RoroblusMumReadsReviews/Rants

2* This missed the mark for me. I don't really think the author thought the plot out, just characters that she wanted to use, relevant or not, the best of which was the bengal, followed by Mary-Jane. I really wanted to like this cosy mystery, but it wasn't well-thought-out enough. I'm new to the series, but it wasn't hard to get into the tale, though the start with the boat sinking was a bit wordy and convoluted. Yes, it gave an opening and an intro to the first deceased, but it felt unrealistic that a cop on a sabbatical that'd lasted around 2 years would be straight back in the fold and 'investigating' a murder (he wasn't at all professional and didn't seem in charge) even before being brought up to speed with changes, and with retraining and current events. It was also unrealistic that Honey would be accompanying him on official jaunts, but tbh, with Mary-Jane, she might have done OK by herself as part of an unorthodox investigating duo. Why this ...

5* Everything the finale of this series needed. And it's not the end for Margot and Wes, professionally or personally. Yay on the first, kind of meh on the latter. This series was a bit of a slow burner over the first couple of books, making me wonder if I'd missed seeing Margot in another book by the author. I hadn't, but she had so many issues and had been living with mistrust and fear for so long, that this book was slowly in the making even back then. I'm so grateful to Storm Publishing letting me know as soon as book after book was ready, and for the author being so prolific, and today I dropped everything to read this in under 2 hours.  What. A. Book. A perfect ending to the Ed arc and the serial killer storyline, because of courage on Margot's part for the former and plain good detecting from a character introduced in this last book as a minor character and junior detective, which worked perfectly for the latter. Nothing planted, nothing out of place, just th...

2.5* Full of stilted, uncolloquial, non-contracted speech that belied any urgency in this tale. I'm new to this series, which sounded pretty good, especially as Martha was a working mum and police officer. Unfortunately, I never felt any aspect of danger, as the whole posse seemed to drink endless tea, make meals together, sit around the kitchen table chatting, and the 6yo child came home from having been kept safe??  Harry was the most interesting character, reminding me of the Harry Brown character played by Sir Michael Caine in the film of the same name. Dialogue was pretty awful and unrealistic. At the end of the tale, Martha's newly back ex-husband rushes to hug her and their daughter, saying 'I'm so pleased you are both safe.' - where's the passion, fright, relief? There's more, but this felt the most out of place.  The physical telegraphing of Martha's plan of attack should've been obvious to an ex-copper like Green, after all, we'd been p...

2* After a great intro to Horton, in what I realise now was book 1 (I'm late to the series), this felt too far-fetched. Ugh, I hate to say it, but this book needs a brutal pass by an editor. It's so full of improbable stuff that I couldn't keep track of the 'beautiful Aimee' arc; of who was who; of which cops were okay and which were jobsworths; of whether Horton was still fully living on his boat or not; whether he was with a colleague or not, or just bumping hips. It all felt disjointed and as if too much was crammed in, with clarity being the victim, not Roxanne. I'm sorry but the bullying storyline felt weak and unbelievable. Poor Roxanne got forgotten quite quickly, it felt like. There was too much focus on irrelevant characters to make the book tight and paced correctly for a murder investigation. The actual murderer wss absolutely not believable and to bring that person in when the author did, to reveal a contradicting M.O., was just too about face. I did...

4* Not sure if I've not picked up book 1 in the series - there's a DI coming off suspension that happened in the previous book - but I quickly got into this read. As an intro to this author, this is a pretty decent tale set in Portsmouth/The Solent, with a just-reinstated DI both trying to clear his name and trying to move on/(possibly get back his wife and daughter?), on top of picking up a puzzling case. There were sufficient hints at why he was suspended for me not to be lost trying to figure out his backstory, and his quest seemed reasonable, as did the investigations, although I'm not sure his brain was online over quite a few of his actions. Some of what he did could've landed him in an even bigger mess, and gotten colleagues loyal to him involved in his mess, too.  The storyline was decent but the 'his arch nemesis' arc got killed off too quickly and kind of unbelievably right at the end, without enough shock or fanfare or crowing. The actual killer kind ...

5* If you loved The Story of Us by BE, you'll love this. Shades-is, but not.  I've not read a BE gay romance novel that I've not loved, with TSoU being my favourite 'tortured' one (she does like to put her leads through the ringer) and her bonkers-LOL Jonty Bloom series, the books that I read to cheer myself up. This book threatens to dethrone TSoU, but it's a weirdly slightly lighter read, despite the premise - you'll need to read it and see.  This book falls into the 'tortured' category, though not too much in the sense of physical torture, but a love that isn't allowed out in the open; that can't be admitted by one of the leads (no guesses who); that is manipulated by others and by one of the leads (again, no guesses who), and with a HEA that needed to be 'orchestrated' so that the guys wouldn't always be on the move, having to look over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. There's not a lot of BE' trademark lev...

