Kate Pearce

Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld is the second volume in the Miss Morton Mysteries series by Catherine Lloyd and it is one fun, fast cozy historical mystery. Set in 1838, Mrs Frogerton has asked Caroline to accompany her to a seance.. Caroline is skeptical but the medium seems to know things abt her family. She decides to return and asks her friend, Dr Harris, to accompany her. This time, the medium says something that seems to anger Harris. When the medium is later found dead, Dr Harris becomes the main suspect. Miss Morton is convinced he is innocent and, with the aid of her employer, she is determined to prove it no matter the danger.

I have enjoyed both books in the series. The characters, both old and new, are, fir the mist part very likeable. There are plenty of twists and turns and red herrings to keep the story moving at a brisk pace and keep the reader guessing. Definitely an entertaining read for fans of historical cozies with interesting and stron female protagonists.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review… (mere)

Okay let me put this out there, I had an unreasonable need to read this book. I mean it. I read an excerpt of it a couple years back, before it came out, and had wanted to pick it up when it came out at my local Borders (where I normally picked up my romance books, don't judge). Unfortunately I could not find it! And I couldn't find a reason to add it to my Amazon queue either (its pretty full). Finally I broke down and bought it on my Kindle.

So did it live up to my expectations?

Yes and no.

It was hot. Very very hot. Pearce has got sexy writing down pat. What I found wanting is everything else. The 'incident' that broke Ally and Rob up originally is given more vague explanations then concrete information. Basically Ally was found in bed with Jackson by Jackson's then girlfriend Susan and Rob. How she got there is up to debate, why she was there is up for debate, how Rob really felt about it is up for debate.

Then there's Rob entering the 'scene' (that is, the BDSM scene) in college. Its just tossed out there. Not how he got into it though. Basically he 'got into it really deep' and if I was understanding things right, he rushed home to his girlfriend to basically be like 'omg it all makes sense you are a sub I'm a dom and that means you HAVE to do what I say!', which freaked her out since um hey she has no idea what he's talking about and he really has no idea what he's talking about.

Apparently at some point in the ten years since he last saw Ally he found experience though, and decided it really wasn't for him after all. I don't even know.

There's Jackson, who I'm not even sure where to start with him. He claims to have coerced Ally into his bed when she was vulnerable. He claims to have always had physical feelings for Rob and Ally. And a whole bunch of other things.

The mystery subplot is weak--you can guess who it is a mile away and the fact Ally is constantly 'weirded out' by this person just cements the deal. Her need to resolve the lingering issues with her recently deceased mother are also apparently just kind of there.

Honestly I probably would have been happier thinking this was a Plot-What-Plot erotic novel because the plot was paint by the numbers, the romance was meh and the mystery even meh-er. The sexy scenes made it worth continuing however.
… (mere)

Good friends to lovers romance. Luke has recently left the Marines to return home and run the family ranch. Besides suffering from PTSD and resisting getting help, he is also dealing with getting the ranch on a more stable financial footing. The last thing he needs is to fall for his friend's sister, which he has done. Luke is fascinated with Noah's sister, Bailey, and goes to his best friend, Bernie, for advice on winning her.

Bernie is a busy woman. She has a bakery/coffee shop that keeps her hopping for most of the day, plus she runs the local animal shelter from her family's barn. She'd like to expand the bakery but has yet to have the time to look into how to do it. Bernie has been in love with Luke since she was in kindergarten, but Luke is oblivious. She decides it's time to move on and seriously look at dating other men, though she will still have to deal with Luke on the shelter dog adoption event.

Luke irritated me with his complete cluelessness about Bernie's feelings for him. It was also apparent that he and Bailey were not suited as a couple. Fortunately, they figured that out quickly and became friends. I was happy to see Bernie hit him over the head with the way she felt, even though Luke didn't take it well at first. However, once his eyes were opened, he started looking at her differently and paying attention to the sparks of attraction he'd felt. Bernie is no pushover and keeps after Luke to deal with his problems as they enjoy their growing relationship. Luke also supports Bernie as she faces several challenges of her own. It still takes the thought of Bernie leaving to make Luke realize the full extent of his feelings. I liked his big moment in all of its awkwardness.

Part of the book deals with the challenges Luke and Bernie face with their businesses. I liked seeing how Luke worked with his family and friends to solve the ranch's financial problems. Bernie is very independent and has a hard time accepting advice. This becomes more important when her estranged father, a successful businessman, wants to mend his relationship with her and offers his help. Her struggle with her feelings over the matter was realistic.

#netgalley… (mere)