The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton

The Potting Shed Murder by Paula Sutton - I first heard about this book as I follow the author's "Hill House Vintage" Instagram account and enjoy the style and gardening. The book seemed to borrow heavily from the author's life. Unfortunately, I found this book to be a slog. I was simply not invested in the characters or story, and would often feel like I had spent a long time reading without getting very far. I liked the premise and the sense of place, but most of the characters were bored miserable rich people and their darling children. The descriptions felt repetitive and the story dragged on.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

The Love Haters by Katherine Center

The Love Haters by Katherine Center - The meet cute is as usual, a little too convenient, but I was able to roll with it. I enjoyed the description of the bright colors of the Florida Keys and appreciated as more of the nuance and backstory unfolded for the main characters. I laughed out loud quite a bit. I was telling myself "oh this is so predictable" and yet I stayed up late to read the last 60% of the book, so I guess we can call it propulsive! I think that Katherine Center is officially my favorite romance writer. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. 

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 16: New Books to Make Your Heart Race by Cathy Pegau, Mariah Fredericks, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ragnar Jónasson

The Minotaur Sampler, Volume 16: New Books to Make Your Heart Race by
Cathy Pegau, Mariah Fredericks, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Ragnar Jónasson - Another fun sampler collection to get a taste of some upcoming releases. There were some formatting issues where chapters appeared in the wrong section (within a different book's sample!) which created some confusion for this reader. The four stories contained a range of characters, settings, and time periods. The two I enjoyed the most took place in early 20th century America. Historical fiction + mystery is a favorite genre combo of mine. I will be most interested to read Cathy Pegau's "A Murderous Business." Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe - This book started out a bit slow for me, but as the author weaved her story, it became richer and more engaging. I enjoyed her blend of historical fiction and ecology with the focus on strong Southern women that I've found in Monroe's other works. This book is not billed as a series, but the author's note suggested that the matriarch would continue with her story in a second book. I knew the timeline wasn't keeping up with how much was left in the book, but it was a bit surprising for the book to not be more clearly described that way up front. The story was largely unresolved at the end, but it did make me want to continue to the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.