Truth, Lies, and Second Dates is a sweet and sassy contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author MaryJanice Davidson. Captain Ava Capp has been flying from her past for a decade. She’d much rather leave it, and her home state, behind forever. But when she finds herself back in Minnesota, against her better judgment, everything goes sideways in a way she never expected it to. M.E. … she never expected it to.
M.E. Dr. Tom Baker has never forgotten Ava and the cold case she ran away from. When she shows up unexpectedly in town, in spite of himself, sparks fly. Which is terrible because he can’t stop his growing attraction to her. Can these two Type-A’s let their guards down and work together to put Ava’s tragic past behind her for good? And keep their hands off each other at the same time?
more
This was a cold case, murder mystery theatre presentation, starring Captain Ava Capp, pilot extraordinaire aka Captain Belly Flopper, and an on the spectrum (maybe) Dr Tom Baker, ME, aka Uncle to Whiz Kid Genius (I totally adored) Hannah, who had more answers than Alex Trebeck AND had more questions. A ton more characters but these were my faves. Oh, and Hannah’s G-Father, the voice of logic and reason lol.
Ava’s BFF was murdered ten years ago back in Minnesota, don’t ya know? She got shnookered into coming to a memorial being held on the tenth anniversary of her death. Well, she meets Tom, who’s fascinated by death, hello, ME here, and she learns some very startling information.
That’s all I can say without spoilers. The storyline is serious, but this is told in such a way, you are never quite sure in which direction the emotions might lead.
A journey I quite enjoyed taking, along to a happy ending.
4* Witty Stars
MaryJanice Davidson is a new author to me and I was excited to read her latest contemporary romance. I struggled in the beginning to get used to the writing style, as you got to read all the thoughts of the main characters and I found it was not necessary to the storyline. Once I got used to this, the story was a fun and hilarious read. The main character Captain Ava Capp was witty beyond words and very likable. The rest of the characters, besides one, are realistic and enjoyable.
This was a cosy mystery read with a touch of romance and filled with unforgettable characters who will keep you entertained throughout the book.
This is a new to me author that mixed it up. We got romance, mystery and a little bit of slap stick comedy. I was smiling and laughing so much while reading this book. I love when a book does that.
This was such a fun fast paced read that I really enjoyed.
***I received an ebook copy from the publisher at no cost***
Once again, I laughed my butt off while I was reading this book. The internal commentary and the way that Davidson writes is hilarious and I love it.
Ava Capp’s best friend was murdered nearly 10 years prior to the book’s opening. Ava is a Minnesota native but, she does everything she can to avoid stepping foot in the state because of her past. The murder is still an unsolved case and when Ava finally does end up back in Minnesota, she finds herself thrust into the middle of an investigation related to it.
I really loved this book. I’ve only read one other book from Davidson but I knew I was in for all kinds of crazy hilariousness. I wasn’t disappointed. Even though this is billed as a romantic suspense/thriller, it had a ton of comedic moments in it as well. The author took Ava and Tom on a wild ride. It was fun watching them work on an investigation together, even though it wasn’t necessarily in a formal capacity.
There’s a connection between the two, which is evident the first night they meet. And that connection continues throughout the book, making for some good banter and sexy moments. Even though they’re very much opposites in many ways, they compliment together well and just click.
This story as much about Ava’s personal growth as it is about the investigation. I liked seeing her change over the course of things, in subtle ways that made sense.
Also, if you don’t normally read author notes, make sure you do with this one. Davidson has so many tropes in this book and even though I could distinguish many of them, it wasn’t like a slap-you-in-the-face kinda thing, so everything fit well into the storyline.
This was easy to read and such an enjoyable one for me. I didn’t want to put it down after I picked it up.
Four stars to this novel!
This is the first book that I have read from this author, but I could tell from the Author’s Notes and the beginning, that she has a strong sense of humor, that flows into her works and often into her footnotes. Lots of witty banter, quirky characters and a very strange plot. The constant stream of consciousness of the main character (and the author) is quite a different style of writing.
Flight Captain Ava Capp’s best friend,Danielle, was brutally murdered when they were both just 17. Orphaned two years later, when her parents died in a car accident, Ava has grown to hate Minnesota and has been unable to make any close personal connections with anyone besides her crew. But on a flight to St Paul, she is ambushed by Danielle’s twin brother, to come to a 10 year memorial service. Eveything goes down hill from there, except for meeting Tom Baker, the ME, who first thinks she might have been Danielle’s murder, to be convinced that Ava had been the real target, is now in danger and doesn’t want to let her out of his sight- not just to keep her safe.
