Tag: Fiction

Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction

Christmas in Jubilee by Rachel Hanna

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  • Title: Christmas in Jubilee
  • Author: Rachel Hanna
  • Series: Jubilee #3
  • Genre: Women’s Fiction, Romance
  • Takes Place:  Jubilee
  • Main Character: Madeline, Frannie
  • Other Characters: Eloise, Brady, Cole, Clemmy, Geneva, Jasmine, Anna
  • Pets: Gilbert the goat
  • Stars: 5

This is the 3rd installment of the Julee series and it is another great book by Rachel Hanna. I just love Rachel’s books. They always make you smile and feel good. They make you believe that anything is possible

The story follows us through the festive period from October to the New Year. It’s a tale of family unity and a second chance at love. When Madeline’s mother, Eloise, shows up unannounced at her doorstep, her life is turned upside down. She and her mother didn’t have the best relationship, so what could she want?

We’re also introduced to a new character: Frannie. Her grandmother passed away, and Frannie inherited the family’s home and some downtown retail space. Frannie spent a lot of time with her grandmother growing up and even went to high school there. She decides to stay in Jubilee and live in her grandmother’s house and pursue her dream of owning a bakery. Imagine her surprise when a highschool sweetheart shows up at her door.

It’s a story about second chances, family, small town community and love. It’s a story that will bring a smile to your face and make you laugh. I recommend reading the first two books before this one so you can get to know the characters and fall in love with them as I have. Every single one of Rachel’s books makes me want to move to the fictional town they are set in. The landscapes are always beautiful , but it’s the friendships that turn into families that I really love.

This book will be available to purchase on Amazon December 5th, 2023. You can preorder on Amazon or you can currently buy it at Rachel’s Store.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

The Christmas Visitor by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: The Christmas Visitor
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: Tess & Tilly #15
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: White Eagle, Montana
  • Main Character: Tess, Tony, Bree, Mike
  • Other Characters: Brady, Hap, Aspen, Cleo, Cole, Frank, Sam, Estella
  • Pets: a golden retriever named Tilly and a cat named Tangletoe (Tang for short) and a cat named Tinder and Tony’s German Sheppard Titan, Mike’s dog Leonard and the newest member of the family Kody. plus lots of other shelter dogs that come and go.
  • Stars: 4

This is the fifteenth book in the Tess & Tilly series. Even though I enjoy these characters and have really enjoyed this series, 15 is enough. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I did the previous ones. It just didn’t seem to have the depth and intrigue the previous books did.

In this episode, White Eagle is getting ready for the holiday season. As we follow the residents, Tess and her loyal sidekick Tilly are back delivering mail on their old route after the current mail carrier goes on medical leave.Tess and Tony are also helping out with the Christmas festival, which could be full-time job. Bree is dealing with some personal issues which have her feeling down, while Mike is juggling being there for his wife and solving crimes in their little town. Tony and Tess have a security break-in at their home, and they have an unexpected guest who needs their assistance. Tony has a brilliant idea on how to catch a criminal

Community, friendship, family, and helping others are at the heart of this story, as well as solving a mystery. The characters are likable and well-developed. My favorite character is Tess, and I love the animals, especially the dogs. I gave this a 4 stars because it really isn’t up to par with the previous books in the series.

Happy Reading,

Fiction, Romance

Christmas by the Bay by Kay Correll

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  • Title: Christmas by the Bay
  • Author: Kay Corell
  • Series: Blue Heron Cottages #7
  • Genre: Romance
  • Takes Place: Moonbeam, Florida
  • Main Character: Violet, Danny
  • Other Characters: Allison, Rose, Rob, Evelyn, Rose, Blake, Emily, George, Walker, Tara, Willow
  • Stars: 5

This is the 7th installment of the Blue Heron Cottages series. I really love this series. It has great 3-dimentional characters who have their own unique personalities and blend in well with each other.

Violet is preparing to celebrate her first Christmas as the owner of Blue Heron Cottages. If you have read the previous books then you know that Violet is the owner of Blue Heron Cottages in the quaint town of Moonbeam, FL. She totally restored the old cottages and gave them quite the facelift. They are charming with their different colored cabins.

Danny is struggling with his teenage daughter, Allison, who has gotten in with the wrong crowd at school and has found herself in a bit of trouble. He decided the best medicine is to get away and take his unruly daughter to Moonbeam for Christmas. Even though she is so stubborn and doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have much of a choice. This may be just the medicine they need to rekindle their father / daughter relationship.

Rose is still grieving over her husband who past away months before as she prepares for her first Christmas without him. She decides to revisit Blue Heron Cottages for the holidays and reconnect with her friends including Violet.

Aspen is worried that Walker is losing interest in her. He seems to be keeping a secret. To make matters worse, her sister cancelled her plans to come to Moonbeam to spend the holidays with Aspen.

It’s going to be a magical Christmas in Moonbeam!

This is a sweet book about Community, relationships, friendships, family, surprises and second chances. I really enjoyed it just like I have the other books in the series.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Death by Dish – Claire Harlow

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  • Title: Death by Dish
  • Author: Claire Harlow
  • Series: A Sparrow Haven Cozy Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Sparrow Haven
  • Main Character: Olivia Harper, Milly
  • Other Characters: Millie, Ethan, Detective Fred O’Malley, Victoria Thorne, Milly’s Mother Mary & Dad Charles, Nancy, Antonio, Edith, Mr Thorne, Ben Fields & his wife Marsha, Cathy Simmons, Monica, Seth Silverton
  • Pets: Olivia’s Golden Retriever Barkley
  • Stars: 3

This is the 3rd installment in the Sparrow Haven Cozy Mystery series. I have enjoyed all of this author’s books so far. The only reason I am giving this one a 3 is because it talks about a snake. Any book that mentions the ‘s’ word gets no more than a 3 rating because that is something I just can’t read about. In fact, normally it would keep me from finishing a book . I have a huge fear and it will give me nightmares. It was even hard for me to type the word. I skipped several pages of the book because this was talked about. Then for the rest of the book, I would scan each page to make sure there was no mention before reading it. It took away a bit of my enjoyment but since I really like this author, I wanted to finish the book so I plowed on through.

This book is not as good as the other books I have read by this author. This could be due to the fact that I had to skip a few pages. I enjoyed most of the book, except for the passages mentioned above. This took away some of my enjoyment. I’m glad I finished this book because the ending is good but not a big surprise. I’ll definitely read more from this author.

I received this book free from Booksiren as part of the ARC team. The review is my honest opinion.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Murder on the links – Penny Brooke

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  • Title: Murder on the Links
  • Author: Penny Brooke
  • Series: A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery #3
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Greenwood, Vermont
  • BookMain Character: Claudia, Aunt Daisy Mae
  • Other Characters: Detectiv Sterling, Mayor Tom Linden, Tammy, Noah, Jason, Aaron, Jenny, Everette, Scarlett
  • Pets: a cat named Jasper
  • Stars: 5

The author has a remarkable ability to craft a narrative that will captivate the reader until the unexpected conclusion. This is the third installment of the Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery Series, and ito may be my favorite so far.

Claudia is once again thrust into the midst of a homicide investigation when Jason, the Mayoral Candidate, is tragically killed at his own fundraising event. To further complicate matters, Claudia is observed having an altercation with him shortly prior to his death, thus making her the prime suspect in the investigation. If you read the first book in the series, “Murder in the Library”, then you know that Jason is the ex Stalker boyfriend of Layla’s and a suspect in her murder. In this book, Jason is running for mayor in a race against Tom Linden, the incumbent mayor.

Jason’s reputation for ruthlessness and being a womanizer is well-known, and no one likes him, so there are numerous suspects who could have wanted him dead. This book takes the reader on a bit of roller coaster ride through the whole book. I found myself devouring the entire book in a single sitting, unable to put it down, simply because I had to discover the identity of the perpetrator. I suspected who the murderer was, but there were still surprises and twists along the way. The only thing I would have expected was that Claudia would have learned her lesson from the first two homicides in which she was involved, not to confront the suspect due to the potential danger.

When I am reading a book, I tend to find it easier to relax and enjoy the content without the need for a playbill. This series is an ideal fit for this type of reader, as it is full of complex and engaging characters that make the book enjoyable without the need for playbills to keep track of who is who. Additionally, the suspense of the book keeps the reader interested and entertained.

I highly recommend this series and each book just keeps getting better. They are full of suspense, intrigue, a bit of romance and a cat who is always into something. Jasper the cat is one of the main characters in the book. Claudia takes him everywhere and he can be a bit mischievous and fun. He tends to add a bit of humor to the books. I do recommend you read the first two books in the series before this one since several of the minor characters in the other books are in this one along with the protagonist, her eccentric aunt and sometimes naughty cat.

I highly recommended this series and each book keeps getting better. They are full of suspense, intrigue, a bit of romance, and a cat that is always into something. Jasper the cat can be a bit mischievous and humorous. I recommend that readers should read the preceding two books of the series prior to this one, as several minor characters from the preceding books are included in this one, as well as the protagonist, her eccentric aunt, and the occasionally naughty cat.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Murder in the Study by Penny Brooke

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  • Title: Murder in the Study
  • Author: Penny Brooke
  • Series: A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Greenwood, Vermont
  • BookMain Character: Claudia, Aunt Daisy Mae
  • Other Characters: Detectiv Sterling, Arthur Hattan, Venus, Arya, Tammy, Rubin
  • Pets: a cat named Jasper
  • Stars: 5

This is the second installment of the A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop series, and it does not disappoint. Claudia, the Protagonist of this series, continues to find herself embroiled in a murder situation through no fault of her own.

Claudia is having financial difficulties in this episode, following the murder of her friend, Layla. Due to the investigation of the murder, she was required to remain in Greenwood for an extended period of time, thus not earning any income from her book mobile. She is in a state of panic until she comes across a first-edition of a classic book with an inscription on the back. Despite the fact that she is unable to afford the purchase, she is confident that she will be able to recoup her investment and more. While researching the book, an ex-colleague provides her with the opportunity to interact with an antique specialist who is knowledgeable about rare books. Claudia, aunt Daisy Mae, and her cat, Jasper, travel to the home of a man named Arthur, located in the suburb of Greenwood, an area she is not particularly fond of due to the fact that her friend was killed there.

The plot thickens when she discovers Arthur murdered in his study and her book is missing, Claudia is compelled to remain in Greenwood until the case is resolved. Even more so, Detective Sterling requests her assistance in the investigation, which she initially declines due to her strained relationship with him. Subsequently, she reluctantly agrees to assist in the investigation. As the investigation progresses, secrets are uncovered and it is revealed that there are multiple suspects who may have had a hand in Arthur’s murder. During Claudia’s investigation She finds secrets concerning Arthur’s past which could get her killed.

If you enjoy a captivating mystery with plot twists and a protagonist you can’t help but fall in love with, you are going to love this series. It’s a really well-written, enjoyable book that’s full of mystery and suspense that’ll keep you guessing until the very end. You can read it as a standalone but I suggest reading it in order so you can familiarize yourself with the characters. I am excited about reading book three in the series.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Murder in the Library by Penny Brooke

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  • Title: Murder in the Library
  • Author: Penny Brooke
  • Series: A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery #1
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Greenwood, Vermont
  • Main Character: Claudia, Aunt Daisy Mae
  • Other Characters: Layla, Melody, Noah, Ellie, Jason, Detective Sterling
  • Pets: a cat named Jasper
  • Stars: 5

This is my first book by this author and it won’t be the last. This one is bit different in that it involves a bookmobile. Claudia has always wanted to own her own bookshop but unfortunately that takes money she doesn’t have so she bought a van and turned it into a mobile bookshop. Now she and her eccentric Aunt Daisy Mae along with Claudia’s perky cat Jasper travel the country selling books from the van turned bookshop.

This is a fun story, well except for the murder part. Claudia has a friend who runs a local library in Greenwood, Vermont. She puts books aside to sell to Claudia at a good price. Claudia is on her way to the library to get these books but it is strange that her friend, Layla, isn’t anwering her texts or calls. Layla always answers her texts, so this gives Claudia a bit of an uneasy feeling. When they arrive at the library, the door is locked and no one is answering the door. When Layla’s assistant shows up and unlocks the door, the enter. When they discover an overturned bookcase with a body underneath it, it is very apparant that Layla is dead. The local police are called in an Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae become immediate suspects and are told not to leave town. Since Claudia has to stay in town and the police department seems to be inept, she decides to do her own investigation. There are a lot of red herrings as Claudia makes it her mission to find out who killed her friend. Evidently Layla had some secrets she hadn’t shared with Claudia. Could the motive be jealousy, revenge, money or something entirely different. There are several potential suspects along the way. As Claudia closes in could she be putting her own life in danger and become a victim herself.

I recommend this book. I love Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae. They are 3-dimensional characters with a lot of personality. Aunt Daisy Mae is free spirited and just goes with the flow. Claudia’s cat Jasper has a lot personality and just seems to show up when he is needed the most. I am looking forward to the next book to see where Claudia’s next adventure takes her.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Cider Orange Chaos by Emily Oberton

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  • Title: Cider Orange Chaos
  • Author: Emily Oberton
  • Series: Hadley Home Design Mystery Series #4
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Darlington Hills, VA
  • Main Character: Hadley
  • Other Characters: Erin, Dennis, Michael, Reid, Aunt Deb, Detective Sanders, Akari, Harvey, Leo, Bonnie, Deedee, Jamie, Vincent, Carmella
  • Stars: 5

We’re back with Hadley again in this 4th episode of the Hadley home design mystery series. I loved getting to see her again. She’s such a 3 dimensional character with so much personality and a heart of gold. She genuinely wants to help everyone she can. This time, her help might get a bit tricky when she says yes to be Dennis Appley’s fake girlfriend. He’s actually in love with a fellow cop, but there’s a rule that you can’t date within the police department, so he needs a fake girlfriend. This may or may not go as planned.

