Hello Stranger by Katherine Center - Book Review

Publication Date: 11th July 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Cute (but not wow) 

Sadie Montgomery finally gets a chance to prove her worth and earn loads of money. She is a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition after years of being an unsuccessful artist. One minute she is celebrating it, and the next, she’s on the hospital bed. After mandatory brain surgery, Sadie ends up with Face Blindness, a possible temporary condition that blurs faces into a messy blob. 

As a portrait artist, Sadie is devastated by the development. What if the condition is not temporary? And what about the competition she needs to win? With her family issues, monetary troubles, and her dog Peanut’s health condition, Sadie has more than her hands full. However, she finds a ray of hope or two. 

While daydreaming about her future with Dr. Addison and getting to know her neighbor Joe, Sadie goes from finding potential love in two men. But things will have to wait until she can see their faces. After all, surprises come in the most unexpected forms. 

The story comes from Sadie’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

With a premise like that and a cover just as attractive, I expected a cute and heartwarming romcom with two endearing characters (and a dog). I got some of it, but… 

There are enough laughs and awkward scenes to keep the story light and cater to the ‘com’ of rom-com. There’s some ‘rom’ too, though it gets lost in ramblings and redeems only the last 15%. Peanut is a saving grace in many scenes. 

I understand the struggling artist trope, and combined with Sadie’s past, it should make me sympathetic toward her. However, a majority of the time, Sadie sounds whiny and immature. Her determination to not rely on others is admirable, but she never seems to care enough about anyone except herself (and, thankfully, Peanut), even when she is being helped by others. I didn’t find her sweet, TBH. 

No denying how hard it’s for Sadie to come to terms with her newly acquired Face Blindness. I mean, who’d want their lives to be filled with a blur of faceless people? It’s even worse with her profession and career at stake. I tried my best to empathize with her and did to an extent. I even understand why she doesn’t want to share it with others (never mind that the plot wouldn’t exist if she did). Still, the FMC makes it hard to take her side. 

The book pretty much hinges on suspended belief. I don’t mind that in this genre. (As the author says in her note, it’s the anticipation that counts, and I agree). Yet, things are contradictory in many instances, though they make sense given Sadie’s characterization (this, sadly, is not positive). 

Joe is a decent guy- good enough and sweet, but he doesn’t reach the book-boyfriend level. The poor guy has little to no space for character development since the book is from Sadie’s POV. 

Sue reminds me of an easily distracted, energetic pup. She could have been more, but again her role is limited for the plot to work. Lucinda, Parker, and Sadie’s dad are restricted and uni-dimensional. Devices used to mess up the FMC’s life and possibly strengthen her. 

The pacing wasn’t great, either. The narration starts slow and feels slow almost throughout, even as the days go by. Again, I blame it on the ramblings (which I began to skim after a point). 

The last 20% is the best part of the book. However, it comes a little too late, and one thing happens after another to tie up the loose ends. There isn’t enough time to let Sadie’s reasons for her current attitude sink in and justify her actions. I don’t mind the detailed explanation as it is done well. 

I’m a fan of epilogues. The one in the book starts great but drifts into a philosophical tone that takes us away from the story. It will work for some, but I’m not looking for the MC to give me any lessons at that point. I just want them to be happy and show me their happiness. 

As many other reviewers said, the author’s note is detailed and beautiful to read. Since I’ve never been the type to rank literary fiction higher (doesn’t help that my experience with the genre makes me shudder), I understood her points. Also, romance is one of my favorite genres (I read for enjoyment). 

To summarize, Hello Stranger is a cute book with some noteworthy themes and a few laughs. Pick it up if you want something breezy and light (though I cannot help but say- it could have been better). 

Looks like this is not the author’s best work (not surprising since I tend to pick up such reads whenever I try a new author). I’ve got more of hers on my list, so hopeful I’ll find better books and enjoy them more. 

