The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe

October 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Historical
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope . . . and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children’s asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she’ll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won’t think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn’t afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby’s mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what’s real from what’s just gilding.

They’ll both get what they want, no matter who they take down in the process.

I have to admit, I’m not much for histoicals these days, but when I saw this book, I had to pick it up. I’ve not read other Joanna Shupe books, but I have to admit was captivated by the story. It reads like a gilded era Anastasia.

The writing is crisp and kept me entertained. I wanted to know what would happen next and liked the spice in the story. I liked the connection between Josie and Leo.

But there were a few quibbles with the story. It’s remarkably close to the Anastasia story. I get it, there are only so many tropes, but it read very close to the movie plot. The other thing that was a bit jarring to me was that Josie is upset that her family abandoned her, but she’s very self-righteous and didn’t seem to embody the opulence of the Gilded Age. Many people, especially those of wealth, flaunted their wealth and felt above the rest of the people. She didn’t really do that, which is good. It made me like her more, but it also felt out of place for the era.

That said, the connection between her and Leo is wonderful and I did root for them to get together. I enjoyed this book and suggest it for someone wanting a fall read. Definitely try this one out.

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Hotel Spacious by J.S. Frankel

September 2, 2025 By 2 Comments


Hotel Spacious by J.S. Frankel
Publisher: Extasy Books
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

An asteroid in a distant galaxy, a secret recipe, and an animal that has a certain magical quality to it. For Vern Nilsson, working as a bellhop at a hotel on that asteroid is one thing. Risking his life to find that recipe is another story altogether.

Vern Nilsson needs a summer job, and he finds one on Hotel Spacious, a hotel on a manmade asteroid in a distant galaxy. Built by the Borne, a benevolent race, Hotel Spacious offers a place for aliens of all sorts to relax.

Except Vern, who’s on call as a bellhop, dishwasher, and all-around gofer twenty-four-seven. The only saving grace from his job is meeting Dinarra—nicknamed Dee—a tiger-woman who has the same job that he has. Never mind that her parents are against it. Interspecies relationships rock.

Relationships aside, murder rears its ugly head. It seems that the murderer is after a secret recipe and a rare animal. If the animal is prepared correctly, it can confer God-like powers upon the eater.

Vern and Dee begin their own investigation, but by the time they discover the truth, it may be too late.

Not every summer job is as exciting as this one.

There were exactly enough details shared about the setting to keep my interest levels high. I especially appreciated how the author trusted his audience to fill in the smaller details about what it was like to visit, stay, or work at this hotel filled with aliens of all shapes and sizes. It made it easier for me to daydream about this topic during reading breaks because not all of my questions were answered. When done with care, ambiguity is a wonderful invitation for a reader to help create their own unique version of the author’s world and characters.

I enjoyed the fact that so many different genres were included in this book. The plot was romantic in some scenes only to switch to the fantasy, young adult, or mystery genres in others. This kept me on my toes as I was reading as I was never quite sure which direction it would meander into next. It takes courage and skill to play around with writing styles and reader’s expectations like that, and it’s one of the many reasons why Mr. Frankel is on my list of authors whose stories I automatically request every time he submits something new to Long and Short Reviews. A storyteller has to be quite knowledgeable about the genres they write in order to pull this off successfully, after all.

If I had to make a guess about Mr. Frankel’s personal life, I’d say that he has probably worked in the service industry at some point. Vern’s wide variety of experiences with the hotel guests and employees made me smile and nod my head as I read because of how true to life these scenes were. Some guests were perfectly sweet and gentle while others could be rather challenging at times…or worse! The main character never knew how he would be treated from one moment to the next or what hijinks might be happening just out of his view, and this made it tricky to find good stopping points while I was reading. It was engrossing from beginning to end.

Hotel Spacious had something spectacular for many different types of readers in his tale.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Pop Tarts and Mistletoe by S.L. Sterling

September 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Pop Tarts and Mistletoe by S.L. Sterling
The Happy Holidates Series Book 1
Publisher: Self Published
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Mistflower

Being stuck at the airport wasn’t part of my holiday plans.

