Author: Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

Synopsis (taken from Amazon)

Illegal guns. Dangerous old-ladies. Now a dead body. Angela’s life is getting more complicated by the minute.

A boring life is not in Angela’s future, with her being a black market guns dealer. Tripping over a dead-body is now bringing a lot more attention from law enforcement than she cares to have.

If only she could get control of the Silver Hair Gang, and their quest to find the killer themselves. Angela is running out of time to secure her next arms deal, and save her family from an unknown killer.

* A Desperate Cat Lady is book two in the Contemporary Humorous Fiction series The Cat Lady. Angela’s life drastically changed when she transitioned from depressed cat lady to arms dealer. Now she is willing to take on the world to protect her family and her empire.

Review

This is the second in the cat lady series, and it is such a fun follow-up. It did a great job giving a quick little intro to the characters in case you didn’t read book one. I still recommend reading the first because it was so funny, but it’s nice that you’re not completely lost if you jump in here.

I laughed out loud when they mentioned Blacklist! That’s one of my favourite shows, so that little nod was perfect. It’s like the author just knew exactly what would make me smile. There were more cat references this time, too. The cats added personality and warmth in between the heavier moments. And I could picture them being sassy and wanting bacon. 

I really liked all the new developments in the business storyline, giving the characters room to grow and bringing some fresh energy into the mix. The ending had a great little twist that added a hint of sadness, and it was so good. It was the perfect ending to an odd tale. 

It is an easy read, carried mostly by great dialogue and the main character’s inner thoughts. It flowed naturally and kept me hooked from start to finish.

If you are looking for a funny, emotional, and surprisingly heartfelt book, I highly recommend this one.

Get your copy here (affiliate link – thanks for the support)

Synopsis (taken from Amazon)

The Dokkrsdottir is not your ordinary Norse woman of the Viking age. One of the great warriors of her time, she soon learns that the hardest battles are not always those fought with a sword and shield. Through countless trials and tests, she is led by visions and omens on numerous adventures with the help of steadfast friends and family to discover her mysterious supernatural destiny, one more extraordinary than anyone could ever have imagined.

RUNE OF RENEWAL (Book 2)

The story of the Dokkrsdottir continues in a strange new time and place finding her out of her familiar world, but the pressure on her to continue as one of the greatest warriors ever increases as the stakes are now world wide and on a grander scale than she could ever have imagined.

However, through the foresight and dedication of many of her descendants, she has the diehard support of friends and family to see her through to her destiny of thwarting the plans of the Dark

Review:

This book takes a huge jump forward in time, which threw me for a minute. You really have to settle in and get to know the new characters, but once you do, they completely pull you in. They’re different from the originals, but they carry that same spark that made me love the first book.

There are a ton of references to the first book. It really is a continuation of the same story. So if you haven’t read the first book yet, don’t skip it. So much of what happens here only lands emotionally because of what came before.

The story weaves real-life events into the ongoing fight against the dark. It makes the fantasy feel grounded and almost believable, like this could all be happening just out of sight in our own world.

The ending is a little twisty, a little sad, but honestly, kind of perfect. It wraps things up just enough to feel satisfied but still leaves your mind racing with possibilities for what could happen next. It’s one of those endings where you just sit for a bit after finishing, staring at the last page like, “Wait… what now?”

If you are looking for a great entertaining series, this is it. 

Get your copy here. (Affiliate link, thanks for the support)

Synopsis (taken from Amazon)

When A. J. (Alison Jane) Cadell took over Thistlewood Manor, she fully intended to turn it into the bed and breakfast Grandma Bebe dreamed of before her death – except for a few minor hurdles. Not only does Alison have a new romance novel to finish, a Writer-in-Residence gig to get through, visitors coming from Toronto, and a party to help organize, the caterer has gone missing. More specifically, Blair Diamond who is catering the McKittrick Christmas Ball in less than two weeks.
Then Alison and her boyfriend, Mac, find Blair’s body on the beach behind Thistlewood and she is dragged into the rat’s nest that made up Blair’s life. Can she track down the killer before the Ice Storm of the Century hits Cedar Grove or will Alison become another target?

Review

This is the second book in the A.J. Cadell Mystery Book series, and it was such a fun book to read! The characters really jumped off the page; each one had their own personality, and the dialogue flowed so naturally that I could hear the conversations happening in my head. Not only that, but the imagery was perfect.  The author painted such vivid pictures that I could clearly see every setting, every expression, and every little detail without it ever feeling overdone. It felt like I was right there in the scene with them, which is my favourite way to immerse myself in a book.

I did not see the ending coming! It was one of those nice little twists that sneak up on you.

Unfortunately, there were a few grammatical hiccups here and there. Nothing ruined the story, but they did stand out here and there. Still, the writing style and pacing more than made up for it.

I would highly suggest reading the first book in the series before venturing into this book. A lot of characters are mentioned that probably have more backstory in book one. However, you can (like me) read it out of order.

If you are looking for a dialogue-driven mystery, this is the book for you!

Get your copy here (affiliate link—thank you for your support).