Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn... A Review

 Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn is a light, "fun" read by a writer that is primarily known for her 2 Victorian Mystery series that star bright female protagonists. Killers of a Certain Age is set in contemporary times, starring 4 women who were recruited while in college and trained to be international assassins for a group working outside of the “system" (Reminds me of the series Alias with Jennifer Garner). They’ve been at it for 40 years now and are on their retirement cruise... but it's not all fun and games and something is afoot on that ship…

Many people have characterized Killers of a Certain Age as The Golden Girls meet James Bond. In a way this is true. Deanna Raybourn takes us on a journey with these women in flashbacks to establish who they were and their relationships to the players in the organization as we navigate the present day “situation”. We learn quickly what that situation is… that someone or everyone is trying to kill them. They are hard pressed to trust anyone from the organization they worked for, and have to play detectives (and killers) in order to find out why they are on the hit list now and try and stay alive long enough to try and get it cleared up. 

Deanna Raybourn is a good writer and this is a good story. I found it to be on the lighter side with just enough to keep my interest, but not a lot to sink my teeth into. There is some humor, there is some danger, there is an interesting mystery to be solved and there are 4 main characters that you’ll like. I enjoyed it. And I enjoyed reading about those 4 women of a certain age breaking the molds that they would typically find themselves in with grace and a little kicka$$. I would definitely say, "Read it".

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn was published by Berkley September of last year. You can find this now at your local bookstore, or in my case, I took out the eBook from my local library! 

The Seven Year Slip... a Review

Light, airy and a perfect summery read. Open the pages of The Seven Year Slip and join Clementine, aka "Lemon" as she navigates life as an up and coming book publisher in a NYC job that she absolutely loves... or did love until she realizes that there is more to life than books. How does she come to realize that? By falling in love of course! And where there are plenty of books that have a "type A" heroine succumb to the wiles of a handsome hero, The Seven Year Slip gives us a fun story with a twist... a "magical" twist. You see, and I won't be giving anything away because you'll find this out soon enough, the magic is in the apartment that her Aunt gives her after she passes away. The magic is the 7 years it, meaning the apartment, jumps back to at unexpected times, where Lemon meets a mysterious handsome stranger... and slowly falls in love. 

I found the story very clever and the writing enjoyable. Ashely Poston whisked me right into the story with her wonderful characters and I never looked back. Finished the book in a few days because I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next. Good story with added romance and a bit of the "other" stuff (wink, wink), but not enough to classify this as a sizzler. I would definitely tell my besties to give it a go. 

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston is 326 pages (even though Amazon says 352) and recently published by Berkley Romance, which means you can find this on the shelves of your favorite bookstore! 

P.S. The Readers Guide, just before the discussion questions, has some very interesting insights about Ashley and her book. That's well worth the read too!

Dark Witch by Nora Roberts… A Review

It has been a while since I've read any Nora Roberts, but like an old friend you haven't seen in years, it feels just like yesterday that you were visiting. I was excited when I read about the new trilogy Nora Roberts had planned, the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy, because it's setting was Ireland, and it had a bit of magic for fun. I have never been disappointed in any novel I've read by Nora Roberts, and Dark Witch was no exception! Filled with a beautiful ancient landscape, a curse, romance and compelling characters, Dark Witch had me totally absorbed and turning the pages late into the night.

Dark Witch opens in the year 1263, with Sorcha, the original Dark Witch, and her three children. We learn that another powerful witch, Cabhan, has lusted after Sorcha and her powers and will stop at nothing to have her and her powers. A powerful fight ensues and a curse follows all the descendants of these two through present time, which is where we land next - County Mayo, 2013. In present day we meet Iona Sheehan, who never quite fit in anywhere before, who decides to travel to her ancestors home in Ireland, to start her life fresh. With the stories from her Nana, County Mayo is no stranger to her. She sells almost all her belongings and makes the trip, to find her cousins, who welcome her with open arms. But there is a purpose for her being there, a purpose she doesn't quite understand until she gets there. Oh, Nana has shared the folklore and the stories, but it all becomes very real once she's decided that she will be staying in County Mayo- permanently. Without giving away any spoilers here, with Iona finding her way "home" to County Mayo, the curse is stirred and all hell breaks loose. But not before we have some romance, explore the ancient ruins of Ireland and mix a good potion or two.

Nora Roberts is a master with mixing all these elements together into a great story. The romance is almost perfect, the history of the area is wonderfully shared as the characters explore their world, and the magic seems real. My only nagging qualm is that I really didn't like our protagonist Iona. I thought she was a bit whimpy and not up to par with what I would have expected. But that put aside, I enjoyed the story, all the other characters, who we will no doubt see again in books 2 & 3, and I can't wait for the second book in the trilogy, Shadow Spell, to come out. But I'll have to wait because it won't be out until March. Ugh! I warn you though, Dark Witch ends at a place where you're looking for the rest of the story! I know that's the usual with these trilogies, but I thought there would be a bit more wrap up where it ended. I wanted to start reading book 2 immediately because of it!

Historical romance with the backdrop of Ireland is what Dark Witch is all about, and a great beginning to the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy.