Category: Fiction

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Nobody Told Me by Kay Bratt

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Nobody Told Me
  • Author: Kay Bratt
  • Series: Hart’s Ridge #6
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Hart’s Ridge
  • Main Character: Taylor, Lucy
  • Other Characters: Jarret, Shane, Sam, Anna, Cate
  • Pets: Dogs Diesel & Ginger along with some other Rescues at the farm
  • Stars: 5

This is book six in Kay Bratt’s Hart’s Ridge series. I have loved this series from the very beginning. I just love the Gray sisters and their family dynamic. Even though they have their problems, they are always going to stand up for each other.

In this installment, the focus is more on Taylor & Lucy. We find out more about Lucy’s troubled past which she is trying to escape. Some things are happening that Lucy is blamed for, but Shane believes something else is going on, so he investigates. Is Lucy’s past about to catch up with her!!

The small town in rocked by the news of a local teen’s disappearance, who was later found dead. It is assumed he was drinking and wandered into the lake and drowned, but could there have been foul play!! Deputy Taylor Gray is determined to find out. Lucy’s dog, Ginger, also has a bit of a starring role.

As usual, the author takes us on a fast-paced roller coaster ride to solve these mysteries with an ending I didn’t see coming. And who doesn’t love a book with dogs!! I definitely recommend this series. Even though you can read these books as a standalone, it’s better to read them in order, as the series mentions many characters, and you get to know the Gray girls. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

The author usually takes her stories from real life. She explains in a note at the end of the book about the real life Jarrett and how he was the inspiration for this story in the book.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Death Contingency by Nancy Lynn Jarvis

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: The Death Contingency
  • Author: Nancy Lynn Jarvis
  • Series: Regan McHenry Real Estate Mysteries #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Santa Cruz
  • Main Character: Regan, Kaivan
  • Pets: a Cat named Harry
  • Stars: 1

This is the first book I have read by this author and if this is an example of the rest of her books, I won’t be reading more. I think this is the lowest star I have ever given to a book, probably because if it is going to be a 1 star, i just don’t finish it. I think I finished this one because I just knew there would be a twist at the end but I was wrong.

Regan is a Real Estate agent and is due to meet with another agent, Kaivan. Regan’s clients are buying Kaivan’s uncle’s house and they are meeting to sign the papers. Kaivan’s Uncle, Cyrus Ansari, is late. They keep waiting and he never shows up. Kaivan doesn’t seem too worried because it isn’t unlike his uncle to take off for a few days without word so he is never reported as missing until he is found dead floating in the ocean. At first they think it was an accident but then it is ruled as murder. Regan decides to play amateur sleuth to find the killer when she stumbles upon another dead body. Now she is trying to find a connection between Uncle Cyrus and this dead woman.

I really wanted to like this book. The idea of a real estate agent as the amateur sleuth intrigued me and I thought it would be interesting. There was a bit too much real estate and not enough sleuthing going on. It felt like the author was just trying to make her word count by going on and on with descriptions of houses she had listed. It got to be a bit boring so I would skip pages. I really thought about not finishing the book but kept reading for a twist in the end. What a letdown when there wasn’t a twist, and the killer was predictable. There wasn’t enough character development. It seemed to spend more time on real estate and not enough time on the mystery. The ending just seemed to fall flat, and I felt like I wasted a few hours of my life reading it.

Well on to my next book!

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Her Deadly Truth by L.A. Larkin

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Her Deady Truth
  • Author: L.A. Larkin
  • Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller #2
  • Genre: Mystery, Thriller
  • Main Character: Sallie Fairburn
  • Other Characters: Detective Clark, Detective Lin, Richard Foster, Paul, Margie, Caroline, Matt, Lauren, Nicole, Becca, Daisy
  • Stars: 5

This is another great thriller by L.A. Larkin. The author has a way of twisting a story to keep you guessing till the end.

