Roberta Reads

Murder on the Dance Floor by Helena Dixon My rating: 5 of 5 stars The M iss Underhay Mystery Series has been a favourite right from the first book (Murder at the Dolphin Hotel). I wasn’t disappointed by this instalment. I always enjoy returning to the world of the Dolphin Hotel. I am very fond of the characters in this series - Kitty, Matt, Kitty’s grandmother, and Alice particularly. They are well written and believable, as well as likeable. I enjoyed exploring a little more of the relationship between Kitty and Matt, and some progress finally being made! There is also a new discovery in Kitty’s hunt to find out what happened to her mother. Both of these felt like a rewarding payoff for all that has happened so far in the series. The mystery at the centre of this story was an interesting. I enjoyed finding out the facts alongside Kitty, Matt, and the Inspector. Helena Dixon has produced yet another murder mystery that I can solve at the same speed as the ...

Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas My rating: 4 of 5 stars Having enjoyed Escape to the French Farmhouse, and given my general love of Christmas books, I was very happy to receive a review copy of this book. Connie takes her friends across to Germany for the wake of one of their own, and a date. It sounds like a weird and possibly rather unhappy combination, but it actually works really well, and is a happy story. I loved pretty much all the characters, but especially all of Connie’s friends from the retirement flats. I love the way they all pull together to make their lives better, and find their happiness again. William was also lovely, and I loved the atmosphere of his bakery and the Old Town Christmas market. The whole story had a lovely Christmassy atmosphere. I didn’t really like Heinrich. He is manipulative, and doesn’t seem keen on letting people make their own decisions. I was very surprised that Connie was still consid...

The Twelve Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss My rating: 3 of 5 stars I’ve not read any books by Jenny Bayliss previously, but the premise sounded interesting, so I thought I’d go for it. I enjoyed the story, I thought the twelve dates idea was fun, and carried out well. The atmosphere of the dates (and the whole book, in fact) was generally very Christmassy. I thought the mix of people Kate was paired up with was not unrealistic, though a little disheartening! I thought the characters were well drawn, especially as many of them didn’t get a huge amount of page time. They were all different, and some were very entertaining. I liked Kate very much, she was kind, and looked after her friends and family. Her dad was lovely, as were many of the characters in the village. However, I unfortunately couldn’t like any of the potential love interests. Richard threw up red flags for me right from the start, he seemed emotionally manipulative at the very...

The Christmas Swap by Sandy Barker My rating: 4 of 5 stars I chose this book because I liked both the cover and the concept of three friends swapping Christmases. Sandy Barker is a new author for me, although I have been tempted by some of her previous books. This story was well written, and really easy to read. It was lighthearted, and had lots of humorous moments throughout, as well as the romantic ones. It was rather like three Christmas romances, but they are all entwined, as the three women have been best friends all their lives. They swap homes for the holidays, all fall in love, and much fun ensues. I liked all of the characters, and I particularly enjoyed the way the three friends got to know each other’s families, or friends. You can also really feel the friendship between Lucy, Chloe, and Jules. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and lighthearted Christmas romance, with humour and friendship. I was given a free copy...

The Fatal Flying Affair by T.E. Kinsey My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Lady Hardcastle series is rather a favourite of mine, so I was delighted to be given a review copy via NetGalley. The Fatal Flying Affair does not disappoint. I loved this book, just as I have loved every single one in this series. I love the characters, and the banter between Lady Hardcastle and Florence in particular. We also get to see a little more of Harry and his family in this one. I love the lightheartedness, the general understated (but very funny) humour, and the silliness. I always feel happy when I read a Lady Hardcastle book! I really enjoyed the aeroplane aspect of this story, and the fact that Lady Hardcastle and Florence are back working with the government again. The mystery itself (or as it turned out, three related issues!) was interesting, and the solution was not immediately obvious. If you’re looking for a lighthearted mystery, with just the right amount o...

Christmas Wishes by Sue Moorcroft My rating: 5 of 5 stars Trigger warning for this book: Deals with eating disorders, alcohol and drug abuse, and a small amount of child neglect. I chose this book because I’ve enjoyed a number of Sue Moorcroft’s books, and I love Christmas stories. I wasn’t disappointed. I read this after a couple of books that I hadn’t found so easy, and it was such a relief to sink into a story where the writing just flows, and I just want to carry on reading. This book is very well written, and full of lovely characters. I really liked Nico, and I loved Josie and Maria, who make the most adorable double act. I loved the way he rearranged his whole life so he could look after the children. Hannah was great too, if a little naive at times. I liked the realness of the situations, and difficulties, without the story becoming emotionally upsetting (for me, at least). The whole story had a a great wintry and Christmassy atmospher...

Winter Wishes At Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger My rating: 2 of 5 stars I chose this book because I have enjoyed a number of Katie Ginger’s previous books, and I love Christmas stories. Unfortunately, it turned out to be rather more heartrending than I prefer, though well written. I found it really hard to like Tom to start with. I get that he’s scared, but to carry on driving and not go to the doctor after he’s had an accident that could have harmed children, just seems incredibly stupid and selfish. He does become more likeable as the story goes on. I also found Cat not terribly likeable. I think it’s just stress making her act badly, but it seems terribly selfish to refuse to involve the person she’s marrying in making decisions about their wedding - it should be about both of them! The character I really liked was Nell, she’s kind and caring, although rather unrealistic about things sometimes. I found this story a little too stressful for...

