In a Nutshell Reveiws

In a Nutshell Reviews are my version of mini-reviews, because sometimes, you just want the highlights.

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The House on Prytania by Karen White
Published by Berkley on May 9, 2023
Age/Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Goodreads

Nola Trenholm may not be psychic herself, but she’s spent enough time around people who are to know when ghosts are present, and there are definitely a few lingering spirits in her recently purchased Creole cottage in New Orleans. Something, or someone, is keeping them tethered to this world. And not all of them are benign.

But with the sudden return of Sunny Ryan, Beau Ryan’s long-lost sister, Nola has plenty to distract her from her ghostly housemates. Especially when the tempting—yet firmly unavailable—Beau, wanting to mete out justice to those he blames for Sunny’s kidnapping, asks Nola for a favor that threatens to derail her hard-won recovery and send her hurtling backward. He asks her to welcome Michael Hebert back into her life, even though Michael is the reason for Nola’s bruised heart. Beau is convinced that Michael’s powerful family was behind Sunny’s disappearance and that Michael is the key to getting information the police won’t be able to ignore—if Nola is willing to risk everything for which she’s worked so hard.

Torn between helping Beau and protecting herself, Nola doesn’t realize until it’s almost too late why the ghosts are haunting her house—a startling revelation that will throw her and Beau together to fight a common enemy. Assuming Nola can get Beau to listen to what the spirits are trying to tell him, because ignoring them could prove to be a fatal mistake...

This book picks up pretty much where the last one ended. Sunny had returned after twenty years, and Beau was determined to get to the bottom of her kidnapping. As the gang worked to decipher the evidence they had while also uncovering more, a malevolent spirit has entered the scene. There were some really intense moments due to this pesky ghost, but I thought the integration of this spirit expanded the story in a great way.

I really enjoyed having Nola's family visiting, too. They were a lot of fun to be around. But, let's be honest, Jolene continued to steal, scene after scene. I hung on her every word because they were often hilarious. She brought a bit of levity to a story that could have easily become bogged down with murder, kidnappings, and other dark things. Nola's sister was fantastic, too. She embraced her gift and was such an asset to uncovering the facts of Sunny's kidnapping.

As this story wrapped up, the seeds were planted for a new mystery, AND a real love triangle developed for me. Beau and Nola continue to deny their emotions, but I think this new player will give Beau a run for his money. He's a serious contender for me.

With all that in play, I am looking forward to the next book, a new mystery, and seeing how Nola's love life develops.

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The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
Published by Viking on November 1, 2021
Age/Genres: Adult, Fiction

Goodreads

Sometimes you have to leave behind everything you know to find the place you truly belong...

Nana the cat is on a road trip. He is not sure where he's going or why, but it means that he gets to sit in the front seat of a silver van with his beloved owner, Satoru. Side by side, they cruise around Japan through the changing seasons, visiting Satoru's old friends. He meets Yoshimine, the brusque and unsentimental farmer for whom cats are just ratters; Sugi and Chikako, the warm-hearted couple who run a pet-friendly B&B; and Kosuke, the mournful husband whose cat-loving wife has just left him. There's even a very special dog who forces Nana to reassess his disdain for the canine species.

But what is the purpose of this road trip? And why is everyone so interested in Nana? Nana does not know and Satoru won't say. But when Nana finally works it out, his small heart will break...

Satoru found a cat who looked like his childhood pet. This cat became a steadfast companion and accompanied him on a journey to reconnect with people from his past.

This started out like a buddy story. Satoru was all sunshine, and Nana (the cat) was his sarcastic sidekick. But no matter how salty Nana seemed, he was grateful to be part of Satoru's life. I loved being on a road trip with these two, though I figured out quite quickly what was going on. Nonetheless, I adored meeting the important people from Satoru's past, learning about his childhood, as well as his teen and college years.

I can't sugarcoat it. The last 20% of this book left me a mess, but I will forever revel in the sunshine of Satoru and Nana's friendship. Overall, this was a beautiful story of friendship, loyalty, and unconditional love that was illustrated in several different ways. It was painful at times, but as with most things, there was beauty in the pain.

Do you like cats?
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