4* Misleading title but a good cosy mystery and wow, a total WTF??? start. OK, so start this with a huge dose of suspension of disbelief, tuck in, and enjoy! But, don't expect what the title hints at  as that's almost inconsequential. It's a really well-written tale, plausible if you can do willing suspension of disbelief, with surprising warmth. I loved the relationship between the widows; wanted to smack Simon; wanted to hug Sir Barny (the 'pig song' was 😂); Sir Ralph and his mother were a brilliant addition and another 'I did not see that coming!), and I wanted more than a clump of hair torn from the person who got their just desserts at the end, improbable as said ending and circumstances were.  The dialogue was funny in parts, sad in others, very British upper lip, with bits of snobbery on the part of some who eventually let go of their stuff upper lips. It was lovely to see a tale set in the good old UK, one that sets the tone for a pretty good series to ...

4.75* Brilliant intro to this author and series. I expected to be a little lost in this book, not having read any of thr previous in the series, but thankfully it stands alone. The storyline is believable and the tale is pretty satisfying with paedophiles getting  their just desserts, and the final reveal. There was only one moment where a 'jump' felt plonked-in and required a tad too much suspension of disbelief, but that arc went nowhere and what followed got the book back on track in terms of 'I can go with this'.  The ending was in part sad, in part closure, I think, and somewhat unemotional given the timeline the killer(s?) was/were on, but again, justice got done. There's times when it feels like vigilantism is a good thing, and this was one of them, but also with some very decent policing.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Joffe Books for my reading pleasure. 

3* Wow, the intro to the tale packed a punch, taking me in one direction, before chapter 1 turned me into another. My first NR tale, though I've read all her J D Robb books. This wasn't quite what I expected from the prologue, but it segued perfectly into how Sloan ended up a target of the two weirdo killers 'doing the work of God'. As a tale, it worked but there was too much that felt like ot wasn't integral, like the male leads' backstory and a bit too much about how they were planning to qualify as contractors, etc. What was missing was a bit more about the killers.  Tbh, the romance aspects didn't work for me - either of them - though the relationship between Sloan and her work partner was good. The whole house remodelling was slow and boring, unfortunately. If NR had taken out the romance parts, upped the tempo and time period over which the tale was set, this could've been a 5* read, just like her Eve Dallas ones are.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and...

4* A good intro for me to a character I'd heard about but never been interested in (because of the actor who played him) until now. Very Bond-y, but strangely believable with digs at current affairs, and because of the motivation of the self-described omniscient playmaker. OK, well this book doesn't let up from the minute it starts. There are 5 female characters of varying importance, one of whom is blind, who're seemingly as strong, well trained, determined, and emotionally detached as any male killer-for-hire. Wow. Unexpected but strangely believable. I didn't get to like any of them, because all had betrayed each other to a degree, some were double agents, some were blinkered, and all were coldhearted killers. Not even a lovely guide dog loving its owner could redeem said owner. But good on the doggy for not trusting a person who ended up kind of getting what he deserved, but also not, because that kind of evil betrayer deserved to be shown up publicly, not let off t...

3* Sadly, too much suspension of disbelief was required for me to fully enjoy this. This book isn't badly written but it doesn't have the tension and/or suspense that the blurb and opening allude to. It was more eye-rolling in a 'yeah, right' way than anything else. It had people who can live with their consciences despite going something wrong. It had unlikable characters - I think I actually found the neighbour the most believable one. I didn't believe in the ending, especially in how callous a child's emotions and psyche were being put at risk. What about years to come, when the truth outs, when he has flashbacks to times with mummy #1, pseudo-daddy #1, then real mummy #2 and real daddy #2? Selfish bunch of people who deserved to have that poor child taken off them and given to a family that'd always put him first. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Random House/UK Cornerstone for my reading pleasure. 

4.5* A blend of The Fugitive and Reacher, and possibly a few other books/films, but a really good, if sad/shocking/brutal/a bit unpalatable tale.  I didn't entirely know what to expect from this book, but I got a really good read, despite the really unpalatable, brutal and  violent aspects and the sense of déja-vu.  You had to feel for the female characters and the child in this, none of whom deserved the brutality and fright they witnessed and/or experienced. Some was off-page but the on-page stuff was shocking and saddening. And all too credibly, it felt like this really could exist in MAGA USA 2025. Frank was a decent character who'd been betrayed too many times for it to quite seem credible but if you can move past that, he's an admirable and loyal guy. I suspect he'll end up working with the feds or other law enforcement to get to the bottom of the corruption and to prove his innocence,  snd get the daughter he barely knows back. I was in 2 minds about his army...

3.5* A bit unbelievable at times, but engrossing enough to make me read till the end. Quite a sad ending. This book's blurb promises a slight touch more than it delivers, but it's well written and has a decent lead in Zoey. There are a lot of characters acting shady in it, including one who at the end is revealed to be batshit bonkers, though apparently Zoey's instincts didn't clock. Good thing her mother's did!! It's a sad tale with a few a-bit-brutal-to-read parts, though those are told in flashbacks and a mention of the past. At times there's 3 POV going, so it took a bit of jumping back and forth, especially as 2 were in the past.  The mystery does get solved, but for me, it required a little too much suspension of disbelief. You'll see, if you persist this far. It was worth the read, but needed some weeding of the superfluous characters. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure. 

