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It’s great!

Revisado: 04-04-25

4.0 stars

I picked up this book because I loved Rachel Linden’s first book, The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie (TMOLDP). (Hint: it rated 5 stars)

These books both read as Magical Realism. Not too heavy, not too “convenient”. The plot is just right”.

Trope: this book was only 4 stars because one of the characters starts out with a big dose of guilt that he holds onto for way too long.
This is a personal dislike. It may not bother you at all.

This story revolves around food service, just like TMOLDP. However, we are following the life of a redheaded chef who works in a prestigious restaurant in Paris. Our woman has a brilliant temper, and I loved how wonderfully (if destructively), she used her anger in the beginning of the book. It felt very satisfying to watch her let loose with her anger in a way we never would (or should) do so in real life.

The woman goes home to America for a reunion with her long lost mother. Their relationship is gratifying. I don’t want to spoil the rest of the plot. But believe me when I say this is where the book got really good. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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Learning to see invisible diseases

Revisado: 03-05-25

What happens when children develop chronic diseases that their friends and family don’t understand? How can we help them through the traumatic diagnosis and still love them and recognize they are still valuable human beings?

I highly recommend this book.

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4.5 stars - amazing classic mystery

Revisado: 02-12-25

Thank you for a book that I read in less than 24 hours. I highly recommend.

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A strong finish to an interesting series

Revisado: 01-21-25

4 stars

Story: 4 stars

Narration: As always, this narrator does a competent job while reading this series. However, I don’t enjoy her ability to portray the male voice. In fact, the voice of Brice sounds like an old lady to me.

Plot: Dave goes missing. The Old Lady calls Abby early and says Dave never came home. There is evidence/witness who saw Dave’s silver truck go off the road and down a hill. Upon inspection, the truck is gone. A few days later, Dave’s Old Lady also goes missing.

While looking for Dave, Abby and * find a gruesome/brutal crime scene. A big bloody handprint on the wall ends up being Dave’s blood.

I highly recommend this story.

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Great story

Revisado: 01-07-25

My full review is in Goodreads. I recommend this series. I’m looking forward to picking up book 4 very soon!

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And the world went white…words I crave to hear when reading books by Jodi Taylor

Revisado: 12-29-24

This was fun, familiar, and comforting. Yes, comfort is needed when visiting the time travelers at St. Mary’s. The 2023 Christmas short story felt “off” to me. I don’t know why? Possibly it was because I nearly lost a dear friend in a car wreck. She was in hospital for more than 4 months. And Jodi’s 2023 story was soured by my worry for my friend. I have avoided Jodi’s book like the plague since that experience.

We have almost hit the 13th month anniversary since the accident and my friend is getting stronger every day. This morning I downloaded Jodi’s 2024 Lights! Camera! Mayhem! I am thrilled to say this was another 5-star read from Jodi. All the action, problems, and teamwork lead us to a delightful conclusion. I am also hopeful that the new character in this story will become a permanent member on the St. Mary’s team.

Now, I’m going to go back as see if my opinion on last year’s story has improved. Even if it doesn’t, I highly recommend this story.

Happy New Year.

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A rocky start. A wonderful finish.

Revisado: 12-21-24

3.5 stars

The narration was perfect.

The storyline started with a stutter. I just went back and checked the author’s book from last year. That one also started out slowly. Here, the dialogue was repeated too much. But the story finally hit its stride and it kept getting better. This story is about grief. Honoring those who passed before us. And the need for dear friends when annual celebrations must be faced without those we love and lost.

Mostly, this book is very upbeat, and fun to read. It reminds me of a similar story I read last year. If/when I remember the title of that book, I’ll add it here. Definitely worth the read.

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The start of a fabulous series!

Revisado: 11-23-24

4-stars

I started this book thinking it would be just another cozy romance/mystery set in a small town. But there was a lot about kindness, helping people in need, and the enduring quality of friendship.

Beware, the craving for grilled cheese sandwiches and/or melts (cheese plus all kinds of wonderful meats, veggies, etc.)

The characters in this story were a delight to spend time with and I’m really looking forward to the next book. I hope it is as cheesy and sweet as this story. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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Linda’s family life (ancestors included)!

Revisado: 11-11-24

All the Ronstadt’s sang! It sounds like many generations of her family sang quite a bit. Family gatherings did not end when the children were sleepy. They just crawled up into an adult’s lap and fell asleep listening to the music. Linda’s American side of the family were successful business owners. Her Mexican relatives were on the poor side of life. This family has published much about the family ancestors and I hope to find and read these items.

This book tells us about Linda’s childhood as a white/hispanic child/woman. Linda is from Tucson so she grew up knowing much about border crossings. The difference in what color your skin was. (White, light brown or dark brown.) Linda’s English-speaking/light skin gave her advantage over many of her friends and relatives who were dark brown. Grade schools tried to punish children who didn’t speak English. It sounds like the goals back in the 1960’s was to punish Spanish speaking children, rather than putting them in a class like English for Spanish speakers. The difference between then and now is amazing.

Recommend.

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A worthy fight. A tragic war.

Revisado: 11-10-24

The Civil War gave the enslaved freedom. The war was tragic. But slavery was pure evil. This book taught me much that I didn’t know. Mostly, it showed us that all the war “heroes” were forever haunted by this endeavor. Post-traumatic stress disorder didn’t have a treatment back then. The same goes for every war we have endured since then.

But this was the only war fought on our homeland. In our back yards, so to speak. Many names were familiar to me with regard to the war. But I was pleasantly surprised to see a good number of these people continue to live good lives and create good deeds.

I have always heard Mary Todd Lincoln called crazy in a judgmental way. But I didn’t know all the tragedies she faced. I dare say many of us would have lost the will to live if we were to suffer the way she did.

Please read this short book all the way to the end. The entire story is important. RECOMMEND.

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