I was on my way to stay with my best friend and his family for the holidays when a freak snowstorm hit. Now I’m stuck, all planes are grounded, and there are no hotel rooms available. I also have no clue of when I’d be able to get on another plane, so here I sit.

Then I saw her.

She stood in front of a vending machine, scrounging through her purse. When she found her last bit of change, she carefully made her selection. A disappointed look came over her face and she began to punch and kick the vending machine trying to get whatever she’d selected to drop. When it did, she threw her hands in the air as if she’d just made the winning touchdown. Then she bent down and pulled out a package of pop tarts. Pop tarts? Who buys pop tarts from a vending machine?

She was feisty and cute, and I knew I needed to meet her. So, I invited her to sit with me. The night passed quickly, with flights heading out the next morning. It was then I realized I’d missed an opportunity as I watched her disappear into the airport crowd.

However, Father Christmas smiled down on me once again when I discovered that the beautiful holiday angel, I’d met earlier was my best friends sister, and I only had a few days to make her mine.

Oh, my cuteness—Pop Tarts and Mistletoe was a wicked fun holiday treat! This short novel made my heart feel all gushy and left a goofy smile plastered on my face. I totally want to re-read it just to get that happy-ever-after glow all over again. A Pop-Tart! As a plot thread! So unique, so unexpected—and so perfectly delightful. If the synopsis pulls you in like it did me, go ahead and start reading. Just be warned: it’s too delicious to put down until you finish it.

Maya, the heroine, was laugh-out-loud hilarious. I could totally relate to her—I’ve beat up a vending machine or two in my college days myself. And yes, strawberry frosted Pop-Tarts are the best! Also, who drinks eggnog without rum? (Not me.) I won’t spoil anything, but her brother gave her a childhood nickname that had me howling when I read why. It reminded me of my own brother, and the family dynamics were spot on and so much fun.

Now Liam—the leading man—was 100% my kind of book boyfriend. I adored him from the moment he met Maya at the airport, but I fell head over heels at the Christmas festival. (You’ll know why when you read it.) He’s sincere, romantic, and totally transparent—no mind games, just honesty and heart. The chemistry between Maya and Liam? Hot enough to warm an entire horse-drawn sleigh ride in the dead of winter. Forget coats, the steam between these two was more than enough.

It took Maya a hot minute to realize Liam was the one, but when she did…? Chef’s kiss. I felt so completely satisfied and happy. I also loved the setup for book two—it’s a romance between Maya’s brother and her best friend, and now I have to know how that story plays out.

This was my first read by S.L. Sterling, and it definitely won’t be my last. I don’t think I’ll ever forget Pop Tarts and Mistletoe, and for that reason alone, I whole pop tart-ly recommend it!

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tome of Stars by Stargazer

September 1, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Tome of Stars by Stargazer
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“Tome of Stars” is a poetic odyssey chronicling a tragic romance, told through 100 interconnected sonnets. The pages explore love and loss, belief and apostasy, trauma, madness, reason, myth, and memory. While written in classic Shakespearean form, its voice and vision are contemporary. It was written with the hope that it might resonate with those who have loved and lost on a transformative scale.

Sometimes love has thorns.

I enjoyed the fact that these sonnets followed the rules of this style of poetry so closely while seeing the characters through the course of their relationship. Normally, contemporary poetry does not include so much space for character and plot development, much less strict expectations about rhythm and rhyme, so it was interesting to watch the characters learn and grow as a result of their positive and negative experiences with love in this format.

With that being said, I did struggle to make sense of what I learned about the protagonist at times. Their mood shifted so rapidly that I found myself wondering how Stargirl, their love interest, would have described the same scenes. Did she find those moments as sweet and romantic as he did, or was this a case of a possibly unreliable narrator? While I wouldn’t expect the author to spell everything out directly for their audience, I did wonder if these other interpretations of the text were something that were intended or if I was reading too much into it. Having more guidance in this area would have gone a long way to encourage me to choose a higher rating as the writing style itself was beautiful.

The inclusion of various myths were a nice addition to this collection. They gave it a timeless feeling, especially once the author went into even further detail about these metaphors and how they were related to Stargirl. While I can’t go into a lot of detail about this without sharing spoilers, do keep an eye out for those lines and sonnets as they appear. They were well done and interesting no matter which myths they were referencing.