The one con I have is the author using Snopes.com for accuracy, as it is one of the worse biasly, slanted “fat checkers” in the industry. Don’t like the fact or how it is expressed and it is declared False.
I read an ARC from NetGalley.com. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.
Not really my cup of tea. A perfectly respectable read but I found all the inner dialogue disruptive. I really enjoyed Hannah.
I enjoyed this book. It was funny, witty, and it had a bit of everything. I look forward to reading more books from this author.
I need a friend like Captain Ava Capp, or at least haver her as my pilot!
Funny, witty, and genuine. Ava has a great dry sense of humor. She meets the person who can match her wit in coroner, Tom Baker, even if most of the time is being literal.
Ava finds herself grounded in her hometown on the 10th anniversary of her best friend’s death. Against her better judgment, she attends the memorial, only to be accused of vandalism. Force to work together, Ava and Dr. Tom try to do some sleuthing while keeping their hands off each other. Add in a genius child, hilarious co-workers and a set of angry mourners and Ms. Davidson has another hit on her hands!
I received an ARC from St. Martin Press through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so
3.5
After living through the murder of her best friend, Ava Capp has been running from the past (or rather flying away from her past). Now a notable pilot on a commercial airline, Captain Ava Capp (yeah she knows), loves flying all over the country, but avoids stopping in Minnesota whenever possible. Unfortunately, it’s not always possible, and eventually you have to face your past. But with the ten year anniversary on the horizon, much more has been coming to light about the still unsolved case, such as the fact that the murder has now set their sights on Ava.
Medical Examiner Tom Baker remembers well the violent case that rocked the community although he was still a kid when it happened. He recognizes Ava immediately upon seeing her, and despite himself sparks fly.
Tom and Ava form a team determined to figure out what really happened all those years ago and prevent the same from happening to Ava now.
So, anyone who reads the author’s note at the beginning (highly recommended) will know that MaryJanice Davidson’s goal was to jam-pack this story with as many mystery/thriller/romance tropes as possible and pretty much turn all of them upside-down. Anyone who has previously read a book by MaryJanice Davidson will recognize the quirky, frenetic characters and pacing. Having to juggle a lot of quick back-and-forths. It’s pretty much keeping with MaryJanice Davidson’s typical style.
I was initially interested in this idea of the mystery/thriller/romance with a more humorous twist about it. Something that changes the typically serious tone of these types of stories. I think that’s a really interesting add for this genre. I just kind of wish that there was more focus on that aspect of the story instead of focusing more on subverting the various tropes. Because with that there were times where the story felt too full and I ended up missing at least half of what what trying to be commented upon.
That said, it was an enjoyable read. I liked Ava. I liked that she went through some very traumatic stuff and pulled herself out of the downward spiral in which she found herself. I liked that she’s so successful at her job and has the friendship and adoration of those she works with and over. I very often found myself laughing out loud at her inflight announcements to the passengers.
The chemistry between Tom and Ava was fine. It was another aspect that I think was trying very hard to push the tropes in whatever is deemed the “opposite” direction and didn’t really focus too much on creating the connection between them. I can read a dozen romances with the same trope and be perfectly fine with it as long as I feel that connection between the characters just jump off the page with each scene they share together. While I liked Tom and Ava, together, as individuals, I didn’t necessarily feel that for them.
Overall, MaryJanice Davidson wrote the story I expected. I’m not let down by it, I’m not blown away by it. I know I can count on MaryJanice Davidson to deliver a quirky book with quirky characters and a fast pace, and often humorous. I appreciated the mystery/thriller that was on the lighter side without necessarily slipping into the “cozy” category. As strange as it kind of feels to say that about a book that deals with a grisly murder and the murderer still on the lose, it felt more like a comfort read. Something guaranteed to entertain and pull me away from the real world for a bit.
OMG!! This was such a great book! The next time I have to fly anywhere I want Captain Ava Capp to be at the controls and on the intercom! I loved her snark and oddball irreverent quirkiness so much! And how MJD gave her the absolutely perfect counterpart in pathologist Dr. Tom Baker just had me in stitches all the way throughout the book! The reader cannot forget precocious child genius, Hannah, either. She was an absolute gem! I found the mystery at the center of the story-line very interesting also and I did not guess the identity of the protagonist at all. This really surprised me since I normally don’t have any problems catching the bread crumbs usually scattered throughout a book by an author. Now some readers may be put off by the writing style of MJD but this book featured everything that I have always loved and associated with her as an author ever since I picked up and read my first book written by her. The snappy, witty dialogue and off-the-wall humor kept the story moving along at a nicely rapid clip that prevented any lag or mid-story slump. I will admit that I was a bit disappointed with a couple of her other more recent releases but this book was classic MJD and I loved, loved, loved it!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley.