Sallie’s neighbor Caroline confides in her that she thinks her husband is trying to kill her. Sallie doesn’t want to get involved since she and her son were almost killed by the Poster Killer in book one.. When Caroline turns up dead, Sallie regrets not helping her friend so she tries to find evidence agains her husband, Matt to prove he killed his wife. Once again, Sallie’s snooping could get her killed.

When she starts receiving mysterious flowers and she feels she is being watched, she knows she must be getting close to finding out who killed Caroline. Could the Poster Killer, who is serving a life sentence know something! She may have to visit him in prison to find out. Then when one of Caroline’s friends is killed by a hit and run, the race is on to find a killer.

Ms Larkin keeps us guessing all the way to the end. It is fast paced with a lot of twists and turns to find a killer. I loved this book just as much as the first. The author knows how to keep the reader engaged and there is never a dull moment. If you love a thrilling mystery, with a surprise ending, you will love this series.

Happy Reading!


Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Next Girl Missing by L.A. Larkin

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Next Girl Missing
  • Author: L.A. Larkin
  • Series: A Sally Fairburn Crime Thriller #1
  • Genre: Thriller, Mystery
  • Main Character: Sally Fairburn
  • Other Characters: Paul Fairburn, Bryan Topham, Detective Clark, Detective Richard Foster, Aiden Foster, Theo Durrant,
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book I have read by this author and I will be reading more. I loved it from the very first word to the very last. I was so captivated by it that I just couldn’t put it down.

Saly is a former cop now working as a victim’s advocate. She lost her daughter five years ago and is still reeling from that. She is divorced from a controlling abusive husband and now her main focus is her 14-year-old son. Additionally, the memory of 6 girls who were abducted from her community 4 years ago still haunts her.

They convicted Theo Durrant for a series of crimes and they suspect him of being the poster killer who is responsible for the disappearance of the six girls. Imagine Sally’s shock when Theo requests that she go to the prison to visit him because he has information about the Poster killer. She wasn’t going to go until she saw a poster of herself. This really upset her since the poster killer always put up a poster of each girl before he took her. When she goes to visit him, Theo claims he is not the poster killer, but he knows who is. He won’t tell her who it is, but he gives her two hints. When Theo is later killed in prison, she realizes her own life could be in danger. The local cops reopen the cold case. When there is a stalker who won’t leave her alone and her son also becomes a target, she is determined to find the poster killer before he kills again.

During Sally’s search for the truth, other secrets are revealed.

This book is exciting and keeps you guessing from the very first page. It takes the reader on a roller coaster ride until the killer is revealed. There is a lot of action and suspense with an ending I didn’t see coming.

If you love a great suspense with a surprise ending, you will love Next Girl Missing.

Happy Reading,

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Sunshine & Sweet Wine by Kathi Daley

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Sunshine & Sweet Wine
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Bistro at Holiday Bay #4
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay, Maine
  • Main Character: Shelby, Dawson
  • Other Characters: Beck, Colt, Alex, Kennedy, Amy, Tricia, Nikki, Georgia
  • Pets: Golden Retriever named Cooper and 2 cats Marley and Hennessy
  • Stars: 4

This is the 4th installment in the Bistro at Holiday Bay Series. This series is a spin off of The Inn at Holiday Bay. I like the Inn best but I do like this series. This book is good and kept my interest, the only reason I gave it a star is because the ending was a bit of a let down. There was quite a bit of anticipation and I wanted to know what happened but then it seemed to leave me wanting a more intriguing ending.

In this installment, there are a few mysteries. Dawson is the bar manager and the Bistro. He has been gone a few days and returns to find that his prize Harley has been stolen. Whoever stole it, drove it through a guardrail to the bay below but they have not found the thief. There is a server who works at the Bistro who hasn’t shown up for work in a few days and no one can reach her. Where could she be?

Beck’s Mystery was the most interesting. Beck is a private investigator who uses a booth at the Bistro as his office. His newest client is receiving suspicious packages that appear to be from her mother, who has been missing and presumed dead for 50 years. Who could be sending her packages? Is someone trying to scare her? Could her mother still be alive? There are a lot of possibilities.