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley 

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert - Book Review

Series: A Hunter and Clewe Mystery #1 

Publication Date: 11th July 2023

Genre: Small Town Contemporary Cozy Mystery 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Good premise but needs better execution 

Jane Hunter, a sixty-year-old retired university librarian, finds a job as an archivist in a nearby small town. With forced retirement, little pension, and no social security, Jane is hopeful that the temporary job will last long enough for her to stabilize her finances. 

Cameron “Cam” Clewe is a thirty-three-year-old collector, scholar, and businessman (who hired Jane). He loves solving mysteries and puzzles but has severe anxiety issues and agoraphobia (and is possibly neurodivergent), which makes him sound rude and arrogant. 

Jane decides she can get on with her job, no matter Cam’s attitude. However, she discovers a dead body on the first day of her job. When Cam is the primary suspect, the best option for them is to team up and solve the case before Cam is arrested by the police. 

The story comes from Jane Hunter’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

As a fan of cozy mysteries, I’m always happy to try new books in the genre (especially series). The intriguing premise and the cover (which somehow doesn’t exactly fit the book) pulled me in. 

The book has a decent pace and moves fast for me (though it drags in the middle). Being the first in the series, it introduces the main characters and sets the stage for readers to know them better. 

Apart from the central mystery, there are a few other threads (past mysteries) that will possibly be solved in the coming books. There’s no major cliffhanger in this one. The case is solved, and there’s a lead for the next. 

Jane and Cam are the main characters, though I see Lauren soon joining the list. It’s interesting to have 60 yo and 33 yo employee-employer duo as amateur sleuths. It’s a refreshing change from common tropes. The characters also have intriguing backstories, and we get enough hints to understand their behavior. 

However, I’m not sure Jane’s first-person POV was the right choice for the story. Sure, it gives us her thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings, etc. But it’s still hard to connect with her or the other characters. A third-person POV would have worked better, with a few chapters focusing on Cam. Writing a neurodivergent character is hard, and without enough material, it becomes difficult to not let Jane’s impression become the reader’s impression. 

The book also suffers from over-explanation in quite a few instances. People (suspects) simply share loads of information with little prompting. This, combined with very few details about the actual job of cataloging and archiving, creates an imbalance in the narrative. 

Also, the police are hardly there. They seem more like ghosts, hovering around passively while the duo solves the case. I’d have liked a more active role from the police. Heck, I don’t even know the name of the detective assigned to the case. 

The climax and reveal are underwhelming. There are a few twists, red herrings, and attacks that make the plot feel dangerous, but it is quite low-key. Though I guessed the killer, the reasons weren’t clear. I hoped the reveal would help, but it fell flat. All I could do was sigh and wish it was better. The ending is quite good by comparison.

To summarize, A Cryptic Clue is a decent start to a new cozy mystery series with an unlikely sleuthing duo. I might read the second book if it deals with the cold case. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #ACrypticClue

One Way to Love by Andaleeb Wajid - Book Review

Series: Jasmine Villa Series #1 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 30 April 2023

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Indian Muslim 

3.7 Stars 

One Liner: A fast-paced entertainer

Tahzeeb Hasan lives in Jasmine Villa (a small, old house) with her widowed and retired father and two younger sisters (Ana and Athiya). She is working at an NGO and loves her job (and freedom). They may not be rich but are a fairly happy family, dodging the various marriage proposals relatives love to dump on her. But things change when she meets Ayub Ahmed. 

Ayub is a successful architect from a ‘well-settled’ aka, rich family with carpeted rooms and luxury cars. He isn’t interested in marriage until he meets Tahzeeb. The duo is smitten with each other and agrees to their wedding. However, the stark differences in their social status and living standards are a cause of concern for Tahzeeb. 

When she’s pushed into a world of dressing up and going to parties, Tahzeeb is determined to retain her freedom and identity as an individual. Can the young couple balance their chemistry, love, individuality, and family expectations without losing each other? 

The story comes from the third-person POV of Tahzeeb and Ayub, with a couple of chapters from Ana’s POV (also in the third-person). 

My Thoughts: 

So… before we dive into the review, I recommend you read the official blurb. It uses the word ‘sizzle’ and ‘irresistible romance’. This book is predominantly romance and reads a lot like M&B (Mills & Boon) from the early 90s. It has good steam (2.5 ish), so go in prepared. 

