Release Date: July 31, 2018



Kara Thomas impressed me with her teen mystery The Cheerleaders. Do I think there was some  shoddy police work at play? Yes. Could I put the book down? No. If you were a fan of Veronica Mars, this is a book to read.

It's been five years since five cheerleaders died tragically. Two died in a horrific car crash. Two died in a shocking murder. One allegedly killed herself. Monica still struggles with her sister's suicide. Jen just wasn't the type. When she finds her sister's cell phone hidden in her stepdad's desk drawer, along with yearly notes telling him to connect the dots, she's convinced there is more to the five deaths than police suspected.

Monica starts with the last number her sister called. It puts her in touch with a mystery person telling her not to trust her stepdad. Wanting to know the truth, Monica starts going back to the people in Jen's life and asking questions. They're questions not everyone wants to answer,…

Release Date - July 31, 2018



Ella and Mack have a turn at romance in Set the Night on Fire. If you haven't read the other stores, you really don't need to. I do, however, recommend the entire series.

Since buying out Ford Abbott's stake in a family garage, Ella has not had a warm welcome. What was first an investment became a setting for some of her best memories of her brother. She doesn't want to give up the garage and hopes she can win Mack Abbott over with her marketing skills.

Mack is furious that his brother sold a share of the family business. It's supposed to stay in the family. Despite his growing attraction to Ella, he must get her share back. To do so, he'll really push her buttons. He never expects her to stand up to her tests, however. He starts to wonder if his desire to buy Ford's share back is really worth it.

I loved the chemistry between Ella and Mack in the previous entry in the A Cottonbloom Novel series. This book is not disappointing.…

Release Date: July 17, 2018



A child should be a wondrous event. Suzette Jensen suffers from Crohn's Disease. For her, having a child is a risk. She loves her husband, however, and knows he wants a family. With a beautiful baby girl adding to their family, the pair of them are not prepared for parenthood.

At first, Hanna appeared to be an average child. As she grew, she never spoke. Years pass and Hanna still doesn't speak. Thinking she just needs to socialize more, Suzette and Alex enroll Hanna in school. She is kicked out of one school and then the next. Alex blames the school for not understanding Hanna. Suzette thinks there is more going on. She's convinced her daughter is evil.

Little Hanna is as creepy as they come. This child was one of the scariest characters I've encountered in a while. The interactions between Alex and Suzette also add to the story. You have Alex who works long hours so that Suzette can stay home to raise their daughter. He doesn't pick u…

Release Date - July 24, 2018



I've finished Every Time You Go Away and I'm still not sure what I think. I'm not convinced I loved this book. I get the point, but I think it comes down to how much you believe about ghosts.

Time stopped when Willa learned her husband had died of an unknown heart condition. Now a widow, the now 30-something has practically ignored her son as he grew from boy to teen. It's hard to be a parent when grief consumes you.

Over the years, the one thing Willa couldn't do was return to the family beach house in Maryland. It's where her husband died unexpectedly. She's dreaded returning there, but the time has come that she must return to get the house emptied and put it on the market.

Willa arrives as ready as she can be to clear the home and ready it for a sale. Other than her dog, she's alone. When she spies a young boy on the beach all by himself, Willa's nerves are shaken. He looked just like her son and husband did at that…

Release Date - July 17, 2018



After her mother's death, Olivia Shaw is still deeply mourning the loss. She finds herself in England after uncovering a mystery. Her mother owns an English estate and Olivia holds the title of Lady Olivia. She went to England to settle the estate and sell the land and buildings. What she finds is that she's falling in love with the estate and many of the townspeople.

Rosemere holds a lot of secrets, however. In order to get help restoring all the buildings, Olivia must unravel the truth her mother and grandmother spent decades hiding.

The lush setting and descriptions of foods in The Art of Inheriting Secrets had me hooked. I could smell the dampness overtaking the mansion. I could taste the rich spices of the many Indian dishes Olivia eats during her time in England. I loved the romance between Olivia and a man who many say is beneath her newly discovered title.

That said, there were aspects I felt were left open. I don't know if that means …

Release Date - July 24, 2018



When I read Dete Meserve's novel A Good Sam, I knew she was an author to watch. The Space Between is just as gripping and emotional.

