Not Your Ex's Hexes

Not Your Ex's Hexes

By April Asher 

Narrated by Zura Johnson

Listening length 12 hours, 31 minutes 

Published February 28, 2023

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

For her entire life, Rose Maxwell trained to become the next Prima on the Supernatural Council. Now that she’s stepped down, it’s time for this witch to focus on herself—and not think about her impulsive one-night stand with Damian Adams, a half-demon veterinarian who she can’t get out of her head, since neither of them is looking for a relationship.

But when Rose is sentenced to community service at Damian’s animal sanctuary, it becomes impossible for them to ignore their sparking attraction. A friends-with-benefits, no feelings, no-strings-arrangement works perfectly for them both. After a sequence of dead-end jobs, it’s not until Rose tangos with two snarly demons that she thinks she’s finally found her path. However, this puts Damian back on the periphery of a world he thought he left behind. He doesn’t approve of Rose becoming a Hunter, but if there's one thing he's learned about the stubborn witch, it's that telling her not to do something is a sure-fire way to make sure she does.

Working—and sleeping—together awakens feelings Damian never knew he had...and shouldn't have—because thanks to his ex's hex, if he falls in love, he'll not only lose his heart but also his humanity.

Though I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review, all opinions remain my own.

 
This is the second book in the "supernatural singles" series, but you wouldn't know it by starting out with this one. I wasn't lost at all just jumping in with book number two. 

I loved how Damian and Rose keep getting shoved together by circumstances seemingly beyond their control. Throw in the supernatural aspect and all the magic along with a vet who runs an animal rescue, this book was right up my alley. If the other books all follow the other Maxwell sisters, I will totally be picking those up. This family seems like a great one to follow!

I Really Didn't Think This Through

I Really Didn't Think This Through: Tales From My So-Called Adult Life

By: Beth Evans
Published May 1, 2018
My Review 4 out of 5 stars

Popular Instagram artist Beth Evans tackles a range of issues - from whimsical musings to deeply personal struggle - in this imaginative anti-guide to being your own person.

Welcome to Adulthood! Hey, wait...where are you going?

Did you ever wish your best friend - the person you would trust with your innermost secrets, the person whose wisdom and comfort you seek in times of stress or self-doubt - could draw? Popular Instagram illustrator Beth Evans has made a name for herself writing comics and sharing her personal experiences on life as she enters and navigates adulthood. Her ability to find humor in common situations around love, social anxieties, depression, and work has created a cultlike following from her 217k Instagram fans.

Like Mindy Kaling meets Hyperbole and a Half, I Really Didn’t Think This Through gets at the heart of what makes life both so challenging and so joyful - figuring out how to be a person in the world. This book is a compendium of Beth’s collected wisdom and stories, interwoven with her tremendously popular and loveable illustrations. The book is a wonderful mix of fun (playful meditations on the band Rush and international pen pals) and thoughtful (Beth delves into her personal history with obsessive compulsive disorder and depression while commiserating on topics like dating and credit card shame) all with a simple candor that anyone from a teen to their grandparent can relate to. Through all of her experiences, Beth manages to extract valuable lessons, and the book is replete with friendly advice about caring for yourself, getting help no matter what your problems are, and embracing what makes you happy. Beth is a compelling storyteller, her drawings picking up where her words leave off, creating an approachable and immersive experience for the listener. Beth’s work feels like a hug from your best friend. And like a best friend, she’s here to say, “You got this!”

This is a beautiful reminder that we don't have to have things all together to be an adult. The author copes with OCD and anxiety and it spoke to me. I also struggle with anxiety and many of the pictures felt like they were drawn just for me. The chapter on self-love was really something I needed to read this week. A couple of my favorite quotes: "Sleep is just death, without the commitment." and "self-love is hard" - the more detailed quote that made me laugh out loud with its truth was actually: "how can I, a complete and total garbage can of awfulness, find it in the trash that is me to love not only myself but other people? Its a tall order for anyone, especially someone with low self-esteem."

Look Alive 25

Stephanie Plum faces the toughest puzzle of her career in the twenty-fifth entry in Janet Evanovich's #1 New York Times bestselling series.

There's nothing like a good deli and the Red River Deli in Trenton is one of the best. World famous for its pastrami, cole slaw and for its disappearing managers. Over the last month, three have vanished from the face of the earth, the only clue in each case is one shoe that's been left behind. The police are baffled. Lula is convinced that it's a case of alien abduction. Whatever it is, they'd better figure out what's going on before they lose their new manager, Ms. Stephanie Plum.

