The Virgin and Zach Coulter

I am using the Virgin and Zach Coulter as my Z book for the A-Z book Challenge as I do not like zombies.

Cynthia Deacon comes home to deal with her Uncle's estate after leaving her last job because her boss wanted to get her horizontal.  She was not used to being unemployed as she had worked since she was sixteen.  She meets Zach Coulter on the street when he rescues her from another man.

Zach has inherited the family lodge which has been neglected for many years.  He decides to renovate and then re-open it.  He learns that Cynthia has experience in managing boutique hotels and decides to hire her.  They discuss salary and she decides to take the job.

The two of them try to maintain a professional relationship even though they both feel something for each other.  Unfortunately, when the work is finished there is trouble with getting a permit to open.  Zach has to help clear her name so they can open the lodge.

This is a Harlequin book and Zach does make love to Cynthia when she is ready.  She had told him she was a virgin and he educates her.  The descriptions are good and I love the way her horseback ride is described.  If I were single, I think I could fall for Zach, also.

Killer in Crinolines

 

Killer in Crinolines is the 2nd book in Duffy Brown;s Consignment Shop Mysteries.  Reagan Summerside is asked to bring a bow-tie to a wedding.  She certainly did not expect to find the groom in the wedding cake with a cake knife in his back.  Duffy's friend Chantilly had motive and opportunity so she is arrested for murder.  Naturally, Reagan has to help her friend by finding the real murderer.

Aunt KiKi is still quoting from Cher but she throws in some Richard Castle.  Walter Boone seems to show up when Reagan needs him most.  Bruce Willis (the dog) is now a permanent resident at Reagan's and there is a handsome doctor thrown in to take her out to dinner.

Reagan keeps eliminating suspects until she is almost killed by the real culprit.  This is much action along the way.  Business picks up when it is suggested that a percentage of sales be donated toward a new cannon thaqt the Daughters of the Confereacy wanted to buy.  I must admit that I would love to try a Snikers Martini.

I loved ever thing in this book, from the acknowledgement to Duffy's Street Team (of which I am a member) to the ending.  I must admit that I would love to have some of the baked goods from the Cakery Bakery in addition to that Martini.  Old Black Magic ice cream also sounds interesting.  Beside the descriptions of food, there is the weather inSavannah, Georgia and the places in the city that are described.  A visit to the Prissy Fox to go shopping would not be bad either. 

This book should be a must for anyone who loves a good mystery.

April Challenge

April's Challenge for A-Z was to read a book with a weather or flower-related topic or cover.
I have read two books as they are both children's books.  The book for E is Ella the Rose Fairy and the book for J is Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl.

Both of these books fit the topic. Each cover has flowers on it and they both cover topics which relate to flowers.

In Ella the Rose Fairy Rachel and Kirsty visit the Chaney Court Flower show and help Ella find the missing Rose Petal.

Junie B. hears that her Aunt Flo is getting married and want to be a flower girl.  But, Flo has already picked her future husband's little sister to be the flower girl so she names Junie, the alternate flower girl and says she can sit with the bridesmaids.

Both of these books are quick reads and certainly would be enjoyed by young readers.  I have to admit that I liked both of them because I did not want a long book to read.  I wish I had a grand-daughter to give them to but, I will find them a good home.

The Top-Flight Fully-Automated Junior High School Girl Detective

This book is for the Up and Down Challenge of What's in a Name 6.

Sisters Alison and Jeannie McNair and their friend Emmeline Grant find out that their favorite show is filming near by in New York City.  They find that the police are keeping people back but they see a perfect stop across the street where they could be seen by the camera.  When it comes time for the program to air, the scene in which they were in the background occurs so fast all you can see is a blur of color.

At the viewing party, Emmeline is upset because her father's credit card is missing and purchases have been charged on it.  The girls decide to investigate the loss of the card.  In the course of their investigation, they see Miss Haverstashe who is the sister of Mr. Grant's boss at Newcharge Credit Card Company.  She asks about their television appearance as she does not have a television set.  They do not discuss the missing card with her as they are afraid she will tell her brother.

The girls find an informant who describes what someone was wearing that sounds like a priest.  They see someone dressed like the description and follow him.  He turns out to be an undercover cop.  They finally realize that the person using the card could have been a woman as Dale could be male or female.  It turns out it was a woman, the Grant's neighbor.  She promises to come clean to her brother and not let Mr. Grant get fired.

Mr. Haverstashe manages to get a videotape of the detective show and when the tape is stopped the girls can be seen in the background.  In fact, he had photos made of them.

I have had this book for awhile but just decided to read it for this challenge.  I enjoyed it very much. It was probably written for teenagers in the 70's.  The only thing that really dates it, that it is very hard to find a small black and white television anymore.

What do you love about book blogging and book blogs?

I love reading about books and finding ones I want to read.  I began blogging because of book challenges that I decided to enter.

I have won some books and other things from contests on blogs and have made some new friends.

Dear Cupid

Dear Cupid by Julie Ortolon is a e-book that I had purchased and had not read until today.  The title refers to an advice column written by Kate Bradsaw for Gwendolyn's Garden.  Kate's friend Gwen the owner of the on-line publication puts Kate on probation as she needs to relate more to her readers.  So, Kate decides she needs some romance and decides to flirt with a man in the airport while waiting for her plane to leave.  She sees a handsome man and drops her handbag and he winds up helping her to pick up things.  One of the items is a lipstick which is peach.  The man does not look wealthy.  He is Micheal Cameron, an animator for the movies.  Mike is returning home from his class reunion and realizes that he has spent his life working and his classmates are married with children.

Mike falls in love at first sight with the redheaded lady in the airport.  She had dropped a business card with a picture of a blond.  The telephone number was from the same area in which he lived.  When he turns over the card he sees a message wishing Kate, good luck from, Linda.  So, he realizes the woman's name is Kate.

Because he wants to see Kate again, Mike calls Linda's business, Rent A Wife, and asks for Kate.  When she arrives, Kate realizes Mike is the man from the airport.  She is surprised when Mike asks her to help him find a wife.  She says he needs the place remodeled and asks Linda's husband, Jim to come to Mike's to do the contracting as Linda is pregnant.

Mike eventually meets Dylan, who is Kate's son and winds up deciding having a step-son would not be bad.  He does manage to seduce Kate and they have sex.  Mike helps Kate find a new outlet for her column when she is fired.

I love the way the love story develops.  Mike slowly builds a friendship with Dylan and that lends to Kate changing her mind about him.  The book does have a happy ending.

Cat Laughing Last Spring Challenge

Cat Laughing Last by Shirley Rousseau Murphy is my entry for C in A-Z challenge and for March challenge.  It also fits the What an Animal Reading Challenge and is a Cozy Mysteroy.  This book has been in my home for awhile.

Joe Grey and Dulcie with the aid of Kit discover that certain items found at yard sales contain treasure that someone will kill for.  Molena Point has been invaded by a writer and his rude wife.   The author is also casting a play at the local theater.

Thanks to the cats, the police are given enough leads to discover who the villians or villian might be.
It was a newspaper article that mentions that something was found isix weeks before in early March which gives me the clue that this book is set in springtime.  Since the setting is California, the fact that they can cut flowers does not help set the time of the story.

Unfortunately, because I was looking for something to help me date this book, it let me know too much about the solution.  As one follows the progress of the mystery, you do get the idea that all does not meet the eye.  I love the descriptions of the cats, the scenery, clothes and costumes and the people.  This is a great series to read.  One does not have to read the books in order to enjoy them.