Reviewer Archive | Val

Show and Tell by Kate McMurray is a fun, fast-paced read about Dan and Mal who meet in Mal’s antiques shop and learn that they are star-crossed lovers destined to reincarnate and find each other repeatedly through the centuries. The smooth writing, vivid New York City setting, and appealing characters should please the readers. At 79,641 words, the novel unfolds in two alternating third-person viewpoints, and features a down-to-earth, light, adventurous tone.

My favorite aspect of the story is how Dan and Mal experiment with accessing their ...more

How to Save a Life by Sloan Parker has a terrific beginning through the first thirteen chapters with complex characters, a fast pace, heart-stopping tension, and a perfect balance between the romance and the mystery. However, through the middle, the pacing gets sluggish with our heroes’ sex scenes and heart-to-heart conversations outweighing the mystery plot, which is frustrating because the mystery grows increasingly urgent. Meanwhile, two unnecessary characters from the author’s novel More, outstay their welcome to give relationship advice to Walter and Kevin. Also, one or ...more

Home Work by Kaje Harper is the third installment in the immensely appealing series about detective Mac and teacher Tony who live in Minneapolis with their adopted son and daughter. At 108,000 words, this novel allows you to sink into the characters’ lives for prolonged escapism. It features two alternating third-person viewpoints, and gives equal emphasis to Mac’s police procedural case and the two men’s evolving romance. To get the most out of the story, I recommend that you read Life Lessons and Breaking Cover beforehand.

You might think that this ...more