My rating: five of five stars

Stephanie and Lula are at it again. This time, in addition to their bounty hunting duties, they are also managing a local deli. 

The only problem is that the managers of this deli seem to be disappearing... leaving behind only a shoe. 

Yet another book that kept me laughing right on through. Just thinking about Lula making sandwiches has me laughing again!

Fox & O'Hare Series

I have been a Janet Evanovich fan for years. It's funny how I found her, I was at my local book store and the shop keeper was asking what kind of books I liked. After listening to me talk about a few of my favorites, he recommended I look at Evanovich's books. I started with One for the Money and was hooked.

This is another series with Evanovich along with Lee Goldberg. He is an author I hadn't read before, but I gave the books a try because a friend raved about them.

I read book one and laughed until my sides hurt. The characters that were created were so true, it felt like they could have been real people. O'Hare has an ex-special ops father who is obsessed with his rocket launcher. Anytime that Jake (the dad) appeared in the books, I knew it was going to be a laughable scene.

While Kate (O'Hare) isn't quite as amusing as Stephanie Plum (main character of the number books) she is smart and funny and so relate-able. I love reading (and listening) to these books. The narrator of the audio books is amazing. If you are looking for a book that will keep you reading and make you laugh, pick up one of the Fox and O'Hare series. There are five in the series so far and I cannot wait to see what Fox will get O'Hare into next book!

Book 1

Synopsis of The Heist: From Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, and Lee Goldberg, bestselling author and television writer for Monk, comes the first adventure in an electrifying new series featuring an FBI agent who always gets her man, and a fearless con artist who lives for the chase.

FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years, the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: he convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

A friend has been telling me to read this book for MONTHS and I had been putting it off. Forgetting. I am SO glad I finally remembered and checked it out from the library. Being a fan of Evanovich, I was a bit wary when I saw this was co-authored with another, but the wariness was for nothing, this book does not disappoint at all.

The characters: Kate is "dedicated and disciplined" in her job as an FBI agent. She is a "by the rules" kind of person. There is a definite fire in her and that is what makes her good at what she does. She has an former military dad and a home maker sister. From what little I picked up in this book, she has no interest in being part of any traditional family.

Nicholas Fox is the man she's been hunting for years. He is the con artist of all con artists and knows how to set up a con and live it. That's why he has eluded Kate so many years. When he is finally caught, he willingly exchanges a trial and probably prison for a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.

Book 2 

The Plot: This book was incredibly fast paced. I finished it in two (long) sittings. Literally could not put it down. When compared with Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, this one isn't quite as comical but O'Hare and Fox certainly make an entertaining pair. When you add in the assortment of others they pull in to help, it is just awesome.

Overall this book gets five big stars from me. As a fan of Evanovich's other work, this one did not disappoint. Looking forward to reading more adventures with Fox and O'Hare.

Second read review: This is the first book in Evanovich and Goldbergs "Fox and O'Hare" series. This is my second time reading these books and I found them just as amusing the second time around. While they aren't quite as side splitting as Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, they come pretty close. Loved getting to know these two again, and the cast of characters that they are surrounded by. Almost as good as Lula and Grandma Mazur.

The Chase (book 2) My review: 5 stars

Synopsis: Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox runs daring cons, now teams undercover for FBI with agent who caught him, Kate O'Hare. 

Together they catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals, next Carter Grove, former White House chief of staff, now ruthless leader of Black Rhino private security for a rare Chinese rooster from the Smithsonian.

Book 3

The Job (book 3) My review: 5 stars

Charming con man Nicolas Fox and dedicated FBI agent Kate O'Hare secretly take down world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons, next job Violante, the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire. The FBI doesn’t know what he looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick knows his tastes in gourmet chocolate.

From Nashville to Lisbon back alleys, from Istanbul rooftops to Thames, they chase clues to lookalike thefts. Pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard Reyna holding Kate hostage and a Portuguese enforcer getting advice from an ancestor's pickled head, they again call driver Willie for ship, actor Boyd for one-eyed Captain Bridger, special effects carpenter Tom, her father Jake - retired Special Forces, and his talent - machete-wielding Somali pirate Billy Dee. This could be their biggest job - if they survive.

