Working Stiff by Tori Carrington -- A Book Review

Sofie Metropolis is a private investigator at her Uncle's agency. She currently finds herself looking for a missing body from her aunt's funeral home, trying to prove a murder defendant's innocence, and dealing with the two men in her love life. As the stress from the cases intensify, her love life is thrown into a tizzy partly due to her meddling mother. Sofie doubts her ability as a PI as she goes days without making progress, but soon she stumbles on a bit of advice that changes everything.

Tori Carrington's story has humor and a touch of romance. The characters achieve a small personal growth by the end of the book which will endear them to the reader.

Carrington discusses old cases Sofie worked, presumably from previous books. At first these are acceptable and relevant, but by the end of the story, they are forced - no longer providing insight for the character's current circumstances.

Overall, the story and characters are entertaining, so many readers will look forward to reading more about Sofie and her life.

This book was purchased by myself at a retail chain. It was not given to me for review. I did not receive any compensation from the publisher or author for this review.

Knock Me for a Loop by Heidi Betts -- A Book Review

Grace Fisher surprised her fiance, Zack Hoolihan, at an away game and found a woman in his hotel bed. She storms out and will not listen to his claims of innocence. Several months later they are both still agonizing over the broken engagement, when they find themselves in a tenuous situation.

Grace moves back in with Zack to temporarily take care of injuries he suffered during a hockey game. Soon the old feelings cause them to revisit old wounds and the truth about the woman in that hotel room.

Heidi Betts wrote a story that draws the reader in and emotionally invests them in the characters' relationship. At times, the reader will feel anger at their stubbornness while still maintaining sympathy for their situation. Betts writes characters and situations that are believable and identifiable for her readers.

Betts sporadically stumbles over redundancy in her descriptions but these instances are minor enough that most readers won't find them bothersome. The language is direct and moves the story along at a consistent pace.

The book is sprinkled with wonderful gems - words that pleasantly wet the logophile's appetite. Readers will look forward to other books from Betts.

This book was purchased by myself at a retail chain. It was not given to me for review. I did not receive any compensation from the publisher or author for this review.

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo -- A Book Review

Peter uses his only florit to get a question answered from a fortuneteller. The answer to the question causes him to doubt his guardian, an old soldier and family friend. Was his sister alive or dead? The fortuneteller told him that the elephant would take him to her. Peter left upset because Baltese had no elephants. Later that day, a magician did a bit of magic that brought Peter what he needed.

Kate DiCamillo's language is eloquent and pulls the reader back to the time and place when the story occurs. It is a wonderful tale that will remind children of the importance of keeping a promise.

The major characters are developed in a manner that allows the reader's imagination to get to know them at their own pace. It is DiCamillo's talent that gives that characters depth without a superfluous word of description.

The ending wraps up the question for Peter but readers may walk away without a feeling of closure for other characters.

This promotional copy was received during BookExpo America 2009 as a free marketing tool by either the publisher or author and was given to many attendees. It was not given to me to review. I did not receive any compensation from the publisher or author for this review.

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber -- A Book Review

Lucy Valentine reluctantly steps into the family business, matchmaking, amid her father's scandal. The Valentine family has passed on the gift of seeing auras for generations, but, after an accident as a teenager, Lucy's gift was changed which caused her to previously avoid taking on the tasks of matchmaking.

Soon a client sends her in a new direction - finding a lost love. A tangled web of a missing child, murder victim, determined policeman, and insistent reporter envelopes Lucy. She relies on old friends and a private investigator, a potential love interest, to escape.

The characters are amusing and the story is lighthearted where appropriate. The action is quick and keeps a reader on a steady pace throughout the book.

Being the first in a series, the character introductions and development was sufficient. The author's language is direct and concise allowing the book to be short enough for completion in less than one day.

If readers can get past the cheese of the first sentence, they will be pleased with this romantic misadventure.

This book was purchased by myself at a retail chain. It was not given to me for review. I did not receive any compensation from the publisher or author for this review.