Tome of Stars was an adventure to read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

Haunting Melody by M. Flagg

August 21, 2025 By 1 Comment


Haunting Melody by M. Flagg
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Melody Marie sees ghosts. Just her luck that they see her as well.

Not even Melody’s mother knows her secret. Already tagged aggressively anxious won’t help Melody at Pinedale High, either. She’s the overweight walking disaster who desperately wants to fit in. No chance of that.

Hammer and his biker buds tragically died on Pinedale’s campus in the 1970s. He is drawn to Melody’s compassion for him. When her friendship with classmate Justin deepens, Hammer’s menacing antics turn dangerous. Every school day becomes a nightmare, and Melody’s desire to fit in fizzles out.

Now, she encounters nonstop clashes with ghosts, her meddling mom, a nosey school counselor, and even the law because of Justin, a known troublemaker. Can she rise above everything going wrong to help Hammer or Justin…or find a way to help them both?

There’s more than one way to get an education in high school.

Melody’s personality captured the angst and drama of being a teenager nicely. She genuinely felt like a sixteen-year-old to me, from her rapidly shifting mood on certain days to the way she analyzed social situations for every possible morsel of information she could get out of them. It’s not easy to make the transition to adulthood, especially for someone like her who was not only grieving the loss of her father but also dealing with bullying, moving to a new town, and adjusting to a different school. That’s a lot of change and conflict for anyone to deal with!

It would have been helpful to have more development for the romantic subplot, especially given how often Melody was warned not to pursue this possibility. While her interest in him made sense due to her attraction to bad boys and her understandable resistance to well-meaning but unsolicited advice, I would have liked to know more about why she found him so appealing when there were hundreds of other guys to choose from at her new school.

I enjoyed the parallels the plot made between how certain characters were treated in modern times and how some of the ghosts were mistreated fifty years ago before they died. Human nature never really changes, and it doesn’t always lead people to being kind to those who don’t fit into the group in some way. There is definitely something to be said for keeping this in mind when reacting to someone one might not understand for whatever reason and withholding judgement until all of the facts have been revealed, so it was nice to see some examples of both how to do this and how not to do this here.

This is the fourth book in a series that doesn’t need to be read in order, although I sure am curious to go back and check out the earlier instalments now.

Haunting Melody was filled with supernatural secrets.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Portrait of a Ghost by Betty Ann Harris

August 18, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Portrait of a Ghost by Betty Ann Harris
Publisher: Books We Love, Ltd.
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The quaint New England coastal town of Mystic Port is steeped in history, and has more than its fair share of restless sprits. Prudence Trivit, the town’s librarian and historian, is on a mission to exonerate her great Aunt Alexandra, who in 1897 was accused and arrested for the murder of her husband, the mayor. Prudy is certain of her great aunt’s innocence.

A handsome young journalist, Dylan Monroe, is sent to Mystic Port to interview Prudy for the town’s 250th anniversary celebration.
Dylan notices Prudy’s uncanny resemblance to her great aunt in the large portrait of Alexandra that hangs in the museum. He is stunned by her beauty and quite intrigued by the story of Alexandra.

Prudy and Dylan become quite the investigative team. There are mishaps and mayhem as the spirit of Alexandra try’s to point them in the right direction and an opposing spirit tries to dissuade them.

True love never dies.

The romantic subplot was sweet and complemented the mystery and paranormal storylines nicely. While I didn’t have a lot of time to get to know the characters involved in it, I had a good feeling about them given how kind they were to each other and how many hobbies they shared in common. They seemed to have a decent foundation for possibly building something beautiful together, and this is something I’d love to see expounded upon if the author ever decides to write a sequel as there was still plenty of space to explore the possibilities between them.

I found myself wishing for more details as I was reading this piece. There simply wasn’t much time spent describing the characters or settings, and this made it hard to imagine what anyone or anything looked like. Given the fast pace, I definitely wasn’t expecting pages of descriptions for everything, but more attention paid to this would have made me feel comfortable choosing a higher rating as the plot itself was exactly the sort of story I like to pick up.

