Mother Knows Best by Karen MacInerney

I read the first book in this series and loved the characters. Margie is trying to survive day-to-day with a husband who was in love with another man (now deceased) but trying not to be gay, a six year old daughter who thinks she is a dog and only eats white food, a vegan mother who thinks she can fix everyone's problems if they will just cut all the chemicals out of their diets, and an office in the back of a waxing salon.

Margie is working as a private investigator for the colorful Peaches, unfortunately they appear to be bumbling their way through every investigation. When Peaches calls Margie at 3:00 a.m. to help her move a body, they find themselves in the middle of a full out police investigation with Margie's best friend as the suspect.
Then there is the pregnant pot bellied pig Margie is tasked with getting back from their client's ex-husband, who stole Bubba Sue (yes, Bubba Sue). Bubba Sue may be a pot bellied pig, but she is way too big for the cat carrier Margie brought with her for transport home. Well her head fits inside, but that's about it., and Bubba Sue is kind of mean.

If you enjoy funny situations and characters, who are trying really hard to get through each day, this is definitely the series for you. I recommend you start with the first book of the series (Mother's Day Out) which introduces the characters and why they are where they are in their lives. It is well worth your time.

Karen MacInerney writes likable characters. Margie Peterson is not her only series, she also write The Gray Whale Inn Mystery series (also excellent) and recommended (by me).

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

Unlucky in Love by Jill Sanders

Kristen was cursed by the sister of an ex-boyfriend when he decided to go on a date with Kristen instead of attending the sister's birthday party, but really her bad luck with the opposite sex started long before the curse, when she was eight. 

Now she's all grown up and still having a bad time with relationships.  Take for instance the fact that her new boyfriend stole all of her stuff while she was at work.  And I mean all of her stuff, even her clothes.  And it's not just bad luck with boyfriends, the author throws in a bunch more mishaps to make the book interesting and keep the reader reading.

When Aiden Scott shows up at her place of work, no one knows that his real purpose of being there is to check out the company that the owners have asked him to buy.  They are ready to retire and Aiden is the son of one of their friends.  When they meet there are sparks, and that is when the story blossoms.

I have read a couple of books by Jill Sanders and I like them.  Unlucky in Love is one I would definitely recommend for someone looking for a light read with a HEA ending.  The characters are well written and likable, the minor characters are also likable and you know that they will be getting adventures of their own some day soon. 

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

Unlovable by Cynthia St. Aubin

When I was in college I took a class on the essentials of writing.  The professor (and the writing lab) stressed that the opening sentence had to draw the reader in and make them want to continue reading.  I never really mastered that skill, but Cynthia St. Aubin certainly did.  From the opening paragraph, the reader knows that what they are going to read is going to entertain.

Unlovable is in a class by itself, in that it is not like anything I have read before.  It's kind of like an R rated Charmed (you remember Charmed, don't you?) in that the reader is being introduced to Cupid, mobsters, a sexy demigod, and a lecherous security guard, when they all show up in Dr. Matilda Schmidt, (Psy.D, Ph.D) office and reign havoc on her life and good sense. 

My hope is that Unlovable will be turned into a full length book and this will just be the first chapter.  Happy reading.

Foul Play at the Fair

Foul Play at the Fair is the first installment in the Celebration Bay Mystery series by Shelley Freydont.  I like the premise and the idea of the main characters, but they were not well defined and there was too much mystery about them even at the end of the book.  As an example, Chaz (who may end up being the boyfriend) is a complete mystery.  He used to work for a major newspaper as an investigative reporter, but now he's back in Celebration Bay running the family newspaper and fishing.

The mystery was solid and kept me guessing until the end.  Set in a small town in upstate New York, Celebration Bay is known for the festivals that keep the tourists coming back year in and year out.  Liv has just accepted the job of event planner for the festivals, and is still very much an outsider.  She wants to prove to the natives that she is up to the job.  

Just days before the Fall/Halloween festival is set to begin a dead body turns up in the cider press at one of the farms.  Liv sets out to solve the murder so the festival will not suffer and then the town will keep her in the position of event planner. 

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

The Kitchen House is disturbing, amazing, enlightening, and depressing all at the same time and I highly recommend it to anyone who reads or listens to books.  Think The Help characters before emancipation. 

Told through the eyes of Belle and Lavinia, it spans twenty years.  

In 1791 Lavinia arrives from Ireland, both of her parents died during the crossing and seven year old Lavinia becomes an indentured servant to the ship's Captain, a man who also owns a plantation and slaves.  The Captain seems oblivious to how the slaves are treated by the cruel overseer, as his only contact is with the kitchen slaves.  

Lavinia is given into the care of Belle and Mamma Mae, but Lavinia lives with Belle.  Belle, although born a slave, is also the daughter of the Captain.