The setting, family relationships, dialogues, expressions, emotions, fears, etc., are easy for Indian readers to relate to. These are seen pretty much across the country, irrespective of our religions. The lower-middle-class vs. rich plot is familiar to most readers and easy to follow.  

Social and family drama is seamlessly woven into the plot. Yet, it doesn’t go overboard or preachy. In fact, this book is meant for entertainment. It still has enough depth to allow readers to think about themes like love, parental and family expectations, bonding between sisters, finding love in an arranged marriage, life with in-laws, compromise, etc. 

I love the bits where we see the difference in perspectives between generations and, of course, social classes. Whether it is the girls being wary of red flags while the father is more than happy to consider only the positive aspects of marriage proposals or the wannabe influencer Maria with all of 800 Instagram followers spending her day making makeup videos and posting photos, the events and reactions are totally relatable. 

The writing is easy to follow. There’s a lot of 'tell', which sustains the pace throughout. Events happen one after another, and the time jumps are highlighted at the beginning of the chapter. While it works as an advantage to a great extent, it does affect character development. I also wish the other characters have a wee bit more depth.  

For example, we are ‘shown’ the couple’s insta-lust and their sizzling chemistry. However, we are ‘told’ about how their relationship grows beyond desire and lust. Though we know they have a few common tastes, we don’t see what these are or have the time to watch them fall in love. It just happens (a little too quick). I wish this aspect was better balanced to let their relationship have an organic arc. 

Tahzeeb and Ayub are cool, but they aren’t compelling. That stops the book at good instead of being a great read. Nevertheless, I’m intrigued by Ana’s character. She seems to have more depth compared to her older sister. In fact, I decided to read her book (Loving You Twice) as soon as I can. There’s something about Ana that allows her to shine even when Tahzeeb is the FMC. 

There are a few Hindi words (un-translated) but easy enough to understand. Jungli, nautanki, etc., sound the best in the native language. Of course, I’d have loved it if ginger tea was adrak wali chai. It’s an emotion, like extra strong filter coffee, and a must whenever a person needs to make life-changing decisions. 

To summarize, One Way to Love is a delightful entertainer and a typical romance book you can finish in a couple of days (or 3+ hours). It’s breezy but with enough emotions to make you connect to the characters and want to know more about them. If you’re looking for a desi-style contemporary romance, grab this one and enjoy the ride. 

Thank you, Blogchatter, author Andaleeb Wajid, and publisher Westland, for a copy of the book. This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

You can buy the paperback of One Way to Love on Amazon. Though it is the first book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. 

A Killing at Smugglers Cove by Michelle Salter - Book Review

Series: Iris Woodmore Mystery #4 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 10th July 2023

Genre: Historical Cozy Mystery 

4.3 Stars 

One Liner: A good combo of history and mystery

*****

July 1923, Walden and Dawlish 

Iris Woodmore, Percy Baverstock, and Millicent Nightingale travel to Dawlish (on the coast of South Devon) for a holiday and to attend Iris’s father’s wedding to Katherine Keats. The trio explores Smugglers Cove on a private beach and stumble upon a dead body (rather skeletal remains). 

The police reveal that the remains belong to a smuggler who went missing a few years ago. However, Iris and her friends know the case has too many inconsistencies. Iris decides to investigate it herself. She can’t help but wonder how her would-be stepmother is tied to the case. When a new murder occurs, Iris knows she needs to find the truth and possibly save her father’s life. 

The story comes in the first-person POV of Iris Woodmore. 

My Thoughts

I can happily say that the series is getting better. While this one can be read as a standalone, it will work better when read in order (or at least after book one). One of the main themes of the book is how Iris deals with her father’s remarriage, and the context in previous books will help understand her emotions. 

The book uses the historical setting to enhance the main and the subplots. From bathing machines and swimming stockinettes for women to the changes brought by the railways, smuggling, the impact of war (WWI), the lives of Belgium and Dutch refugees, etc., are seamlessly incorporated into the plot. 