 4* Decent legal thriller with sinister undertones and shady characters that, please, dear author, need their comeuppance in the next book in the series.  Book 1 in this series was a bit of a shocker in how small-town America 'justice' works. But, sadly, too, all too believable because of what's happening in the US today with the orange cheeto and his indoctrinated sheeple minions. Book 2 just has more of the same 'justice', and Dean Lincoln refuses to cower or kowtow. And damn right, too. There's a decent case, and also a more, for me, satisfying secondary case where someone wronged who's got nothing to lose, takes on a corrupt character - there's more than one in this series - and wins. That was pretty satisfying. The ending, too, especially after the reveal in the main case, was the icing - no, make that the syrup - on the cake for me, and no doubt Dean and his team. There was a touch of personal sadness for him, too, something I hope to see change in...

 4* Decent, if not the most nailbiting. Took me a while to get into it because of when its set, 30 years ago. I'm not sure if this is a standalone or the 2nd in a series, as the female lead and  male character have history, but there's no backstory to be concerned with, just a not-bad tale where I didn't foresee the baddie that got revealed. Were they plausible? Yes. Did the tale have a feeling if danger? No, despite the opening that did pack a punch. That part of the tale wasn't the main arc of the storyline, and sadly, once the bad guy got caught, not enough got explained. The other part of the tale was a bit slow amd steady, with a Miss Whiplash type of reveal that should've taken down more individuals than it did, and with a certain upstanding-but-too-uptight character deserving more page-time. It lacked excitement for me, perhaps because it wasn't a police procedural in the true sense. Still, it was very readable. ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Allison amd B...

 3.5* Ugh, it feels like the lead in this book needs basic manners as well as DEI training. This is a pretty decent read featuring a newly qualified DCI who's been recently widowed; who's in a brand new job; and who by the sounds of it is on her way to being a bit of an alcoholic - I got bored pretty quickly of the mention of a few glasses every night once her child was in bed.  She lacks manners, sadly, without even a basic 'please' in her repertoire, especially when asking a colleague - clearly an underling in her eyes - to make her a coffee. Who does this in 2025 UK, or anywhere else?  Those niggles aside, the tale isn't a bad one, with scallies, a bit of intrigue but with a character who stood out a little too much for the wrong reasons, who overplayed their hand badly - not that the cops saw it - gave the game away.  I'd read more of this series because of the ending, which is likely to disrupt the DCI's world.  ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Highgate Pu...

4* Yes, it requires suspension of disbelief but it's well researched and written. But, ugh, having 2 leads with names starting with M made for quite confusing times. This book was far better than expected, although I wish the editor had convinced the author to change one of the characters' names, because it took at least a page at times for me to figure out whose POV I was reading. The tale starts in improbability and gallops with it, but I was intrigued enough to learn what the author would or could do with the tale that I was prepared to go with the flow. I liked learning more about the Vatican and its rules and intrigues. Was the author brave to go there with the corruption and love of money more than love of God, from his servants on earth? Yup.  I'm not sure that the virgin pope could've embraced gay sex the way he did thr very first time. Which makes me think that CGM might be a woman. It just seemed too twee, too easy, too quick and not messy enough. Not prepped ...

3* Had great hints of stuff to be revealed, but it kind of fell pretty flat in the last 2 chapters... This is my first read by this author, and it wasn't a bad one. She built up interest and intrigue nicely in the prologue, then made Natslie an interesting protag. The Bryn/Gerraint thing kind of went nowhere, as did the Magda-Nemesis aspect. The father thing made me eyeball so hard, I hurt myself. If you're looking for a tale where people who've done wrong get their comeuppance, this tale won't be for you.  ARC courtesy of Storm Publishing and NetGalley for my reading pleasure. 

 2* Requires too much suspension of disbelief, and blurb hints at something other than what I read... Ugh, what did I read? Instead of a slightly taboo, sweet, sexy MM, I got a tale with a psychopath teacher who surely should've been weeded out before ending up in such a role? I mean, the guy's first wife was a former student, just like his current one, and he's sat in classrooms self-pleasuring? Aren't there cameras in schools? Aren't wet patches pretty noticeable? I pushed down the ick feelings and got past that, but the scenes with Wife #2 rang all sorts of alarm bells for the teen guy as well as for me, and still he didn't back off? And that ending? Puhleese. A teen orchestrated a cold-blooded killing within the space of 10 minutes because the chance and timing were on his side? Psychopath much? Far, far too much suspension of disbelief for me. I feel pretty cheated at the blurb that promised what the book didn't deliver. ARC courtesy of BookSirens for m...