Archive | November, 2023

Competitive Romances: Raiders of the Lost Heart and Love & Other Disasters

29 Nov

Raiders of the Lost Heart
by Jo Segura
Raiders of the Lost Heart is a new romance novel by Jo Segura coming out next Tuesday, December 5! Archaeologist Dr. Socorro Mejia aka Corrie is a renowned expert on the Chimalli, an Aztec warrior, who also is claimed to be one of Corrie’s ancestors. When a expedition is planned for the Mexican Jungle to find Aztec artifacts from Chimalli, she jumps at the chance even if the organizer is shrouded in mystery. When she discovers the expedition is being lead by Dr. Ford Matthews, a rival since her grad school days, she thinks her big break, might instead be a big mistake. Despite the feud between the two, there is simmering heat from the novel’s start and for readers who are drawn to friend to lovers romantic storylines this will be a funny, spicy treat. Also as a fan of the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider series I enjoyed the exciting adventure aspect of the story (Ford Matthews gets his name from Harrison Ford). The fact that Corrie has ties to the culture that she is exploring and the author herself is of Mexican descent, helped with the negative cultural associations that can arise from this type of archeology adventures feeling exploitative.

Love and Other Disasters
by Anita Kelly
I was curious to check out Love and Other Disasters when I saw one of my colleagues was reading it with one of HPL’s Book Clubs a few months back. I’ve read several other romance books set during the recordings of reality cooking competitions and was curious to see how this one compared. This book focuses on the romance between two contestants on the show London and Dahlia. Dahlia is getting over a divorce and London is still getting comfortable with their non-binary identity so neither is necessarily looking for love, but they both feel an attraction when they are placed at nearby stations during the show taping. I thought the romance was sweet and both London and Dahlia were charming. I also liked that beyond the romance the novel also had added family complications that both London and Dahlia need to resolve and the novel would be a good read for those looking for stories of new adults working on finding themselves and solidifying their identities. My one qualm with the story was the way in which there is much discussion about London’s identity as a non-binary person, Dahlia’s identity as a queer sis-woman is never really explored and felt a bit glossed over. On the whole though I thought this was a positive portrayal for the LGBTQ community and would recommend it to fans of foodie romances.

For reviews of two romances and one mystery set during the holiday season checkout next Wednesdays post!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Mysteries at Sea: S’more Murders and Title Wave

22 Nov

I picked out two mystery books set during cruises to enjoy during my own recent vacation. Whether you are reading them at sea or on dry land you’ll enjoy these clever fast paced cozy reads. Although both are middle books in their respective series they can both be enjoyed as stand alone mysteries, though you will be likely tempted to dive in and read more of them.

S’more Murders
by Maya Corrigan
Looking for a yummy cooking related cozy mystery? S’more Muders is a bittersweet treat! Val Deniston manages a cafe at a local fitness club and occasionally does some catering, but when she hears about a re-creation of the last meal on the Titanic aboard a yacht in the Chesapeake Bay she is at first hesitant to attempt something so lavish. But with her Grandfather, the author of the local paper’s Codger Cooks Column, help she manages to pull off some divine dishes, unfortunately not all goes well at the party and a murder mystery game results in an actual murder at sea. This is the fifth novel in the Five-Ingredient Mystery Series. The novel includes several quick recipes at the end including easy version of some of the Titanic dishes as well as some sweet and savory s’more recipes that sound delish!

Title Wave
by Lorna Barrett
Title Wave is the tenth in the Booktown Mystery series (the latest and 17th book in the series A Questionable Character came out in July). I enjoyed listening to the book as an audiobook read by Karen White. Tricia Miles’s bookstore Haven’t Got a Clue and other local businesses are in a slow period of the year, so she figures this is the perfect time to take a relaxing cruise with her sister, Angelica, along with other members of their town. A bus ride to the dock allows the author to do a quick whos who for those new to the series or needing a refresher. The Author Cruise they book to Bermuda seems like it should be relaxing with a posh suite, elegant afternoon teas and tropical cocktails until another passenger, a particularly prickly author, is murdered. I enjoyed the sisterly dynamic between Tricia and Angelica and having been on several cruises myself with friends and family, I felt this one captured the feel of them perfectly.

Want to learn some interesting cruise facts such as how ships stay a float and nautical origins of everyday terms; check out Cruising: A View Through the Porthole by Lee H. Van Dam.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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