Iris’ character is growing well. She is a rebel but still bound by societal restrictions on women. She cannot resist being inquisitive until she learns the truth. While this leads to some strained relationships, she does her best to balance the two. 

The case introduces new characters Iris knew in her past. This book has a lot of characters to track, but it won’t be an issue if you are familiar with the recurring ones. They already have distinctive personalities and are easy to remember. 

Despite the seriousness of the themes, the overall tone is light-hearted and suits the genre. The case throws a few twists and red herrings too. It took me a while, but I could figure out the mystery correctly. 

There’s a small revelation at the end, which seems like a surprise, but it does tie up with the contents until then. We just have to pay more attention. I don’t think this will have a huge impact on the coming books anyway. It might come in handy if necessary. 

True to the premise, the wedding is not the central point despite it being a crucial element. I like how everything works together cohesively so that the case is solved, new information is revealed, and there’s character development. 

In fact, this one gets better with the pacing too. It’s a few pages smaller than the previous books and has the right pacing. No dragging in the middle or going around in circles. I hope the same continues throughout the series. 

To summarize, A Killing at Smugglers Cove is an entertainer that deftly combines the historical setting and an intriguing mystery. I like that Iris is taking her stand about her love life without giving in to pressure from everyone around her. Looking forward to the next book in the series. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #AKillingatSmugglersCove

***

P.S.: the author’s note at the end is quite interesting. 

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay - Book Review

Publication Date: 06th July 2023

Genre: Historical Fiction

3 Stars 

One Liner: Doesn’t reach its full potential 

1905, London 

Mrs. King isn’t a regular housekeeper. She has other talents in dealing with items, sellers, auctions, and buyers in the black market. When Mrs. King is dismissed from her position at the House of de Vries, the largest property in the region, she decides to pull off a heist of a lifetime. 

After all, the house is brimming with artifacts, art pieces, and all things precious. She recruits different women (and men) to play their parts and rob the house of every possession when the year’s most anticipated costume ball is happening downstairs. 

Mrs. King also has a plan of her own, an extension to the original, where she needs to find something and settle the scores. However, the house has too many dark secrets, and the elusive Miss de Vries may not be who she is. What’s more, the women she hired have secrets of their own that could expose their heist. 

Can the Housekeepers fight all odds to pull off the heist? What happens if they are exposed? 

The story comes from the third-person POV of multiple characters. 

What I Like: 

The book has a great atmosphere- a gothic-like house with secrets, all characters with secrets, creepy vibes, complexities in abundance, and loads of things that could go wrong anytime with little margin of error. 

Even with the story having multiple POVs and many characters, it’s easy to track the backstories of all the leading ladies. The limited third-person POV choice keeps things smooth enough (though scene breaks are missing in the ARC). 

The book starts with a bang. The chapters start at the present, move to the past to present the events until the present, and shift between the past and present a few more times. However, I didn’t feel overwhelmed at any point. I didn’t have to go back to track the date. 

The Janes were possibly the best characters in the book. I’d have loved to read more of them. After all, their roles are so crucial to the plot. 

There are a few light moments and a couple of chuckles, with the rest of the book trying to be intense and heavy. The Victorian era is done well, though. Be it the reality behind marriage contracts or the balls, scandals, etc. 

What Could Have Been Better for Me: 

The pacing is slow from start to finish. While it is necessary to establish the setting and characters in the first half, it gets boring in the second half. I started checking how much was left to read, especially when the heist began around the halfway mark. 

The book tries to be too many things at once. It is dark but not dark enough to make readers uncomfortable. It touches on many topics like revenge, greed, envy, money, power, manipulation, control, illegitimacy, loan sharks, abuse of servicewomen, (hinted) flesh trade and kinks, possible Sapphic inclinations, a sort-of romance, female friendships, etc. Except for some, the rest are only hinted at or used to add a twist to the plot. Finally, I ended up not really caring for anything or anyone. 

