What a fun ride! I really enjoyed this mystery, full of strong female characters and witty repartee. It made me laugh out loud several times. I really liked Mason as a character, someone who'd screwed up in the past and struggles with impulse control, but is committed to working the 12 step system and to helping her new sponsee to make choices to support her sobriety. I don't have any first hand experience with AA or with the disease of addiction, but I appreciated that the book acknowledges that people can do well for a long time, relapse, and still get back up to start again, and that it's not a straightforward path.

While their sobriety brings the two main characters together, there's much more action to the book. It kind of made me think of a great buddy-cop movie from the 80s or like the tv show Moonlighting - two strong, different characters who argue but who like and respect each other a lot.

There's also a great supporting cast of characters, all of whom fill stereotypical roles, but felt different than the usual stereotypes.

There are multiple deaths and mysteries, so a lot to untangle with this book. If this duo - and their supporting cast - went on to other adventures, I'd happily read another tale of their exploits.

The one thing that stood out to me as a semi-negative (and it isn't even a negative, just an observation) is that the book felt long. I don't know what the page count is on this book, so will be curious to see how long it is when it's released. It felt long. Not inappropriately so, just that it took me a while to get through. Still enjoyed it though!

I was excited to receive this book for early review - thank you BookBrowse and Berkley Publishers! I've had this cozy mystery series on my list to read since I heard about the first book, Death in Door County, at that year's Bouchercon mystery festival.

This is the third book in the cryptozoologist series, and despite my interest and intentions, I have not read the first two. I may have enjoyed the book more had I read the first two, and it's possible this book had spoilers from the first two (not sure, but always a chance), I felt this book read perfectly fine as a stand-alone.

I enjoyed the book, and thought the mystery was well-done. There were a few additional subplots that either supported the main story or kept the momentum going. The mystery is resolved in a satisfactory way. While I initially thought some aspects may have been a bit too far fetched, the author actually has a note addressing the reality of these aspects at the end of the book.

The setting, as with so many cozy mysteries, is a small town, but it wasn't an overly twee version of a small town and it isn't the character's home turf.

The main character's subject matter expertise - cryptozoology - and the fact that she is being hired for her experience make the book stand out a bit from the knitting/baking/bookstore owning amateur sleuths (though don't get me wrong, I do love those kind of cozies, too!). She is an interesting mix of cool-headed practicality and anxiety; I appreciated the nod to mental health, though it wasn't much more than that. She approaches her search for cryptids and her investigation of other aspects of the murder in a logical way, so even though the subject matter is unusual, the character isn't a fraudster or gullible, or otherwise untrustworthy.

Community is what makes cozy mysteries, in my opinion, and this book has a good, if small, supporting cast. I liked the inclusion of a strong older woman and a social media-savvy young man. Her dog is a big part of the draw, so cozy fans who like their series with a pet friend will enjoy Newt.

Two nits for me: I was a little surprised at how gruesome the opening scene was. Normally cozy mystery murders take place off stage, so to speak, but there was a fair amount of gore description. It may have been especially noticeable because I was having dinner while I read. And a lot of chapters ended with heavy handed foreboding. Once, maybe twice is good foreshadowing, but it seemed excessive.

Overall I enjoyed this book and I will definitely return to the first two books in the series. I'll be curious if the main character travels away from home in both of these books as well, or whether there's more focus on developing the character's backstory and her relationships with the secondary characters.

I think traditional cozy readers who are willing to go along for the ride on a search for make believe creatures will enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed Hayley Scrivenor's first book, Dirt Creek (in the US), so was thrilled to read an advance copy of her next book. It did not disappoint.

It's been several weeks since I finished the book, but I still find myself thinking about the characters and themes of this book. How much do people change? Who are you/are you truly yourself if you're masking major parts of yourself from the people you love? What motivates people to stay involved in toxic friendships? How do you balance friendship and love when you want to devote time and care to both? Can you ever escape by believing the stories you tell yourself? So much to think about in this book. I think it will make a great book club choice.

I feel the book has both good character development and a plot that moves along at a good pace. As in her prior book, she does an excellent job of describing the setting.

My only nit with the book is that I feel some plot points were left a bit ambiguous at the end, but I know that doesn't bother some people.