Dawson has been presented with an offer of a lifetime. Will he accept it and leave his job at the Bistro?

With all the mysteries going on, could there also be a possible romance in the making?

The characters are well thought out and 3 dimensional and I have become invested in their stories. The mysteries really piqued my interest, but the ending was just a bit of a letdown. I was expecting more of a twist. It won’t keep me from reading the next book in the series.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Berry Purple Betrayal by Emily Oberton

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Berry Purple Betrayal
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Irma, Carmella, Reid, Dennis, Lydia, Vincent, Terence, Aunt Deb
  • Pets: dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 5

Another great book by Emily Oberton. This is the 3rd book in the Hadley Home Design Mystery series and I loved it as much as the 2nd.

In this installment, Hadley once again finds herself in the middle of a murder, but this time she is the prime suspect. She has to race against time to prove her innocence. While she is trying to prove she didn’t commit murder, her friend Carmella has a mystery of her own. Carmella and Hadley are searching for the culprits who vandalized the high school where Carmella is the principal. During Hadley’s investigation into the murder, it turns out that there were several people who had a motive for murdering the victim. But could Hadley’s investigation get her killed!!

This book has so many twists and turns and the list of suspects just keeps growing as Hadley Unravels family secrets. If you enjoy small-town mysteries with a great protagonist, quirky characters, multiple suspects, surprises, and a bit of romance, this series is for you. This may be my favorite of the entire series. This is the last book in the series at this time but I am really hoping there will be more.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Pearl White Peril by Emily Oberton

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Pearl White Peril
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mysteries #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Aunt Deb, Reid, Vincent, Willy, Dennis, Carmella
  • Pets: A dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 5

This is the second book in the Hadley Home Design Cozy Mystery series and I loved it. It had everything I love about cozy mysteries. I started reading this book with a bit of skepticism since the first one was so obvious. But since there were a lot of things I liked about the first one, I wanted to give this series another chance. I am so glad I did.

I really like the protagonist, Hadley. She’s intelligent, but risks her life at times. Perhaps not the wisest, but I still love her. Hadley relocated to Darlington, VA after her boyfriend broke up with her. She landed a job staging rooms for photo shoots and loves her job even though her new boss can be cantankerous and rude. Everything is going great until Hadley finds a dead body in her boss’s Kitchen. Of course, her boss, Vincent, is the prime suspect.

Hadley is afraid she will be out of a job if her boss goes to prison, so she works hard to prove her boss’ innocence. Her investigation leads her into some dangerous situations that could get her killed. As she gets closer to someone, could he be the killer!

This book takes the readers on a bit of a roller coaster ride with a series of twists and turns to find a killer. I really thought I had the killer figured out, but there is a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. This is the type of mystery I love.

If you love a cozy mystery in a small town with a fun-loving protagonist, quirky characters, pets, and twists and turns to find a killer, you will love this book.

Happy reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Lemon Yellow Lies by Emily Oberton

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Lemon Yellow Lies
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Cozy Mysteries #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley Sutton
  • Other Characters: Kent, Erin, Aunt Deb
  • Pets: A dog named Chip and a cat named Razzy
  • Stars: 4

This is the first book I have read by this author. I really liked this book and the only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I found the ending too predictable.

Interior designer Hadley Sutten has a bad breakup with her boyfriend who is locally famous so she sees him everywhere. She needs a break and needs to be somewhere familiar. Her favorite aunt’s hometown of Darlington, VA is the perfect place to escape to after a breakup. She lands a job interview in Darlington so she packs her bags and leaves her home in New Orleans. Hadley has plans to start her own design business, but in the meantime ,she needs a job. While waiting for her job interview, she meets Kent, who hires her to furnish his outdoor living space for his fiance’s surprise birthday party. Along with working in his backyard, she has also agreed to house-sit and take care of his dog while he is away on a business trip. Who would hire an interior designer that they just met to house sit? I guess that is why they call it fiction.

