Christmas Moon Over Holly Pointe by Cindy Kirk - 4 Stars!

 

Melinda Kelly wants to shake things up for Christmas. She’ll trade snow for sand and spend the holidays in sunny Mexico. A destination wedding in Mexico is the ultimate Christmas vacation, unless you're Jack McPherson, the groom is your brother, and the bride is your ex-fiancée. When a computer snafu cancels all flights, Jack snags the last available rental car and offers Melinda a ride. Melinda's best chance to get back to her family for Christmas is Jack. They decide to spend the Holiday in Holly Pointe and discover that sometimes the best gifts are the ones never expected. And that a Christmas moon, one that signals new beginnings, is shining its light directly on them.
Reading about Holly Pointe always gets me in the Holiday mood. I would love to visit a town like this, full of the festive spirit and people who enlighten your heart. Jack and Melinda's romance is sweet, and believable. I recommend this book to any lover of Christmas romance.

Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous by Amanda Flower - 4 Stars!

 

Millie’s best friend, Lois Henry, is outspoken, colorful, and so hopelessly romantic, she’s had four husbands. Millie doesn’t judge, and she also doesn’t expect to run into Lois’s most recent ex, Gerome Moorhead, in Harvest, Ohio. With him is the new Mrs. Moorhead. Lois is outraged, but Millie is completely shocked to learn the next day that Gerome's new wife was murdered. Can Millie find the truth before Lois is arrested?
This was a good installment to a series that I love. Millie and the other citizens of Harvest are fun to read about. The story was very intriguing and kept me interested until the very end. I loved the two goats; they were very comical characters. I will definitely read the next one in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader's copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.

Playing the Odds by Nora Roberts - 3 Stars!

 

Raised in wealth and luxury, Serena MacGregor works as a blackjack dealer on a cruise ship. Then gambler Justin Blade appears at her table. He’s a mystery who keeps his cards close to his chest but finds himself desiring to prove to Serena that together they’ve hit the jackpot.
This was a good romance. I loved the main characters, and the secrets that brought them together. Serena is a tough, independent spirit who wants to make her own way. And Justin is a man who becomes a success despite his past. But I didn't like Justin's sexual aggression and the way he didn't accept when Serena said no. It made the reading uncomfortable and took me out of the story. I will read another story from this author.

Bookclubbed to Death by V. M. Burns - 5 Stars!

After the local library in North Harbor, Michigan, is flooded in a storm, Sam offers her bookstore as a new venue for the Mystery Mavens Book Club. Unfortunately, she immediately runs afoul of the club leader, Delia Marshall, a book reviewer who can make or break careers. But the next morning, Sam opens her shop to find Delia dead on the floor, bashed with the Complete Works of Agatha Christie. While Sam is busy writing her latest British historical mystery, a pair of ambitious cops suspect Sam of the real murder. When she gathers Nano Jo and their friends to review the case, they discover everyone in the book club had a motive. Sam must find out who clubbed Delia before a judge throws the book at her.

This was a great cozy mystery to curl up to on a cold November night. I love how there is a mystery inside of the story. I loved both plots, and the characters in both stories are very likeable. I would love the author to actually write a full-sized historical mystery with the characters created by her amateur sleuth. I will read the next book in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader's copy.

Death in the Margins by Victoria Gilbert - 4 Stars!

 

It’s early summer, and Richard Muir and his dance partner, Karla, are preparing their new choreographic piece, based on folktales and the music of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Then dancer Meredith Fox is found dead backstage. Amy, Richard's wife, is propelled into a murder case that threatens the careers and lives of those she loves. After Amy teams up with Chief Deputy Brad Tucker and the sheriff’s department, they find that there’s many suspects. With Richard and Karla's help, and information gleaned from locals, Amy desperately tries to unveil the killer before the premiere. But is the murderer waiting for Amy in the wings?
This was a great story in this wonderful series. The surprise in the end was both heartwarming and scary because I hope it won't be the end of a series. I love Amy, her grandmother, and all of the other characters. Reading this series always makes me happy. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader's copy.