepting that part of himself in a way he hadn't before. The two are opposites, but complement each other instead of clash and develop an excellent partnership- both personally and professionally. 

Book 5 in the Burning Cove series (Close Up, TightRope), Lady both stands alone and as part of the series. Cameos from past characters delight series readers without throwing off new readers.  Series readers will enjoy Luther and Raina getting plenty of time as the main secondary characters while new readers won't feel like they are missing anything in the build up of Luther and Raina's development. 

The glamorous and dangerous 1930s era is described brilliantly, plunging readers into the glitz and wonder of the Los Angeles get-away small town of Burning Cove. The seedier Labyrinth Springs is as much a character as any of the people and readers will delight in this mystery and romance. And, as always in this series, the Art Deco cover is amazing and deserves its own 5 star review.

Heiress in Red Silk

Heiress in Red Silk (Duke's Heiress 2)- Madeline Hunter

Zebra Publishing

Release Date: April 27, 2021

Rating: 📚📚📚

Synopsis: In one life-changing windfall, Rosamund Jameson goes from struggling shopkeeper to heiress—and  co-owner of a new business. Not only will her sudden fortune allow her to move her millinery shop to fashionable London, but Rosamund will be able to provide her younger sister with a proper entry into society. The only hitch for resourceful Rosamund is her arrogant, infuriatingly handsome business partner...

Kevin Radnor is shocked that his late uncle, the Duke of Hollinburgh, bequeathed half his company to a total stranger—worse, a beguiling beauty who can only hinder his enterprise. But Rosamund insists on an active, equal partnership, so Kevin embarks on a plan: a seduction that will lead to a marriage of convenience, giving Rosamund the social status she needs, and guaranteeing him the silent partner he desires. Yet as this charismatic gentleman sets his flirtation in motion, he begins to wonder who is seducing whom—and if he can learn to share himself body and mind, without losing his heart . . . 

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With the second heiress to the old duke found, more trouble comes for the Radnor family. You don't have to have read book one (Heiress for Hire) to pick up the idea for this series: one very wealthy, slightly eccentric duke dies under potentially questionable circumstances and the mostly awful family (think "Knives Out" with about 3 decent people in the family) discovers that there are three unknown women included in the will- working class women, decent women, who could really use the money and had no idea they were getting it. You can imagine how well the family takes it.

In Red Silk Kevin Radnor must team up with new heiress Rosamund because not only has the duke left Rosamund a lot of money, he left her his share (half) in a business venture with Kevin. Kevin is an inventor who is so paranoid about anyone stealing his ideas he can't see how to manufacture them because that would involve trusting people. Rosamund is a talented milliner who wants to improve her life for the sake of her sister, and is very good at the practical aspects of business.

I'm conflicted about this book. I enjoy the premise of the old duke giving away money to strangers he thought needed/were worthy of the money. Certainly more worthy than the majority of his pompous and entitled family. I liked Rosamund- a sensible, hard working woman who sees her windfall as a way to expand her business and fights men's expectations and beliefs of her based on her looks every single day. Kevin I wasn't as impressed by. I liked that he was willing to go his own way, follow his own interests and not listen to family members telling him that inventing wasn't 'done' in their circles. But he spent most of the book not trusting Rosamund, not trying to get to know her, but just trying to get her to agree to what he wanted to do with his invention- when it was pretty clear he had no idea what the practical steps should be and she did. No matter what Rosamund said, asked or suggested, he refused to listen because she was a woman and didn't know anything about his invention- which should have made him more willing to listen. A physical attraction and business partnership might not be the worst basis for a marriage of convenience, but I never felt chemistry between Kevin and Rosamund, or much emotional connection. The last few pages finally they both (spoiler alert) discover and claim their love for each other, but I have to admit I didn't really feel it, and was disappointed by that.

Heiress in Red Silk had some good ideas, but dragged a lot along the way and never really captured or convinced me.  Here's hoping for more in the next book in the series.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review