Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus

Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManus -- 389 pages

For all of Kat’s life, it’s just been her and her mother, Jamie—except for the forty-eight hours when Jamie was married and Kat had a stepbrother, Liam. That all ended in an epic divorce, and Kat and Liam haven’t spoken since.

Now Jamie is a jewel thief trying to go straight, but she has one last job—at billionaire Ross Sutherland’s birthday party. And Kat has figured out a way to tag along. What Kat doesn’t know, though, is that there are two surprise guests at the dazzling Sutherland compound that weekend. The last two people she wants to run into. Liam and his father—a serial scammer who has his sights set on Ross Sutherland’s youngest daughter.

Kat and Liam are on a collision course to disaster, and when a Sutherland dies, they realize they might actually be in the killer’s crosshairs themselves. Somehow Kat and Liam are the new targets, and they can’t trust anyone—except each other. Or can they? Because if there’s one thing both Kat and Liam know, it’s how to lie. They learned from the best.

Courting Misfortune by Regina Jennings

Courting Misfortune by Regina Jennings-330 pages

Miss York is undercover in Joplin, Missouri as a Pinkerton operative.  If she is successful in bringing back the mob bosses daughter who was kidnapped, she will secure her job as a Pinkerton.  

The problem is that she has a lot of family in the area and soon her cover is blown.  She gets herself into some very scary situations.  To top it off a handsome young preacher is trying to keep Miss York from turning to a life of sin.  Will she have to break her cover to convince him to leave her alone??

Kind of slow for me..I would give it a 3 out of 5.

Prelude To A Century by Patrick Murphy

                                                        

Prelude To A Century by Patrick Murphy-183 pages

To anyone who loves all things "1904 St. Louis World's Fair" this is a MUST read.  There are phenomenal pictures and wonderful descriptions that transport you back in time to one of the most colossal events in St. Louis history.  So many things I never knew before. I took it in small gulps just to digest it all! 

I LOVED it!

Earl Crush

Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti | 352 pages | 2025

For three years, wallflower heiress Lydia Hope-Wallace has anonymously penned seditious pamphlets. And for almost as long, she’s corresponded with the Earl of Strathrannoch, whose political ambition is matched only by his charm. When Arthur’s latest letter reveals his dire financial straits, Lydia sets out for Scotland to offer him the only salvation she can think of—a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, the Earl of Strathrannoch has no idea who she is.
When a bewitching redheaded stranger offers him her hand in marriage, Arthur Baird is stunned—but when he learns that his traitorous brother has been writing to her under Arthur’s name, he’s bloody furious. He’s content to live alone in his moldering castle, and he has no desire for a provocative, radical wife. (Or at least, he shouldn’t.)
But Arthur is desperate to track down his brother, who’s become dangerously entangled in British espionage, and he needs Lydia’s help. What he doesn’t need? The attraction that burns hotter each moment they spend together. As Lydia slips past his defenses and his brother’s mysterious past becomes a very present threat, Arthur will have to risk everything to keep her safe—even his heart.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This lovely regency romance was a true delight to read. The characters are wonderful, I loved getting both Lydia and Arthur's perspective, and the author hit the perfect balance of deeply stirring and heartfelt scenes that didn't feel forced or cheesy. She really built up this love story well, and I was very invested. There's a little bit of intrigue and suspense to keep you turning the pages, mixed in with some very spicy interactions between our main characters. The growth over the course of the book for both characters was great to see. Overall this is a very charming romance that I heartily recommend!

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry

 

The House That Horror Built by Christina Henry  317 pages

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets.

Harry Adams loves horror movies, so it’s no coincidence that she accepted a job cleaning house for horror-movie director Javier Castillo. His forbidding gray-stone Chicago mansion, Bright Horses, is filled from top to bottom with terrifying props and costumes as well as glittering awards from his career making movies that thrilled audiences—until family tragedy and scandal forced him to vanish from the industry.

Javier values discretion, and Harry always tries to keep the house immaculate, her head down, and her job safe. Then she hears noises from behind a locked door, noises that sound remarkably like a human voice calling for help. Harry knows not asking questions is a vital part of keeping her job, but she soon discovers that the house may be home to secrets she can’t ignore.

I'm not a horror reader. Thought there might be a little more horror, though. It delivers in the end. 

None of This is True by Lisa Jewel

 

None of This is True by Lisa Jewel   370 pages

Celebrating her forty-fifth birthday at her local pub, popular podcaster Alix Summers crosses paths with an unassuming woman called Josie Fair. Josie, it turns out, is also celebrating her forty-fifth birthday. They are, in fact, birthday twins.

A few days later, Alix and Josie bump into each other again, this time outside Alix’s children’s school. Josie has been listening to Alix’s podcasts and thinks she might be an interesting subject for her series. She is, she tells Alix, on the cusp of great changes in her life.

Josie’s life appears to be strange and complicated, and although Alix finds her unsettling, she can’t quite resist the temptation to keep making the podcast. Slowly she starts to realize that Josie has been hiding some very dark secrets, and before she knows it, Josie has inveigled her way into Alix’s life—and into her home.

But, as quickly as she arrived, Josie disappears. Only then does Alix discover that Josie has left a terrible and terrifying legacy in her wake, and that Alix has become the subject of her own true crime podcast, with her life and her family’s lives under mortal threat.

Who is Josie Fair? And what has she done?

I would recommend this book. There are twists galore!!

Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo by Adam Cesare

 Clown in a Cornfield 3: The Church of Frendo by Adam Cesare-448 pages

⭐⭐⭐1/2

I really liked the first two books in this trilogy (so far). In this latest installment, Quinn Maybrook is on a vengeance trip against many of those who perpetrated the previous attacks in Kettle Springs. She is on the run across states as she seeks vengeance and answers. She hasn't actually killed anyone, but people she's tortured and/or targeted for torture keep turning up dead. Who's killing Quinn's targets? Is Arthur Hill somehow still alive or is it someone posing as him? What and where is this New Kettle Springs settlement devoted to Frendo? The story ends with a clash, although I thought the ending could have been better. After finishing, I was wondering if this book was really needed. The story could have finished just fine after the first 2 books. Overall, it was pretty good, but not nearly as good as the previous two.