Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson -- 392 pages

Keyanna “Key” MacKay is used to secrets. Raised by a single father who never divulged his past, it’s only after his death that she finds herself thrust into the world he’d always refused to speak of. With just a childhood bedtime story about a monster that saved her father’s life and the name of her estranged grandmother to go off of, Key has no idea what she’ll find in Scotland. But repeating her father’s mistakes and being rescued by a gorgeous, angry Scotsman—who thinks she’s an idiot—is definitely the last thing she expects.

Lachlan Greer has his own secrets to keep, especially from the bonnie lass he pulls to safety from the slippery shore—a lass with captivating eyes and the last name he’s been taught not to trust. He’s looking for answers as well, and Key’s presence on the grounds they both now occupy presents a real problem. It’s even more troublesome when he gets a front row seat to the lukewarm welcome Key receives from her family; the strange powers she begins to develop; and the fierce determination she brings to every obstacle in her path. Things he shouldn’t care about, and someone he definitely doesn’t find wildly attractive.

When their secrets collide, it becomes clear that Lachlan could hold the answers Keyanna is after—and that she might also be the key to uncovering his. Up against time, mystery, and a centuries old curse, they’ll quickly discover that magic might not only be in fairy tales, and that love can be a real loch-mess.

Paladin's Grace

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher | 366 pages | 2020

Whilst foraging for startleflower, perfumer Grace finds herself pursued by ruffians and rescued by a handsome paladin in shining armour. Only, to outwit her hunters they must pretend to be doing something very unrespectable in an alleyway.

Stephen, a broken paladin, spends his time knitting socks and working as a bodyguard, living only for the chance to be useful. But that all changes when he saves Grace and witnesses an assassination attempt gone wrong. Now, Stephen and Grace must navigate a web of treachery and poisoners, while a cryptic killer stalks one step behind.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

This was much more of a romance than I expected based on how it was recommended to me, but I'm okay with that! Grace and Stephen were both really wonderful characters on their own, and very sweet together. Three cheers for middle aged romance and mentions of back pain. Because the focus ended up being more on the romance, the mystery of the murders took a back seat and seems set up to progress further in the next book, which certainly makes me want to read it because that reveal was super creepy and cool.

Overall a great pick for a slightly-less-spicy Romantasy!

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams, 250 pages

This installment of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is best summed up by Arthur Dent himself:

"I'm very ordinary, but some very strange things have happened to me. You could say I'm more differed from than differing." 

It doesn't matter whether you're from Milliways or prehistoric Earth: you can find something funny in this book. 

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

 

All Systems Red by Martha Wells, 152 pages

From the MARC: "In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth."

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

 Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry-416 pages (B & N Exclusive Edition)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Goodreads synopsis: Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years—or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication.

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.

Verdict: I liked this one okay, but not as much as Funny Story or Happy Place. The pacing was the biggest issue for me. The first 350+ pages were a slow burn and I didn't care about the characters. The last 50+ pages were fast paced and I found that I cared a little bit about the characters. I like Emily Henry, but this one didn't quite do it for me. It has good ratings on Goodreads and The Storygraph, though, so it definitely has its fans. 

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson

The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson -- 372 pages

Mackenzie hasn't had a successful date in months. She's only a year out of residency, and her grandmother's obsession with finding the perfect mate threatens to drive her barking mad, so it should be a small thing when she lies about meeting someone . . . until she blurts out the name of the last man she would ever date: Noah 'The Big Bad Wolf of Denver General' Taylor.

Noah, interventional cardiologist and all-round grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is - an unmated alpha. But when an anonymous tip brings everything to light, he's left with two choices: come clean to the board and risk his career or find himself a mate. So, when the chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asks him to be her fake boyfriend the same day he's called to meet the board, it must be kismet, right?

Mackenzie gets her grandmother off her back, and Noah gets the chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate - it's a mutually beneficial business transaction. But when the fake-mate act turns to a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde

Rewind It Back by Liz Tomforde -- 491 pages

HALLIE
When I was eleven, my family moved next door to his. When I was thirteen, he was my first crush. When I was sixteen, we fell for each other. And when I was nineteen, we broke each other's hearts. Six years later, I've landed an internship with a big-name interior designer in a new city. Unfortunately, that city just so happens to be the one he plays hockey for. I thought Chicago was big enough to avoid him, until I get the surprise of a lifetime and unknowingly move in right next door. Even worse? The renovation project I'm assigned to in hopes of turning that internship into my full-time dream job...It's his house. But how am I supposed to update his bachelor pad into a family home when we can't even stand to be in the same room? I may have loved Rio DeLuca once, but I'm not that same girl anymore.

RIO
I never thought I'd be the only single one left in my friend group. But after years of trying to find love, I've concluded it may not exist for me anymore. That is, until I accidentally hire Hallie Hart to renovate my house and our jaded history has me rewinding memories I've kept secret for years. You see, there's something that my friends don't know. That connection I've been looking for since I moved to Chicago, that one person some search their entire lives to find . . . I had already found her when I was twelve years old. And now the only girl I've ever loved is moving into the house next door. Again.