My reading is way off this month due to NaNoWriMo, but I finished the first draft of my WIP, and I’m happy about that.
I still have four wonderful books for you!
November book reviews include my 4 and 5 star reads of 19th century romance, Christmas romance, a Christmas novellette about family love. And for a little variety… a book with werewolves!
Click on the covers for Amazon global links.
*****
The Unraveling of Lady Fury by Shehanne Moore
This book was a hoot. Imagine a romance where the characters are blackmailing each other and yet contractually agree to produce an heir.
Lady Fury needs an heir if she hopes to keep the estate of her dead husband, who, by the way, is in a box in the cellar and starting to stink. Captain Flint Blackmoore is an old flame from years past, a privateer who dumped Fury on the docks and later lost his ship. He knows about the body in the cellar, and she knows his real identity. They’re stuck with each other.
The numerous clinical “rules” Fury imposes on Flint regarding the act of reproduction generate some one-upmanship, negotiation, and plenty of outrage. How exactly does one have sex without touching or removing one’s clothes? For the characters the act of sex becomes an act of war. For the reader, it’s hysterical. And heaven forbid they fall in love.
Time is of the essence because of the decomposing body, and Fury demands repeat performances for as long as it takes. With all the wrangling and finagling, the initial installment of the contract takes the first 25% of the book, and it’s all entertaining as heck.
I loved the tight POV that allowed me to experience Fury’s running commentary up close and personal. Both she and Flint are sympathetic characters even when driving each other nearly insane with frustration. The pace whips along, the characters motivated, the flush of emotions rampant. Highly recommended to readers of romance, and readers who enjoy the fireworks when great characters are thrown together in a madcap plot.
*****
Mountain Laurel Christmas by Jan Sikes
This is one of my favorite novelettes from Jan Sikes. And that’s high praise coming from a Christmas Grinch. I read this sweet story of family love and redemption in about an hour and actually choked up at one point.
Cole is a famous musician out of Nashville whose lost his zest for life. Then he visits the mountain shack where he and his siblings grew up. He loved his family, but by the time he turned fifteen, he was an orphan and, in the years since, lost track of his little brother. He finds an old letter that changes everything.
Sikes includes rich details that bring the settings to life, and even the minor characters are multi-dimensional. Cole’s arc is believable as well as touching, and his younger brother Timmy is an absolute delight. Highly recommended for readers who enjoy short stories, heartwarming tales about family, and a bit of Christmas cheer.
*****
Love, Me: A Christmas Wish Novel by Jacquie Biggar
If you love Christmas romances with adorable kids, puppies, and sleigh rides, this short 2+ hour read will warm the cockles of your heart. Grace has moved with her young daughter Cassie to a new home where Cassie can participate in a promising trial for the treatment of leukemia. Robert is the principal at Cassie’s new school, and he has a daughter, Avery. The kids hit it off immediately. And though the parents have some instant attraction, life has thrown some hardballs their way that just might strike them out.
There aren’t any villains in this story to speak of. The barriers to love are real problems that real families deal with. Grace’s dedication to her daughter’s health and treatment is absolute. Robert has ideas for his under-funded school and plans that teeter on the brink of failure. I enjoyed how grounded the adults were when it came to their children, and how hopeful the children were when it came to the adults.
The plot moves along well. Grace, Robert, and Cassie share the POV, though Avery is also a star. This is a heartwarming Christmas romance with sweet characters, lots of sparks, mischievous little kids, giggles, and yes, puppies.
*****
Lunar Boogie (The Hat #4) by C. S. Boyak
Lunar Boogie is the 4th book in The Hat series, but if a reader has read the first book (The Hat) and gotten to know Lizzie and her hilarious talking headgear, I don’t think the order of the rest matters much. In this adventure, Lizzie and the Hat are playing gigs with their cover band, The Pythons. That’s her official job.
The unofficial job? That’s hunting paranormal creatures. In this case a werewolf that’s leaving large bloody messes but few body parts (after eating his fill). What’s concerning Lizzie and the Hat is the murders seem to be following the band. There’s a fair amount of stalking scary places after dark and chasing red herrings. Joe Yoder, a cop who talks to the ghost of his dead wife, is also on the werewolf’s trail. I liked the emotional depth he brought to an otherwise plot-driven read.
One of my favorite aspects of this book (and the other Hat books) is the clever and often dry banter between Lizzie and the Hat. They have a great relationship that’s most evident in the prevalent dialog. Boyak’s quirky storytelling style is all over this book. A fun read for Hat fans and readers of paranormal fiction. Highly recommended.
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*****
Myths of the Mirror 
I just put ‘Lady Fury’ on my wish list so I can add it to my TBR eventually. 🙂 Looks like the sort of thing I’d have fun reading. Thanks for sharing your reviews with us!