The genealogy subplot piqued my interest. I sometimes wonder about a few mysteries in my own family tree, so books that explore characters who have similar questions about their ancestors are always interesting to read. It’s difficult to go into much detail about what Prudy learned without giving away spoilers, but I liked all of the clues she discovered, how she pieced them together, and how hard she worked to figure out the portions that didn’t quite make sense to her. There’s something so satisfying about a character who cares this much about her ancestry and wants to uncover the truth.

Portrait of a Ghost made me smile.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald

August 15, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Storybook Ending by Moira Macdonald
Publisher: Dutton
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rate: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Snapdragon

April, a smart and lonely tech worker, worries work from home has gotten out of hand: She’s left an anonymous note in a book for Westley, the clerk at her Seattle neighborhood bookstore who has a gentle smile and looks great in flannel. But thanks to fate, Laura—a busy single mom who had given up on love—buys the book, finds the note, and thinks Westley has left it for her. A handsome man who loves books seems like just the plot twist she has been looking for.

Meanwhile, Westley—not the most perceptive—is too distracted by the movie filming at the store and the ambition it’s unlocked in him to notice either of the two women. But as April and Laura’s anonymous correspondence continues back and forth, their mundane routines are challenged, sparking a glimmer of hope. Is a happy ending in the cards for them?

Moira MacDonald’s new ‘Storybook Ending‘ is a fun twist on that shy-person’s bold attempt at a romance.

It might not seem bold to some, but “officially-lonely” April, decides to take a leap she almost immediately regrets. She sends a note to a handsome gentleman, of not-quite her acquaintance.

To her surprise and delight, she is answered. Oh, it might seem she was not especially daring, as her venture kicks off in the perfect place for her: A bookstore. An utterly charming new-and-used bookstore, inhabited by a truly pleasant, patient, and this mildly handsome man.

The setting is just right, the character, just right…and then there is Laura. Whoops, this adds a twist! We, the reader, are in the know from the start, and can see this is not headed in the way April believes. In fact, we might well believe that we can, where this is headed.

This is no silly rom com, however. It’s more of a fascinating psychological plunge into the lives of several people. It is an exploration. The introspective characters allow us to see developments, not only in the action, but each little step that the characters take. Each decision, each well-thought out, overly considered and very analyzed moment in each of their lives is revealed to us. It is not long before we feel we know them, and I have to admit, are firmly tied to each of them. It is hard to believe that this will work out well for all of them (or even, at times, any of them) but you will find yourself trying to imagine some way this will work out for all.

The very likable characters carry this story, at least at first. Curiosity builds, even though these seem like such ordinary lives.

Throughout, there is a thoughtful tone, a slow but hopeful pace, and a sense of something coming, something that, the more we read, the more we find we must know.

Ms. MacDonald’s writing is beautiful; her character studies are like written portraits. I found Storybook Ending to be utterly unlike anything I expected, and I heartily recommend it to all.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , ,

The Christmathon by Valerie J. Patterson

August 8, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Christmathon by Valerie J. Patterson
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Romance, Holiday, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Sophia Brady, mayor of Noelville, has only one wish for Christmas: to put an end to the Christmathon. To end the rivalry between her town and Garland Falls. What’s stopping her other than 75 years of tradition? The new mayor of Garland Falls. He likes the snow games, the reindeer cup, and healthy competition. He’s just as unyielding in his stance that they continue. When Sophie meets a handsome stranger at her favorite restaurant, will romance be enough to take her mind off the Christmathon?

Competition comes in many forms.

Since the holidays are a time for relishing all sorts of rich dishes, it made perfect sense to describe the food and alcohol the characters consumed in vivid detail. I must admit to needing to grab a few snacks while reading because of how hungry those passages made me. The narrator made every meal and bottle of wine sound amazing, including the ones that I’ve never actually eaten or drunk in real life.

This story would have benefited from another round of editing. Along with the multiple punctuation and other errors I noticed, Sophia’s name was regularly written as Sophie without any explanations as to why that change had occurred. This happened so frequently that I’m not actually sure which one was correct, and it distracted me from the plot itself even though I was originally quite interested in checking it out.