I would suggest this book for people who would like a literary lite thriller, who is interested in thinking beyond the action.

I enjoyed this book and had fun reading it.

The pony was a strong character with a distinctive voice and personality. I loved his bravado and cockiness. He had a lot of great lines and interesting turns of phrases that I highlighted throughout the book. His travels took him on quite the adventures, and I felt like the animal characters he met were drawn vividly, too. I will remember Burnie and Dr. Rat as well as Pony, for example, not to mention Caya and Circe.

I also think the story is a springboard for thinking about or discussing topics such as animal welfare, animal rights, the ethics of responsible animal ownership, the challenges of caring for someone with mental health difficulties, the American justice system, and, to a lesser extent, the prison system. I wasn't expecting to find any of these topics in a pony detective-led mystery novel, but I enjoyed the book more because of their inclusion.

I struggled a fair bit with the timeline. What I initially thought were parallel timelines didn't exactly line up, at even in later points of the book the two timelines seemed to contain more action in one seemingly equivalent portion than the other. I think it would have helped me a lot to have had month/year cues in the chapter heads or some other way to indicate how the timelines related to each other. A small bit, but one I spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about, especially given the sweep of travel.

I think, too, that marketing it as a mystery - especially with that great cover, with the Sherlock hat on the horseshoe! - meant I expected something different. There is a mystery, and it does provide the impetus for the action, but it isn't really the heart of the story and there isn't any type of traditional detecting. It's more of a homecoming journey than a mystery. The author references Odysseus returning to Penelope in the credits, and this is very, very apt. It's a Homeric epic more than a murder mystery. ??

I enjoyed Pony enough as a character that would enjoy a second book starring Pony and Penny in a more traditional detective novel.

Thank you to BookBrowse and PRH for the advance copy.

I loved this book. I just finished and wish I could spend more time with these characters. I thought about them when I wasn't reading the book, and I imagine they'll stay with me for a long time.

I feel the book does an excellent job of showing some of the complex circumstances people have to negotiate just to start their workday, many of which higher income people likely never consider, or the schedules/people/transportation that economically disadvantaged people need to take into account when having to cobble together multiple jobs to earn enough to (just) get by, and how mentally taxing it is to be constantly juggling.

I also feel it does an excellent job of highlighting what we as a community have accepted as a trade-off for cheaper goods, in terms of workplace conditions and corporations holding all the power as they're beholden to their shareholders to make decisions based on bottom line profitability. It isn't just retail, of course. And this is just one (albeit major) contributing factor in income disparity.

None of this information is new or especially eye-opening to me, but I imagine it will be to some people, and I still find the inequitableness infuriating and heart wrenching. I appreciate the mention of the importance of generational wealth even in circumstances one doesn't think of as wealthy - I think I tended to think of rich people and estate taxes and trust fund babies when I hear generational wealth, but it's critically important at all economic levels, as demonstrated through these characters' lives.

I found the writing style to be interesting - at points almost factual or documentary in tone, but I felt it fit the subject matter and it didn't prevent me from feeling close to the characters or having empathy for them.

I am probably making this sound like a rather dull economic analysis, and it's nothing of the sort. The characters all have full, interesting lives and back stories peopled with a cast of family and friends, just as we all do. They were people I'd like to know in real life. The plot was solid and engaging.

I'll be recommending this to others upon publication.

Thank you to BookBrowse and W.W. Norton & Company for the advanced reading copy. Now I'm off to read what other BookBrowsers thought of the book!

I enjoyed this book enormously and believe the characters will stay with me for a long time. I think anyone who's ever felt uncertain about their role in their own life or questioned what the future held for themselves, or how to think about what it means to determine their own vision of a successful and meaningful life, will enjoy this book. There are many different examples of ways people life their lives as the main character tries to figure out what it means for her to be happy and fulfilled, and whether and how her expectations align with those of her boyfriend and family members. I think many readers will be able to relate to Carla's experience of growing and changing with the result of it causing friction in her preexisting relationships. Her discovery of a new passion, even as its one she has to really work at to understand and appreciate, made me want to find such a transformative experience in my own life.