Defy or Defend by Gail Carriger My rating: 5 of 5 stars Another truly excellent book from Gail Carriger, Defy or Defend is Dimity’s story. It is full of all the beautiful and humorous writing that characterises the author’s writing. As it is Dimity’s story, it is also full of sparkles. I chuckled lots (both at the witty words, and the story itself), and enjoyed the whole book immensely. All the characters are well written - they all have their own personalities and motivations, and seem real. Emma Newman does an excellent job of narrating this audiobook (as she always does). The reading is clear and easy to listen to. The expression is excellent, bringing all the characters and their various emotions to life, and highlighting the brilliant and subtle humour of the writing. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone, really. Obviously, you get extra enjoyment if you’ve read Gail’s other books, as a few characters pop in to say hello. View al...

Escape From Aurora by Jamie Littler My rating: 3 of 5 stars This is the sequel to Frostheart, which I enjoyed a few months ago. It follows on nicely from the first book, continuing the tale of Ash, and his friends, as he searches for his parents, and where he belongs. I thought this story was well written, and it is certainly extremely exciting! I enjoyed meeting with all the fun characters from the first book, as well as a few new ones. There are also a couple of exciting new locations to explore. Ash’s continuing revelations of the nature of leviathans are great to read about, and I loved getting to know more about Rook. However, I found it rather too stressful for my taste. There are too many people (and creatures) hating others, and trying to kill them. This is the kind of real-world nastiness that I read to escape from. The illustrations are excellent, as they were in the first story. They are really expressive, and bring the people and l...

The Secret Life of Fungi by Aliya Whiteley My rating: 2 of 5 stars I chose this book because I am interested in Biology in general, and I wanted to learn more about fungi. I should perhaps have realised that a book written by an author who mostly writes fictional works would not be a fact-heavy, scientific one! I unfortunately didn’t learn anything new from this book. However, although not to my personal taste, this book was not without interest. It is rather like a love story between the author and fungi. It provides a good overview of all the many places and situations fungi turn up in, and conveys the author’s wonder at the vast variety that populate our world. I personally found it irritating that so much of the book was taken up with stories, personal anecdotes, and imaginings. Some of it seemed tedious and a little repetitive. I felt like I was constantly on the edge of reading something really interesting, but it never quite materialise...

Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger My rating: 5 of 5 stars 🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧 I loved this novella when I read it on my kindle, and I love it even more as an audiobook. I always felt a bit sorry for Preshea in the Finishing School books, so it’s lovely to see her get a happy ending - choose one in fact. A lovely novella. The narration was excellent, with good expression that brought the story and characters to life. I did find the pause every three words or so a little irritating - it suits Preshea’s character, but it’s not relaxing to listen to when it extends beyond her speech and thoughts. There were also one or two words pronounced in a way that I’ve never heard before, but perhaps that’s just how they’re pronounced in this alternative historical era. View all my reviews

One More for Christmas: A Novel by Sarah Morgan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sarah Morgan has been a top five author (saying a lot, when I read over 300 books a year) for me, for many years. I therefore leapt on the chance of an advance copy of One More for Christmas. I certainly wasn’t disappointed, this author just gets better and better with each book! The story is wonderful, full of humorous moments, and heartwarming ones too. The scene where Samantha thinks she’s talking to Kyle on the phone is particularly hilarious. I love Brodie so much, he’s perfect. Appealing, and honest, and kind. Samantha is a great character too. She’s cut off her true self from what she shows the world, but she has good reason. I love the way she is open and honest with Brodie. Gayle is a totally believable character, she’s obviously caused Samantha and Ella a great deal of upset, but she had good reason for becoming how she is, and she works so hard to do better and ...

A Treacherous Performance by Lynn Messina My rating: 4 of 5 stars 🎧 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧 Having enjoyed all the previous audiobooks in this series, I was excited to receive a free copy from this author. This review is freely written and contains only my own opinions. As expected, this audiobook was full of the usual hilarious moments, and had a fun mystery to solve. There was a small section I didn’t enjoy as much as usual - there were too many manipulative and malicious characters conniving and scheming for my taste. And then when Bea is interrogating two characters (not mentioning names to avoid spoilers), she thinks “the man/woman who arranged the ruination of an innocent woman” (or similar) far too many times in the space of one half hour. However, once I got past those parts, it returned to the fun crime solving romance I know and love, and I very much enjoyed Bea and Kesgrave teasing each other all the time, and the general silliness! Th...

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix My rating: 5 of 5 stars Having read, and enjoyed, a few Garth Nix books a number of years ago, and finding the description of this one very appealing, I decided to give it a go. I really enjoyed this book, it was a fun and exciting adventure. I liked Susan, Merlin, and Vivien, they make a good collection of characters. I absolutely love the concept of the left- and right-handed booksellers, who try to keep a balance between the Old World (magic etc) and the New World (mundane). I unexpectedly really enjoyed the book being set in the 80s, I’m just old enough to get quite a few of the references.  The world-building is excellent and very convincing (as you’d expect from Garth Nix). I loved the whole ordinary person finding out who they really are storyline with Susan, and I found the epilogue immensely entertaining. The only thing I didn’t like, was that Susan’s name was twice used to refer ...