The chemistry between the two main characters was incredibly strong, and this is something I’m saying as a reader who generally prefers a slower burn in the romances I read. Ms. Patterson did a great job of showing why her characters were such a compatible match for each other within just a few pages. There was an electric connection between them that made me excited to see what would happen next. That is not easy to do, so kudos to her for pulling it off. It was exactly what this tale needed to gel together.

The Christmathon made me yearn for romance, wine, and Christmas lights.

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The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone

July 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment


The Friendship Fling by Georgia Stone
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

No one would ever call Ava Monroe a people person, which isn’t ideal for a barista in a busy London coffee shop. She’s sarcastic, blunt, and cynical, and her relationships are strictly no strings attached. With her best friend Josie soon leaving for a year, Ava knows she’ll be all alone unless she shakes up her routine. But she can’t risk bringing chance back into her carefully controlled life.

Then insufferably cheerful, country-hopping, undeniably gorgeous Finn O’Callaghan rolls into her coffee shop with a horrifying proposal —a strictly friends-only summer fling. Finn needs a local to help him complete his London bucket list, and Ava needs to reassure Josie she won’t be on her own. And it’s only for a few months.

To Ava’s surprise, their mismatched friendship of convenience becomes oddly tolerable, and as they work their way through Finn’s list and around the sun-drenched city, from rooftops and floating bars to nights at the museum, their adventures—and Finn’s company—start to feel . . . nice. Incredibly, terrifyingly, dangerously nice.

Still, rules are rules—Ava has good reasons for them—and as the days get shorter, Finn’s departure gets closer. Because that’s the thing about summer: it always ends. Right?

Sunny to cloudy…I enjoyed this book.

This book is a twist on the sunshine/grump trope in that she’s the grump. I liked that it wasn’t the usual. He’s pure happy and that was refreshing. Ava and Finn are very much opposites, but this touches on the opposites attract trope and was a fresh telling.

Georgia Stone’s writing is simple, but that’s a good thing because it allowed me to breeze through the book and get emotionally attached quickly. I rooted for these characters. I liked that there was a shelf-life to the relationship and how the characters worked through it. It was nice.

This is an easy read, it’s breezy and would be good for a hot afternoon. It’s a good beach read. If you’re looking for a slow burn romance that’s fun, then this might be the one for you. Give it a shot!

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Wild Evolution by C. Fern Cook

July 21, 2025 By Leave a Comment


Wild Evolution by C. Fern Cook
Book 1 of the Wild series
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When Dan defends his livestock against a wild dog attack, he is put in a ‘kill or be killed’ battle. When he takes the head of a wild dog in to be tested for rabies he discovers he has the head of a human male instead of a wild dog. Now he is forced to cover up a self-defense killing because no one would believe he killed a wild dog when he has a human head. A werewolf by contamination, Dan’s life spins out of control. All his senses are heightened including his passion for the wild. His passion for the wild compels him to try to stop a new housing development that threatens the local wildlife from loss of habitat, but things don’t go according to plans and now he has a second body to dispose of.

It’s hard to keep a secret in a small town.

The mystery storyline was exciting and well-paced. One of the things I appreciated the most about it was that it was told from the killer’s point of view which isn’t something I’ve seen very often in this genre. This was a refreshing way to explain why someone might commit such a crime and what goes through their mind as they hide the evidence afterwards. There were so many twists and turns that I was never quite sure what to expect next. If the author is willing, I’d like to review the rest of the books in this series to see if my guesses about future events are anywhere close to being correct.

It would have been helpful to have more descriptions of the characters and settings. I struggled to imagine what many of the scenes looked like because of how little time was spent discussing what it would be like to stand in the middle of them and look around. This is something I’m saying as a reader who can generally easily picture a scene if I’m given a few details to work with, and I would have chosen a higher rating if this were easier for me as I was reading. The plot itself was exactly the sort of mystery I am drawn to.

Dan wasn’t immediately, much less entirely, aware of how he was changing after being bitten which made it even more interesting for me as a reader to take note of both the things he had noticed were different about himself as well as the ones that he seemed to be overlooking based on the descriptions of his personality and habits that were provided. Honestly, this is one of the best things about werewolf tales in my opinion because of how many different ways a plot can develop as someone slowly or quickly transforms, so I was glad to see it included here.

Wild Evolution kept me guessing.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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