Category: The World of Books

Synopsis:

Book 1: The Final Arrangement

The Vulture is dead. The body of Quincy McKay’s nemesis and biggest competitor in the floral business has just been discovered in a casket at the mortuary, complete with flowers on the lid. Armed with only her Zombie delivery van, good intentions, and the business card of a handsome cop named Alex, she must find the killer, save the flower shop, and keep from ending up in the next casket. If she can dodge burning bushes, the plague of a polygamist ex, and her mother’s Mormon Mafia Spy Network, her life with Alex and her shop could become the perfect arrangement.

Book 2: Deadly Arrangements

All florist Quincy McKay wants is success in business, a happy family and the perfect romance with Alex Cooper, the hottest cop in the state. Not necessarily in that order, of course. Is that so much to ask? The trouble is, between Alex’s job and planning weddings, it’s getting harder and harder for Quincy and Alex to find any time to themselves. Every time the flames of passion ignite between them, someone or something shows up to fizzle the fire, including her meddling mother, her formerly absent father and even Elma, the handsiest waitress in the West. Wedded bliss is contagious in small town Hillside. Should be great news for Quincy, except that one groom is missing and another is the prime suspect. Hard for a florist to make a living that way, and even harder for her to stay out of the investigation, especially when the suspect is her sidekick, K.C.’s fiancé. Just when she thinks nothing else could go wrong, a ghost from Alex’s past comes back to haunt them both, which could keep them apart forever, if someone doesn’t kill Quincy first. She’s stumbled into the clues to solve the case of the missing groom and finds a corpse as well, proving that planning a wedding can literally be murder.

A Christmas Arrangement

It’s Christmastime in Hillside, but there’s a lack of holiday spirit for flower shop owner Quincy McKay. She’s in charge of the town festival and her shop’s open house, but her Santa’s a no-show and her flower cooler is on the fritz. To make matters worse, she’s learned her ex-husband isn’t as ex as she’d thought. Just when she thought things couldn’t get any worse, her boyfriend, hot cop Alex Cooper announces his parents are coming to town. Alex Cooper is the perfect man in Quincy’s book, but unfortunately his mother thinks so too. And no woman is perfect enough for her perfect son, but especially not the weird flower shop girl who works too much, can’t cook and who she catches kissing another man in the department store. And what’s this she hears about Quincy being married? Eleanor Cooper must help her son dodge a bullet (and not the kind from his job) during the romantic holiday season to prevent him from being ensnared in a regrettable relationship. Quincy’s dignity (of which lately she’s in short supply), her reputation, and every business in town are riding upon the success of the city’s Christmas celebration. If she can figure out a way to make it work despite failing equipment, helpers dropping out of the picture as fast as snowflakes in a blizzard, a troubling and inappropriate Secret Santa, and the possibility of arrest, she might win the respect of everyone in the town, but more importantly, Alex’s parents

D.S. Williams Review:

This boxed set by Annie Adams was entertaining, although in some places it did feel as if the ‘quirkiness’ of the characters was being hammered home a little to hard. I liked the main character, Quincy, but there were some times when I wanted to smack her around a little bit because she became overly frustrating. This boxed set includes three books, with the third one, centered around Christmas, being the weakest in regard to storyline.
The characters were numerous, and in that regard it was sometimes a little hard to keep up with who was who, especially in the first book when we’re meeting the characters all at the same time. I found by the third book it was less difficult to keep up with.
Overall, an enjoyable read, although certainly not something which will stretch the little gray cells overtly. There are some typos in the third book, but I didn’t see much wrong in the first two. I would consider reading more from this author.

The Dark Genesis by A.D. Koboah

Synopsis:

Life for a female slave is one of hardship and unspeakable sorrow, something Luna knows only too well. But not even she could have foreseen the terror that would befall her one sultry Mississippi evening in the summer of 1807.

On her way back from a visit to see the African woman, a witch who has the herbs Luna needs to rid her of her abusive master’s child, she attracts the attention of a deadly being that lusts for blood. Forcibly removed from everything she knows by this tormented otherworldly creature, she is sure she will be dead by sunrise.

Dark Genesis is a love story set against the savage world of slavery in which a young woman who has been dehumanised by its horrors finds the courage to love, and in doing so, reclaims her humanity.

D.S. Williams Review:

I’m of two minds regarding this book, and even twelve hours after finishing I’m still considering my reaction to it.
A.D. Koboah’s story was written beautifully, I enjoyed the pacing, the characters and the concept. A.D. Koboah has a way with words which had me engrossed throughout the majority of the story.
Luna is an interesting and multi-faceted character, and for the most part I enjoyed the way she was written, but there were a couple of times when I found myself frustrated by her behaviour and the way she reacted to the male protagonist, Avery. While her initial reactions to Avery seemed very natural based on her background as a slave on a plantation (and a slave who had been physically abused by her masters), as time passed and Avery proved himself to be kind and caring, there were instances when I was frustrated by Luna’s decision making process and the way she refused to admit to her feelings. In some ways, I think the decision to avoid telling Avery how she felt about him was based on A.D. Koboah’s desire to take the storyline in a specific direction, rather than a realistic representation of Luna’s behaviors and that was quite frustrating.
Dark Genesis is the first of a trilogy, and at this stage, while I’m curious about the other books, I’m not inclined to race straight into reading the second book. Some of the upcoming storyline is pre-empted in the last few chapters of Dark Genesis, and to my mind, knowing what is to come has put me off reading any further.
Overall, this is a beautifully written book, but I’d suggest you read it for yourself to decide your opinion.