Truth, Lies, and Second dates was filled with witty banter, hilarious moments, and great characters. I truly enjoyed the mystery aspect that MaryJanice Davidson based the story around. I truly enjoyed the way Davidson’s characters acted.
Tom was very blunt, sexy and didn’t lie. In all his actions you could see there was something about him, other than being highly intelligent. For anyone who knows or loves someone on the Autism spectrum you would recognize the signs. This wasn’t made into a huge part of the storyline, it was mentioned just in passing at the end. I loved how Davidson didn’t make a big show of it and was just so inclusive.
Davidson’s world building skills were good, the flow was a little choppy in a couple spots. I can say that the ending was a little bit of a surprise to me. I had my ideas of who the killer was but the clues were so subtle that I wasn’t sure if I had it correct. That was part of the fun. Davidson was able to keep you guessing throughout the story.
While this was a fast read for me. The pace of the book started slow, for me, but after a couple chapters I was fully invested in the story.
ARC for honest review with no compensation Received from NetGalley
Truth, Lies and Second Dates by Mary Janice Davidson is a laugh out loud, lots of chemistry, murder mystery but with lots more going and at times became somewhat confusing. Eventually figured out what was happening and overall was a good book.
Fun and quirky characters. A little mystery. A little romance. A lot of over-the-top zaniness. 100% pure MaryJanice Davidson craziness. Loved it!!
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
This book was so much fun to read. Ava Capp is headstrong and afraid to commit to anything but her job. Being back in her hometown for the reunion of her best friend’s mysterious murder is the last place she wants to be. I absolutely love her character. She’s snarky and a bit abrasive which makes her less likable to the characters but more likable to the reader. This was an easy read as a standalone, and I’m looking forward to reading more of Davidson’s books.
If you enjoy wacky, laugh-out-loud reads, don’t miss “Truth, Lies and Second Dates” by MaryJanice Davidson with a cast of quirky characters and situations that kept me entertained and engaged from start to finish. I loved the instant attraction and undeniable chemistry between airline pilot Captain Ava Capp and Dr. Tom Baker from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office. The secondary characters enhanced my reading pleasure. I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.
This was fun read. You will laugh out loud reading this book. This was quick read for me. You most likely won’t completely like either Tom or Ava but even the weird ones need to find love. You might not like them because they aren’t your normal hero/heroine but I enjoyed reading them because they weren’t like that. This book is quirky and a good mystery to figure out. So sit back and enjoy this read.
*I received this free book from NetGalley and am leaving my honest opinion*
I’m giving this book 3.5 because while it’s a good read I found it hard to connect with the heroine character but did enjoy the other characters in the book. I found the story to be intriguing and the pace nice, there was humor, mystery and romance. Ava come home to Minnesota because of a flight schedule as a pilot she finds herself at a ten year memorial of her dead best friend, not something she had planned and the result sends her on an adventure she never would have planned. The local ME comes into to save the day, but Tom is quite an unique fellow. himself that brings in a cast of characters that will go straight to your heart! All in all this is a good intriguing read
Ava is an airline pilot, a very good one at that! She is actually famous. (you will need to read this to find out why.) She has to fly into her hometown and she is not happy about it. Then her past comes back to bite her in the butt…
This story is a little spastic in places. I could not decide if it was a mystery or a romcom. I basically think the author changed her mind in the middle of this book and made it a romcom. And some of the conversations were confusing. I am not sure if it was the format of the early ebook or if it was just the way it was written.
I know it sound like I did not enjoy this book. But, I did enjoy it to a degree. I loved Ava. She is strong and funny, hilarious, as a matter of fact. Then there is Tom. These two together really make the whole story worth reading.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Captain Ava Capp has been running away from life for a long time. She has created her own family in the airline industry. It is time to go home for a memorial that is 10 years in the making. The way she gets through things is with a sarcastic sense of humor. Only this memorial has not gone as planned. Tom Baker is a forensic county coroner. The crazier the death, the more he is intrigued. When the two of them meet, they discombobulate each other. One thing is clear, someone is trying to kill Ava just like Danielle. It is going to take them both to solve this mystery and get their HEA.
This was an entertaining book. Captain Ava Capp has been avoiding her past, but finds herself back in Minnesota and reminded of everything she ran from. M.E. Dr. Tom Baker wants to help solve the cold case from Ava’s past. The book held my interest and was hard to put down. I enjoyed this story and would read other books by this author.