This, like any other of the Fox and O'Hare books, was quite amusing. I literally laughed out loud a few times. Great story that kept me going through it.

The Scam: Book 4 - My review: 5 stars

Book 4

The synopsis: Nicolas Fox is a charming con man and master thief on the run. Kate O’Hare is the FBI agent who is hot on his trail. At least that’s what everyone thinks. In reality, Fox and O’Hare are secretly working together to bring down super-criminals the law can’t touch. Criminals like brutal casino magnate Evan Trace.

Evan Trace is running a money-laundering operation through his casino in Macau. Some of his best customers are mobsters, dictators, and global terrorists. Nick and Kate will have to go deep undercover as high-stakes gamblers, wagering millions of dollars—and their lives—in an attempt to topple Trace’s empire.

It’s a scam that will take Fox and O’Hare from the Las Vegas strip, to the sun-soaked beaches of Oahu’s North Shore, and into the dark back alleys of Macau. Their only backup—a self-absorbed actor, a Somali pirate, and Kate’s father, and an ex-soldier who believes a rocket launcher is the best way to solve every problem. What could possibly go wrong?

The Pursuit: book 5 - my review: 5 stars

Book 5

Nicolas Fox, international con man, thief, and one of the top ten fugitives on the FBI’s most-wanted list, has been kidnapped from a beachfront retreat in Hawaii. What the kidnapper doesn’t know is that Nick Fox has been secretly working for the FBI. It isn’t long before Nick’s covert partner, Special Agent Kate O’Hare, is in hot pursuit of the crook who stole her con man.

The trail leads to Belgium, France, and Italy, and pits Nick and Kate against their deadliest adversary yet: Dragan Kovic, an ex–Serbian military officer. He’s plotting a crime that will net him billions . . . and cost thousands of American lives.

Nick and Kate have to mount the most daring, risky, and audacious con they’ve ever attempted to save a major U.S. city from a catastrophe of epic proportions. Luckily they have the help of an eccentric out-of-work actor, a bandit who does his best work in the sewers, and Kate’s dad, Jake. The pressure’s on for Nick and Kate to make this work—even if they have to lay their lives on the line.

The Big Kahuna: book 6: my review five stars

The synopsis: A stoner, an Instagram model, a Czech oligarch, and a missing unicorn. Nick Fox and Kate O'Hare have their work cut out for them in their weirdest, wildest adventure yet in this latest entry in the New York Times bestselling series by Janet and Peter Evanovich.

Straight arrow FBI Agent Kate O'Hare always plays by the rules. Charming Con Man Nicholas Fox makes them up as he goes along. She thinks he's nothing but a scoundrel. He thinks she just needs to lighten up. They're working together to tackle the out-of-bounds cases ordinary FBI agents can't touch. And, their relationship? Well, there hasn't been so much explosive chemistry since Nitro was introduced to Glycerin.
Next on the docket: The mysterious disappearance of the Silicon Valley billionaire, known as the Big Kahuna. Kate's been assigned to find him but no one seems particularly keen on helping. His twenty-six year old adult actress wife-turned Instagram model wife and his shady Czech business partner are more interested in gaining control of his company. For that they need a dead body not a living Kahuna.
The only lead they have is the Kahuna's drop-out son, who's living the dream in Hawaii - if your dream is starting your day with the perfect wave and ending it with a big bowl of weed. To get close to the Kahuna's son, Kate and Nick go undercover as a married couple in the big wave, bohemian, surfer community of Paia, Maui. Living a laid back, hippy-dippy lifestyle isn't exactly in Kate's wheelhouse, but the only thing more horrifying is setting up house with Nick Fox, even if he does look pretty gnarly on a longboard. If they don't catch a break soon, waves aren't the only thing she's going to be shredding (or bedding)

My Lady Jane

This comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

New York Times Bestseller * Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * Bustle Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * YALSA 2017 Best Fiction for Young Adults

I received a SIGNED copy of this book in my first every Uppercase Box and I was NOT disappointed!

Looking at the cover and reading the description, it wasn't a book I would have picked up from the store, but since I paid for it, and it is part of the experience, I read it. Took me awhile to get into it, but once I got hooked, there was no letting go. The second half of the book took me less then a day to read (and that was a work day so it was between phone calls!) I loved the idea of taking a historical event and using it as a seed and making the story you wish would have happened. Hand, Ashton and Meadows created such a wonderful story, makes me wish that is really what happened. They were also able to weave in a bit of magic. In this case, the Edian people change into animals. I loved that it was just that one piece of magic that happened. It was just a small part of the bigger story.