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Fury is a bit like Miss Livingston, Sheri, in that she’s witty and quick and running a constant commentary in her head. I think you would really enjoy the book. I have another book from Shey coming up and I’m so look forward to it. And I posted a review of Through the Crack this morning. Amazon is being s..l..o..w to acknowledge, but it should be up on GR. 🙂 Great read!
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Thanks, Diana!! Very glad you enjoyed it! Yes, Amazon took about a week to get reviews up that were put in before my launch day, so some of them missed being available when folks were directed to the page in my rather soft publicity effort. But I’ve been very pleased with what’s coming in… whenever they get there. 😉 Thanks SO much for taking the time to submit the review!
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The review is on my blog, so hopefully some interest is coming your way. 🙂
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Yes, just read it. Thank you!!!! 😀
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🙂
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Congratulations on finishing your first draft of WIP! That must have been exhilarating. You still managed four books in November – colour me impressed 🙂 Happy reading!
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I’m slogging through the second draft due to lots of rewrites, but getting there. And reading will always be a favorite during free minutes. 🙂 Happy Browsing. 😀
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I wish you all the motivation and inspiration you can get 🙂
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❤ ❤
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Thanks, Diana. I love all the suggestions, and I’ll explore them further. Congratulations to all the authors and happy Christmas!
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These were all so good. Only four, but still a wildly successful month of reading. I’m glad you were intrigued by the suggestions. Happy Reading!
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Diana, I’m sorry that I missed this post. I’m sharing it now though. Congrats to everyone. It’s a marvelous collection of stories. Hugs on the wing.
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Good thing I have a Kindle, because stuffing ALL of these books, in paperback form, into my stocking would have been difficult. 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Diana. Congratulations to Shehanne, Jan, Jacquie, and Craig!
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Thanks for browsing, Mark. Yes, thank goodness for kindles! I have three bookcases of favorite paperbacks and that’s all I can fit! These are all great reads. Have fun and happy holidays!
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Your reviews are clear and great… I believe genuine too. ❤
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Thanks so much for stopping by to read, Lamittan. All genuine, and only four this month, but all worth it. Have a lovely week and Happy Reading.
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Sure. Thank you.
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A beautiful selection of books Diana, your reviews are enticing! Me, Too sounds like a lovely seasonal read at Christmas time and I feel it would make a fantastic gift. Thank you dear Diana. Wishing you a wonderful holidays ahead.
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You can’t go wrong with Jacquie’s books, Holly, and this is a really sweet one. It would make a lovely holiday gift. Thanks so much for dropping by to take a peek at the reviews. Have a wonderful day and Happy Reading. ❤ Hugs.
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❤️🤗
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Love your reviews Diana!! They make me want to read each story!! I came over to this post from your interview with Jan Sikes. Great review on her book, but truly great reviews on each of them!!
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Thanks, Kirt. It was a slow reading month with all the writing going on, but some wonderfully entertaining books. Thanks for checking out both posts. I’m honored. Happy Reading!
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Thanks!!
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http://www.youbehopeful.wordpress.com
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Thanks for sharing the reviews! Happy Reading1
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Diana! You reading fiend! LOL!
The books all sound fab. Yay, I know “The Unravelling of Lady Fury”, and it is fabulous. I’m a huge fan of Shehanne Moore. I did a review of it with 4 of her other books. (on my Art Gowns blog) Of course the reviews included drawings of her heroines in gowns. Lol!
https://artgowns.com/2020/06/10/the-smexy-pen-of-shehanne-moore/
The Smexy Pen of Shehanne Moore.
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Thanks for the comment, Resa. I’ll head over to read the reviews and check out the gowns! And I’m certain I’ll be reading more of Shey’s work in the future. Soooo entertaining. I loved Lady Fury. Happy Reading, my friend. 😀 ❤
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Happy reading to you, too!!!!! ❤
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xxxx Diane. I just found these comments. Resa aidi to me sh’ed linked them but for some reason although I looked at newer comments I missed them. Very kind of you.
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No worries. We, the Shey fans, know what’s happenin’ where. 🙂
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It was probably god knows what time in the morning and I was in zombie mode! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Diana fan.
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RESA xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I now have to have a gown scene because you capture my girls so wonderfully. I have them framed everywhere! Thank you for the kind words.
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My dear Shey,
My kind words were earned by you. I adore your stories. How’s the new one coming along? I’m sure there’s gowns in it! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
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Yes there is.. I am nearly done on the final trawl. What held it up abit was that i also got the rights back to The Viking book and I’ve been sorting a few things my way. But I feel that the relationship now between Gil Wryson and Eternity is right so not long. NOT LONG xxxxxxxxxxx
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YAY!
I’m looking toward your cover reveal!
I’ll reblog, or put it in a post! xoxoxoxoxoxo
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YES!!!!!!! Oh first copy wlil be coming your way.
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Yay for getting your rights back. I did that on six books and what a relief!!!!