The heist is the central plot of the book. The reasons are just as important, of course. But if and how the women pull off the heist needs to be compact. While there are some dangers, none of them cause tension or anxiety. The whole thing feels a little too easy. Given the high stakes, it just doesn’t hit the mark. 

With complex characters, desperate times, and danger all around, the book could have been outstanding. It needed intricate plotting and execution. However, we get a mashup of too many things and writing that only skims the surface. The key conversation between Mrs. King and Miss de Vries should have been the highlight but is underwhelming. 

Even with the detailed backstories of the main characters, we don’t know much about them. It’s hard to connect to any of them. There are too many gaps left to the reader’s imagination. I can fill them myself, but that doesn’t enrich the characters. 

The ending fell flat for me. It’s surprising as I prefer such types of endings. However, here, I like only a portion of it. The rest feels a bit too neatly tied up. There’s an attempt to make the ending strong, which didn’t work for me. 

To summarize, The Housekeepers is a decent debut with a great premise that doesn’t reach its full potential. It reads like a debut. No denying the author’s talent, though. I’ll be happy to read more by the author.  

Thank you, NetGalley and Headline Review, for the eARC. 

#TheHousekeepers #NetGalley

A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street by Jaimie Admans - Book Review

Series: Ever After Street #1 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 04th July 2023

Genre: Small Town Romance, Contemporary 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming (with a few minor issues) 

Sadie Winters spent most of her life doing as she was told. Even at thirty-five, she is an invisible seamstress in her family shop controlled by her Aunt Ebony. The Cinderella Shop on Ever After Street is still her only home. 

When the aunt forbids her to attend the masquerade ball in the castle, Sadie is disappointed and dejected. However, she gets a chance to play Cinderella at the ball. Somehow, Sadie’s dreams of meeting Prince Charming also come true. 

Yet, midnight strikes, and she rushes back to her regular life. Sadie is shocked and hurt when her Prince Charming (Witt) doesn’t recognize her the next day when he visits their shop. But as days go on, it’s up to Sadie to decide if she wants to follow orders or make her own decisions. 

The story comes in Sadie’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

I love the cover and the fairytale-ish setting. The premise is similar to small town-based books and makes for an entertaining read. 

Though the book is mainly romance, it focuses on many aspects, such as standing up for one’s self, following your dreams, making the right decisions, and healing from past trauma. The romance is clean, sweet, and cozy. 

Though Sadie is 35, her tone is more of someone in their late 20s. However, it suits her character arc. Her growth is gradual and feels realistic. She takes one step at a time and is still insecure about her abilities. She blanks out a little too often (which is annoying), though I blame it on the first-person POV. 

Witt’s character is just as good. He is awkward in many ways but without going overboard sounding rude. In fact, he is adorable for most of the book. I’d have loved it if the book had both their POVs (his in the third person). 

Scarlet is a cool character, though I wish we had a wee bit more of her. Aunt Ebony reads like a proper fairytale villain. Will she have a redeeming arc? Read and find out. I do wish this was better handled. The first-person POV prevents us from knowing things until they are revealed (which sometimes feels abrupt). 

The small town setting, other business owners, the popular progress vs. natural beauty (should the castle be destroyed to build a supermarket?), etc., make up for the other important threads in the plot. 

There are quite a lot of fairytale references, and get a tad excessive at times. If that doesn’t bother you, you’ll enjoy the book more. 

The pacing is slower than what I prefer for the genre. Also, I’m not fully convinced by Sadie’s idea of happy customers. There ought to be a balance between idealism and practicality. Sadie and Aunt Ebony fall on two extreme ends, and both aren’t helpful in the long run. 

There’s a third-act breakup, but the explanation and the climax are well done. And... if you wonder how he didn’t recognize her, trust your gut. There’s enough wordplay to support the reveal and your gut feeling. (Yeah, I was right, as always.)

To summarize, A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street is a sweet and heartwarming (clean) romance for Hallmark and fairytale lovers. Pick it up when you want something light yet touching. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #AMidnightKissonEverAfterStreet

***

P.S.: I so wish the book had a couple of illustrations (especially of the gorgeous blue dress).