A bonus of getting this from Uppercase is that they give you additional reading experience. As you reach certain points in the book, you can go online to their website, enter the code for the page you are on and learn more about that part or watch videos from the authors. Just added to the already wonderful story.

If you haven't heard of Uppercase (which is possible since they are still new and small!) you should check it out at uppercasebox.com. Along with a hardcover signed copy of My Lady Jane, I also got a Deathly hallows magnet, a custom tote bag and a bookmark.

My Plain Jane

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

Amazing as usual, I expected nothing less. This book had me laughing out loud at times. My husband wanted me to share what was so funny, but I couldn't even begin to explain. He would have to read it for himself. The last third of this book when so quickly, I was sad to see the final pages slip through my fingers. Glad I have Calamity on had to start already (though it isn't the same characters.) Might just have to re-read this one...

Surf's Up

Surf's up! Not yet, Dude! Books are boring! Not this one! Bro and Dude have very different ideas about how to spend the day at the beach. But as Bro continues to gasp and cheer as he reads his book (Moby Dick), Dude can't help but get curious. Before you can shout 'Surf's up!' both frogs are sharing the same adventure, that is, until they get to the beach. Newbery Medal Winner, Kwame Alexander, and Daniel Miyares have joined forces to give little listeners a wild ride.

I received a copy of this book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

My rating: four of five stars

I really enjoyed this book It makes it cool to be a reader. The frog friends have plans to go surfing, but frog one is stuck in a great book. While traveling to the beach, frog one shares the story with frog two. They get to the beach and frog one finishes the story (reading to himself) he won't share the end with frog two, so he has to read it himself. The story ends with frog two enjoying the book while frog one surfs. I loved that this book made a love of reading a good thing. Both the story and the illustrations are wonderful. I loved it.

Little Bo Peep and her Bad, Bad Sheep

Little Bo Peep has lost her sheep … as usual. What starts out as a simple nursery rhyme quickly derails into mayhem. Bo Peep can’t find her sheep, but readers will, and they’ll be coaching Bo from the sidelines as they watch her mischievous sheep swiping mittens from kittens, toppling Humpty Dumpty, and trampling Mary’s garden. Dozens of beloved Mother Goose characters have cameos … and all have run-ins with the sheep. Readers will giggle all the way to the end when at last they can finish the rhyme, as the sheep (sheepishly) come home, wagging their tails, of course.

I received a copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My rating: five of five stars

This book was so fun even as an e-book, can't imagine how much more fun the hardback would be to have. In this Mother Goose re-telling, the narrator is trying to tell the story of Little Bo Peep but he keeps getting interrupted. On each new page there is something else going on to view in the fun pictures. There is also a find a picture "game" you can play on each page, trying to find all the nursery rhyme characters. I look forward to buying this as a hard-cover book so my kids can enjoy it like I did.

Bricking It

When siblings Dan and Hayley Daley inherit their late grandmother’s derelict Victorian farmhouse, it seems like a dream come true. All they have to do is fix the place up and sell it for a tidy profit!

Except—as anyone who has renovated an old house knows—things are never that easy.

The walls are rapidly crumbling around them, the architect is a certified lunatic, the budget is spiraling…and then there’s the disturbingly intelligent cow to worry about.

On top of all this, the renovation is being featured on a daytime reality TV show, and as soon as Great Locations presenter Gerard O’Keefe catches sight of Hayley’s first-floor balcony, he’s determined to woo her out of her ban on romance, whether she wants him to or not.

Will Dan and Hayley survive and sell up? Or will the whole thing collapse on them like a ton of bricks?

From bestselling author Nick Spalding comes a hilarious tale of life, love and dodgy plumbing.

My rating: four of five stars

I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I found this book quite amusing. It is about a brother and sister who renovate a house together, the house no one knew their grandmother owned. The viewpoints go back and forth between the sister and brother. Both have very interesting stories that really pulled you in. By the end I was really curious what was going to happen. This book does have some sexual humor in it, definitely an adult book. There is also quite a bit of British lingo. I used good old Google to figure things out and was just fine. Didn't change what I thought about the book. Overall this one gets four stars from me. It was entertaining and kept me reading.