In addition to those who could relate to Carla's personal journey, I think the book will also appeal to those who are thoughtful about the value of the arts in our daily lives and who may or may not be familiar with the business side of the arts. I appreciated that the book (mostly) represented the act of writing poetry as taking work and that it could be done by different types of people, as opposed to a divine inspiration/genius stereotype, and likewise, that it could be appreciated/felt in the bones by different types of people.

Finally, I liked a number of the poems in the book, which I assume were written by the author.

Thank you to Algonquin Books and BookBrowse for the opportunity to read and review this delightful and thought provoking novel.

I really enjoyed The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson, and I read it in one day.

I would recommend it to those who like village cozies, small towns, comfort reads, and those who are passionate about reading, libraries, and the importance of community. There's a hint of romance, though perhaps not enough to satisfy true genre fans. I think those who've felt they're too shy or that they haven't done much with their lives, especially compared to their peers, would like this book. There are a variety of age groups represented in the book, so I can see it appealing to those in their 20s on up.

June is a sweet character who I wanted to root for and who I wanted to instill with confidence in herself. On the other hand she wasn't so much of a sad sack that I thought, "you're right, what in earth would other people like about you?" Even when she didn't recognize the broader impact she had on her community, she still knew she was competent at her job and she liked doing it. And she'd be someone I'd enjoy having as a friend.

I liked some of the supporting characters more than others, but that's always the way with people. I will remember a few of them fondly, even into the future, I'm sure.

I especially enjoyed the epilogue (though it's not labeled as such). I was quite satisfied with the choices the author made.

While this book isn't groundbreaking or especially original in its story, it is nicely told and I appreciated the support for libraries. I'm sure the statistics cited by a character about the number of libraries that have closed in the UK over the last several years are accurate, which is a travesty. I think the book does a great job of demonstrating that a library is about so much more than it's book collection and circulation numbers.

I didn't want to overlook the cover art in my review. I love this cover. It's whimsical and charming, and it's definitely one I'd be attracted to in a bookstore or online.

I was thrilled to get an ARC of The Narrowboat Summer! Thank you so much to Book Browse, Net Galley, and Macmillan for the opportunity to read it early. Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson is one of my favorite books, so I've been anxiously awaiting a new book from Ms. Youngson. I was especially excited when reading the description of the book - what better way to escape this terrible year of 2020 than by drifting along the canals of the English countryside getting to know three older female characters?

Unfortunately I didn't love this book as much as I hoped I would. The problem is likely mainly due to my own expectations, which isn't fair to the author. I finished the book about a week ago and have been trying to puzzle out why it didn't click for me, before I wrote my review. I think the first reason is because I was expecting a charming, idyllic escape. While Ms. Youngson does an excellent job of pacing the novel to reflect the slow drift of a Narrowboat making its way through the canals, she also does a good job of reflecting the reality of such a journey, including some of the grittier landscapes and characters, the sometimes boring stretches of time, and the often repetitive tasks (I probably don't need to ever read about going through locks again, ever).

The other thing that didn't click for me was the character of Anastasia. I'm not a fan of the "crotchety-yet-wise old person" trope generally, and I felt like the great affection the two main characters had for Anastasia wasn't well-founded enough to be believable.

I did enjoy getting to know the two main characters and taking a virtual trip during these Covid times. As I mentioned earlier, I think the pacing fit the story well, and I think Ms. Youngson is talented at capturing the feeling of a journey, whether by boat, train, or road trip - that sense of being outside of time, letting the journey dictate the rhythm of your days, until the journey is almost at an end and you realize there's so much else you could have noticed or done as you need to start adhering to a schedule again.

Even though I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected or as much as Meet Me at the Museum, I still hope Ms. Youngson has already started her next book. I'll be right there in line to buy it.