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Well yeah. Not like the publisher who had this one was as bad as the other publisher who were pretty awful to authors. but they just didn’t do anything and then they tried pulling one courtesy of their accountant who said they shouldn’t be forwarding royalties to UK authors, when UK authors have a fully fledged and applied for ITIN and rights under some tax treaty. So you can bet I was done promoting these books after that. Just sitting waiting now for the final set of rights. So it was a relief but also I can now pull bits I didn’t like.
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That’s one of the best things about indie publishing… as we improve as writers, we can easily tweak our published work to make it better. I’ve never regretted taking control of my books.
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Well I was always glad that in the main I got away with characters like Fury and Flint but even then I was asked sometimes to tone them down. The Viking pairing , well she is pretty questionable and I was asked to make her more sympathetic… more ashamed of how very hard headed she can be, not have her arranging for marriages to be wrecked without a single qualm of conscience. .So…. this is my chance to fix all that. And you are right. I have never regretted getting the books back and doing it myself. xxxx
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I’m glad your characters get to be themselves now. 🙂
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Oh they do. It is just some tweaking but I prefer it. Also you can have full control of release dates. these were always a nightmare, things flung at you with various edits still to go..OH and covers, let me not start on them!!!!!
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😀
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xxxxxooooxoxoxoxooooxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx You two are too funny
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[…] Book Reviews https://mythsofthemirror.com/2021/11/28/november-book-reviews/ via […]
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Thanks for linking, my friend. 🙂
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Congrats on completing NaNoWriMo. I bet that was nice exercise. And thank you for another wonderful round of reviews. Nothing like Christmas romance for the cosy holiday feel. 🙂
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Thanks for the visit, Khaya. NaNo took a lot of time away from reading in November, but still some great books for the holidays. Have a lovely December and Happy Reading.
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I can’t even believe you got so much reading done this past month while doing all that writing! Brava for you!!!!
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Thanks for the visit, Luanne. This was a low reading month compared to normal, but writing came first. And all great books, so lots of fun. Have a wonderful weekend and Happy Reading!
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Thank you! You, too!
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Congratulations Diana 🥳! Thank you for the find reviews. Best wishes for mush success to the authors.
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Thanks for the visit, Holly. Such wonderful authors here. I’m delighted to share their books – all great reads. Have a lovely day, my friend. Happy December. ❤ ❤
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It’s amazing how much talent can be found here and such wonderful books! Of course I think you are at the top. ❤️
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Pfft. 🙂 You’re so kind.
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Just saying the facts! 😊
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Congrats on finishing your first draft, Diana. That’s awesome! All of these books sound great, but reading a feel-good Christmas book sounds like just what I need. Congratulations to all the authors!
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Thanks for stopping by, Lauren. It feels really good to have the 1st draft done. Those are always the hardest part for me. And two feel-good Christmas stories to choose from here! You can’t go wrong with either. Happy December, my friend. ❤
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Congratulations on finishing the first draft of your WIP, Diana! Wonderful accomplishment! You still got four book reviews for November!! I’m happy for the talented authors!
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Thanks for dropping by, John. Yeah, I gave the WIP most of my attention in November, but reading still happened at night and while driving, etc. And some great reads! Enjoy!
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John??? Hi Miriam. LOL. Sorry about that.
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No worries, Diana! I’ve done done on another blog and even had to ask the blogger to make correction for me!!
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We just have to laugh at those mistakes. 🙂
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I feel bad for making such mistakes though. 🙂
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Most of us make mistakes though so its water under the bridge. Not worth worrying about. ❤
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I only follow and keep followers at a manageable level and expected myself not to make those mistakes, but I also know that they understand. Jacqui teased me of mistaken her with Jacquie once, but it was a typo!! ❤ 🙂
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Oh yeah, Jacquie and Jacqui… all the time.
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💖
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Congratulations to these great authors! Diana, you still managed 4 books during NaNoWriMo, AND finish the 1st draft of your WIP. I’d say that’s a very productive month.
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It was productive, Mark, and I feel relaxed heading into the holidays, for once. More time to read while the WIP takes a breather too. Thanks for dropping by and Happy Reading!
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Great reviews! Thank you for sharing…a long winter awaits with lots of reading to do! 🙂
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Only four, Linda, but all highly entertaining reads. I love it when January arrives and there’s not as much busy-ness. More reading time. Thanks for the visit and Happy December. 🙂
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Congratulations on completing the draft of your new book, Diana! Well, you did it again and convinced me to one-click this month too. I’m looking forward to taking a break and consuming words from other authors. Happy Writing and Reading.
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Thanks for the visit and the congrats, Mary. The book is now “resting” while I catch up on the rest of life. I’m so glad you found a book to enjoy and hope you find at least one cozy day to indulge. Happy Reading, and Hugs!
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Even better… Two books. 😊🤗
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😀
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