Whisks & Whiskers Cat Cafe may have some competition. Tea-Bone Dog Cafe has opened next door. There is a bit of feud between the dog people and the cat people. Erin , owner of Whisk & Whiskers, is beside herself and doing her best to succeed next door to them. Then the plot thickens when , Harvey Rafferty, Tea-bone dog cafe’s owner, drops dead from an apparant poisoning. The cops are on the case to find Harvey’s killer. As with the author’s other books, she takes the reader through some twists and turns with plenty of suspects until the killer is revealed.

I loved this book. I loved catching up with Hadley and her love life and her sense of adventure. There may also be a romance brewing between Aunt Deb and Detective Sanders. Hadley’s cousiin, Michael might also have a romance going on.

This is a book of murder, mystery, competition, revenge, love and romance.

***Disclaimer*** I received this book as part of an ARC. This review was given freely and is my honest opinion.

The book will be released November 17, 2023. I recommend going to your favorite retailer to purchase it.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Clues and Canines by Kathi Daley

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  • Title: Clues and Canines
  • Author: Kathi Daley
  • Series: The Bistro at Holiday Bay #5
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place:  Holiday Bay Maine
  • Main Character: Shelby
  • Other Characters: Carly, Colt, Beck, Dawson, Amy
  • Stars: 3

Bistro at Holiday bay is a spin off of The Inn at Holiday Bay & this book is the 15th in the Bistro series. While I love this series, I think I prefer the inn at holiday bay. I do like Shelby who first arrived in Holiday Bay after her inheritance when she discovered she had two half sisters whom she did not know about. The sisters grew very close and Shelby chose to remain in the house inherited by the sisters and opened a bistro in the town.

It is Halloween and Shelby along with her employees are preparing the Bistro for a big Halloween party. Carly is the local dog walker and she comes in looking for Beck, who is the local private investigator and uses a booth at the Bistro to conduct his business. Carly is all flustered because she is sure she just saw the after math of a murder. Or did she? Even though she is convinced she saw a dead body, there isn’t any evidence to prove it so the local Police chief Colt and his deputy Alex are on the case with the help of Beck & Dawson (bartender/computer genius).

This book was ok. I do like catching up with the characters of Holiday bay but this book wasn’t fantastic and there weren’t a lot of twists to discover if there really was a body. It is Halloween after all. I like a mystery with a ‘wow, I didn’t see that coming’ type ending and this one just didn’t deliver. If you like a good read, you will enjoy it but if you like that ‘wow’ factor, then you might find it a bit boring.

Happy Reading!

Cozy Mystery, Fiction

Fatal Blooms by Claire Harlow

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  • Title: Fatal Blooms
  • Author: Claire Harlow
  • Series: A Sparrow Haven Cozy Mystery #2
  • Genre: Cozy Mystery
  • Takes Place: Sparrow Haven
  • Main Character: Olivia Harper
  • Other Characters: Millie, Ethan, Detective Fred O’Malley, Isabel, Cassandra Reed, Charles Hatmore, Leonard Riley, Eleanor Montgomery, Isabel, Keith (Cricket)
  • Pets: Olivia’s Golden Retriever Barkley
  • Stars: 5

This is the second book in the Sparrow Haven Cozy Mystery series and I am really enjoying this series. The characters are relatable and 3 dimensional and the plot is interesting.

There is another murder in Sparrow Haven and, once again, Olive finds herself in the middle of it. This time, the victim is a prominent Rose Garden Gala sponsor, who appears to have been in good health before her untimely death. There are numerous suspects in the case, as the protagonist embarks on an emotional rollercoaster ride to discover who is to blame for the murder of this woman.

The protagonist, Olivia, is highly relatable. She is intelligent, a devoted friend, resolute, and owns a Golden Retriever. I have a fondness for canine characters in stories.

This is a series that is sure to appeal to readers who appreciate a good, clean, cozy mystery, with a cast of sympathetic characters, a canine companion, and a plot full of surprises that culminate in a satisfying conclusion. I am hoping there will be third book in the series, as I am eager to learn more about the protagonist, Olivia, and the quaint town of Sparrow Haven. I suggest reading the previous book, Mystery at the Lighthouse, first so you can get to know the characters. I think you will really enjoy this author and her way of telling a story,

***Disclaimer***
I received this book free as part of th ARC team. This review is my honest opinion.

Happy Reading!