What a delightful read! I expected no less, though, from Phaedra Patrick, which is why I was so pleased to be selected for this First Impressions book. I've read several of her other books, starting with The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, and have found them to be uplifting without being saccharine or overly sentimental. This book fits that mold as well. I thought the characters were fairly well developed, and even though it was pretty apparent from the beginning where the story was headed, the enjoyment was in the getting there. I don't always like the depiction of children in stories, but Poppy was a terrific kid. Just the right amount of personality and spark without being precocious or overly wise. I would have liked a little more Barry as a comic foil for Mitchell, but I liked that Mitchell had more than one male friend without them dissolving into an indistinguishable group of "the boys". I especially liked the example Mitchell's childhood friend set about the acceptability of moving on - you can live what came before and still want life for yourself after things change. The one thing that puzzled me about the book was whether there would really be enough locks on the bride that their removal would keep two people employed full time - I can't imagine it! Ha! In all seriousness, life has been fairly grim lately, with a number of family members with serious health issues, work has been relentlessly busy, the news and weather is depressing, so I enjoyed this charming escape. Things aren't perfect in Mitchell's world, but he's making positive changes and engaging with people. This book will join The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper on the nightstand in my guest room as a recommended read for those looking for an enjoyable bonus to their stay.

I went into this book with certain expectations, so should not fault anyone but myself when they weren't met. I thought this book would be warm and funny, perhaps even inspirational. Instead, it made me a little anxious (lots of logistics of hiding someone in a confined building, for example). The writing was fine, and as someone with a parent in a memory care unit, the overall setting of the assisted living facility rang true, especially the discordance between the protected world of the home/facility and the daily life that goes on outside its walls. I also thought the friendship between Carl and Duffy was realistic.

I didn't think the book flap description of Duffy as curmudgeonly was accurate - instead, he and his friend Carl seemed to be the stars of the assisted living facility, according the description at the beginning. I never really connected to Josie as a character - I couldn't really get a read on anything about her, other than that she drank. Why did people like Alice, like her? I have no idea. I didn't even feel like I had a clear picture of her age or appearance, perhaps in part because some of the older residents referred to her as a young girl, which is not what I would call a young woman in her early twenties. I have no idea what was important to her, what her motivation was for getting clean, etc.

One final nit is with the cover, as it shows a scene that never happens in the book. Yes, Duffy does go for a ride, but not with Josie, so I'm not sure why that is depicted.

Overall, not a favorite of mine, but I appreciate the chance to have read it, so many thanks for Bookbrowse and Penguin Random House for the opportunity!

I liked this book. The characters are memorable and fully drawn, flaws and all. The setting is a region underrepresented in fiction I read (Biloxi, Mississippi). The science vs religion theme covered some familiar points, but nonetheless made me think about about who deserves what rewards in life.

For about the last three years I've read almost exclusively on an ereader. Occasionally I will highlight passages I find to be particularly well written, funny, or thought-provoking. I dog-eared so many pages in this book (blasphemy to some, I know!) that in some cases I had to dog-ear both the top and bottom of the page. There were many beautiful, as well as many beautifully-constructed, passages. There was a Facebook posting and comments section that perfectly captured the absurdity of social media (the vacuous comments that could be in response to either a miracle or a cat video, the politicization of absolutely everything, etc).

As much as I like the book, it was easy for me to put down in favor of something else. I think this is because it read much like an in-depth magazine article and I tend to prefer fiction. Also, there was lots of foreshadowing that, while it delivered, got a bit old.

I would recommend this book.

On her 81st birthday, my grandmother married her high school sweetheart. She hadn't seen him for 63 years, though they did exchange letters around the time of their 50th reunion. I love stories like these. People who believe life is to be lived, despite the amount of time one has left.

Arthur Pepper, perhaps to his own surprise, turns out to be one of these people. He reflects on this a few times throughout the book, that instead of being in x situation (or, frankly, predicament) he could be back in his armchair, quietly living out his days. But how much he'd miss out on, even if it would be easier (or, frankly, more enjoyable) if he'd skipped saying yes to new adventures. Or if he'd had less curiosity.

This isn't a new message - it seems to be a current trend in fiction, with popularity of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and A Man Called Ove, to name just two - but I enjoyed this version. The hook, that he is tracking down the meaning behind his wife's charm bracelet, works for me. The stories behind each are just oddball enough to keep the plot moving. I liked the characters, preferring Arthur to Ove, and the blue pants. And I appreciate the tension between Arthur's missing his wife and wanting to continue living.

I recommend this book!

Oh, and my grandmother? She had four years of wedded bliss before her second husband passed away. But another 14 years of a full, happy life after that, passing away at the age of 99.