Sarah Mayfield returns back from her trip to NASA where she and her team presented proof of an amazing discovery. She's riding the high of their success and what it means for her field. Her teen son is home, but her husband, a wealthy restaurateur, is nowhere to be found.

Things look bad when Sarah finds the security camera footage was scrubbed. There's a gun in their bedroom. He deposited a million dollars in a bank account they haven't touched in years.

Soon, Sarah's life is unraveling. While it first appears that Ben may have been taken by people he was suing, it starts to look much, much worse. Ben's blood is found in his abandoned car. A life insurance policy is discovered. Detectives start to wonder if Sarah killed him to get the money he possessed. If Sarah wants to uncover the truth, she's…

Release Date - July 24, 2018



Caring for her two daughters is challenging with her husband often gone on business. Cecilia Wilborg makes it work. After all, her husband loves her, her daughters are perfect, and they have a home in a wealthier area in Norway.

While taking her daughters to the community pool, Cecilia runs into the one thing that could tear her perfect life apart. Someone left their young son at the pool. Cecilia's asked to run him home. She never imagines that the boy's parents will not be there. She and her husband agree to take him in until his parents are found.

Annika Lucasson knows Cecilia's secret. She may not be more than a junkie, but the secret she knows could be her claim to wealth. To keep her world intact, Cecilia must deal with her past and maintain a calm facade as Annika intrudes more and more on her life.

Some of the secrets and mysteries within The Boy at the Door are apparent. I wasn't shocked by some revelations. I was more surprised t…

Release Date: July 10, 2018



Somebody's Daughter will have your thoughts going all over the place. You may think you've got it all figured out, but you don't. I did eventually catch on, but it took a lot longer than usual.

Michael Frazier and his wife have a relaxed evening planned. After years of dealing with infertility issues, it's a good night to have a romantic dinner and try for the baby they both desperately want. Things take a very dark, ominous turn when Michael's ex-wife Erika shows up. Her daughter vanished and Michael must help her. She reveals Michael is the nine-year-old girl's father. He never knew.

The last thing Michael's wife expects is for Michael to agree to leave with Erica. Angela is stunned. Worse, when the police come to interview her, she learns Michael has been hiding things. Did he know he has a daughter? Is the girl really even his daughter?

As the hours pass, Angela starts to hear more and more about Erika's past and her conc…

Release Date: June 26, 2018



I loved the first entry in the Sons of Broad series. I wasn't as taken with Broken Promises. It was okay, but it was nothing I rushed to read in one sitting.

Officer Alyssa Adams has never forgotten her sister's murder. Maybe that's why the disappearance of Kipling Benedict's long-lost sister has her riled. She leaves the force in an agreement to help the Benedict brothers find their sister and end the madness the Gentleman has created.

Kipling may have been arrested by Alyssa, but he's not going to blame her for doing her job. In fact, he finds her quite appealing. He cannot let his attraction get in the way of finding his sister, however. Jade's safety is most important to Kipling and his brothers. He's ready to end the Gentleman once and for all.

The Gentleman is a creepy, sadistic man who has been putting the brothers through hell for multiple books. I was glad to see this is the final entry. I didn't find it as gripping…

Released in July 2016



Forget any other air fryer cookbook. This is the book you need. I have an air fryer. I also hate it. I've tried making fries. They were limp. I tried making fried fish. It was lousy. I put it away after that.

The Complete Air Fryer Cookbook had me pulling it back out. A recipe for healthier scotch eggs caught my eye. I love scotch eggs. With the ingredients in hand, eggs boiled, and air fryer ready to go, I gave the recipe a shot. These were the greatest scotch eggs. They were crispy, moist, and delicious.

There's a good guide to get you started with an air fryer. I used the Power Air Fryer XL while testing these recipes. Recipes and information are divided into these categories:


Fast Food or Good HealthBreakfastLunchAppetizersFish and SeafoodPoultryMeatVegetables and SidesDesserts

I had temperatures of 95 F at my house yesterday. The heat index reached 125 F. I was a little worried about using the air fryer, but it didn't heat up the kitchen at all. T…