eyes.2c Reviews

Fast and Fastidious  by R. M. Caldwell        ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Lucy Elliot is different. Operating in her world means she needs guidelines to take her through social occasions. If all she had to do was fathom a mechanical problem or design a carriage, things would be fine. Walking into a ball has her heading to a quiet nook to acclimatize. By accident Lucy discovers the Night Races. The egalitarian event is held near to the village, once a month when the moon is full at midnight. Lucy’s life is changed.  Two years later Lucy meets a cavalry Captain at the races. She’d already met the indisputable champions of the Night Races, Dante Torres and his crew. Captain James Dashwood had arrived in the neighbourhood to stay at one of his father’s properties, Ellsworth Manor. Lucy suspects he’s been sent here to avoid gambling debts or something else. Interestingly there’s been a series of government papers, coaches and men have gone missing. This quiet village has be...

The Alias Agenda  by Holly James         ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Erin Daniels had been trapped into being run by Agent Wallace for over ten years She’s been undercover with as many aliases as good dinners. Now her handler has disappeared and she’s being run by another agent, Calvin Bray,  who’s just a bit too much of everything to be true. Her new assignment is to find out how a group of glam moms from a high class neighbourhood were smuggling in high end baby carriages. A walk in the park until her past and a large unaccounted for diamond come back to threaten her. A tightly written novel with enough action, empathy and romance to satisfy. A Kensington ARC via NetGalley.                                               Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Death Meets Cute (Deluxe Edition)  by J. Penner       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What to do when your evil witchy powers are flagging, when you bodyguard disappears, and your finding yourself kindly disposed towards your neighbors? What Iris Weyward does is worries herself silly trying to solve the problem, brings an orc back to life and binds him to herself as her new bodyguard, and the other? Well… ! With her world turned upside down Iris and her familiar Quince (a hedgehog)(I know even I wondered at that!!) Then there’s her orc bodyguard who despite his size is cute, endearing…and bakes! Iris feels all is lost when her sisters visit her. Why? It seems all of the sisters are experiencing magic failure. How to get back their powers? An absurd bouncy love story with a difference, a cosy romantasy, that leaves you smiling. A Poisoned Pen Press ARC via NetGalley.                                    ...

The Vampyre Client  (Irregular Detectives Mysteries #4) by Jeri Westerson       ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Baker Irregulars Timothy Badger and Benjamin Watson (and of course reporter Miss Littleton) turn to new case Their client is a Jonathan Wicker who has newly moved to an estate, Caurdal Hall, in Hertfordshire. The locals are convinced he’s a vampyre (ok he does wrap himself in a cloak and a wide brimmed hat and studies bats!) But since his arrival  animals have mysteriously been found with their throats mauled. Wicker wants Badger and Watson to help persuade the locals of Ashwell Village that he’s not a vampyre. The local workers had all downed tools and walked off. Wicker needs parts of the Hall to be repaired. When Badger and Watson reach their destination (along with Miss Littleton) they find a suspicious community, a somewhat prejudiced vicar, a hostile police inspector, and an angry local lord. All becomes even more fraught when there employer is found dead. After som...