When Hadley meets his fiance, it doesn’t go well. The fiance is a bit stuck up and doesn’t seem to like anything Hadley is doing to the backyard. The plot thickens when the fiance goes missing. There are a lot of lies and secrets as it leads us to the truth.

The cast of suspects is growing & Hadley’s life could be in danger as she uncovers some secrets that gets her closer to the truth.

I love all the twists and turns in this book and it was so engaging, I couldn’t put it down. I loved Hadley even though she was a bit naïve and trusting. I was going to give this book 5 stars until the ending. I like a mystery that is hard to solve and leaves you surprised at the end. In this entire book, I knew who the most obvious suspect was, but I was hoping for more of a big twist at the end and it didn’t happen. If you read this book, let me know in the comments what you think.

Happy reading!

Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Any Day Now by Robyn Carr

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Any Day Now
  • Author: Robyn Carr
  • Series: Sullivan’s Crossing #2
  • Genre: Romance, Drama
  • Takes Place: Sullivan’s Crossing
  • Main Character: Sierra, Connie (Conrad), Sullivan
  • Other Characters: Cal, Maggie
  • Pets: Molly
  • Stars: 5

In this installment of the series Sullivan’s Crossing, we meet Cal’s sister Sierra. If you remember from the first book, What we find, Cal is a drifter who eventually marries Sully’s daughter, Maggie. They are now having a baby and Cal’s little sister, Sierra, comes for a visit.

Sierra is escaping a troubled past and hoping it doesn’t catch up to her. She finds solace with the residents of the small Colorado town and Sullivan’s crossing. I love her bond with Sully who ends up being a surrogate dad. Then there is Connie (Conrad) who helps her move on from her troubled past. Her bond with her brother just grows stronger and she begins developing a sisterly bond with Cal’s wife, Maggie.

This is a story of starting over, family, building relationships, and learning that your past doesn’t define your future. Then there is the rescue dog that Sierra adopts. Sierra saves Molly from an abusive situation and she becomes the therapy that Sierra needs. Everyone falls in love with Molly, even the readers.

Between Connie, Sully, Cal & Maggie, Sierra finally finds the family she needs.

I love this book. I love the location, the characters and, of course the dog. The author really knows how to describe the scenery as if you are there and the characters so you really know them. This book is definitely worth reading and now I can’t wait to read book #3.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

—Confucius

Happy Reading!

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Welcome to Jubilee by Rachel Hanna

CozyRomBooksandCoffee
  • Title: Welcome to Jubilee
  • Author: Rachel Hanna
  • Series: Jubilee #1
  • Genre: Women’s fiction, Romance
  • Takes Place:  Jubilee, GA
  • Main Character: Madelyn Harper, Brady Nolan
  • Other Characters: Geneve Whitby, Laura Kearney
  • Pets: a goat named Gilbert
  • Stars: 5

This is the first book, in Rachel Hanna’s newest series, Jubilee. As usual, this author does not disappoint. This book has the same feel to it as you would expect from a Rachel Hanna book.

Madeline is a famous author who has been down on her luck. Her marriage broke up and now her new book isn’t selling. Her agent suggests she write about a small town since this is what the readers are reading now. The problem is that Madeline is from the city and doesn’t know anything about small-town living. So at the suggestion of her agent, she temporarily moves to a little town in the Blue Ridge Mountains called Jubilee. It’s a wonderful small town with some quirky residents and her sexy neighbor, Brady.

I fell in love with Geneve, the 96-year-old resident who is as spry as ever and has a lot of wisdom, which she offers to Madeline.

Can this small-town girl survive, or will she ache to head back to the city?

I think you will love this book as much as I did. I just wish Jubilee wasn’t a fictional town so I could visit and meet these residents that I fell in love with. If you love a book about new beginnings, small town living in the mountains with wonderful characters, a goat named Gilbert, and some romance thrown in, you will love this book.

“I Look at these hills as gits from God. I don’t worship the mountains, but I revered them. I cherish them. But I still pray every morning and every night. Two things will save you in this life-the prayers you send up and the roots you put down”

Happy Reading!