A Photographer and a Quilter go to a Winery...

 

The Look of Love by Bella Andre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After Chloe Peterson's car skids off the road in the Napa Valley wine country, she's ready to throw in the towel on a horrendous day. Chase Sullivan, a successful photographer, is driving to his brother’s winery and sees her car broken down in a ditch. He stops and offers her assistance not knowing that he has found his one and only. But can he help her heal from her abusive past?
I absolutely loved this contemporary romance; it has everything that I love about the genre. A loving, and strong man who lets his love interest find her strength and doesn’t need to overpower her. A woman that has survived her past and is strong enough to change her life. And the love between them is sensual and heartfelt. Some scenes are very steamy. I will definitely read more from this series.


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Mint Chocolate Ice Cream and A Murder!

 

Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is preparing for a fantasy ice cream social to celebrate the opening of a photography exhibit by Adam Blasco. The exhibit is taking place at Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle. The gothic structure was built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire. It has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. When Riley hears rumors that Blasco has a dark history of obsession with his models, her curiosity is aroused. But, when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull’s dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more to the stories, and she’s determined to find the truth.
This was an interesting cozy mystery. When I started reading, I couldn’t get a handle on who the characters were. The main character, Riley, was likeable and hard-working. She loved to investigate and search for clues. But I didn’t understand some of the other character’s roles. I felt like I had missed a part of the story. The plot was easier to understand as the story progressed. I was able to comprehend the mystery in the end. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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Blueberries, A Viking, And Murder!

 

Murder at the Blueberry Festival by Darci Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lindsey Bakeswell is gearing up for the pie eating contest that she’s running during Beacon Harbor’s blueberry festival. But soon the event runs into a patch of trouble. In the morning, a local real estate agent gets pranked. Then, a parade float gets pelted with water balloons. But, when the stunts start escalating, it starts to look like sabotage. When a man dressed up as a Viking is found dead in a boat, it’s no longer mischief but murder.
This was a great story in this wonderful series. I love reading about this main character and her bakeshop. All of the side characters were interesting, and I would love to see them again in subsequent books. The plot was wonderfully puzzling, and the culprit was a surprise. I will definitely read more of this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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Cupcakes, Beagles, and Murder!

 

A Killer Edition by Lorna Barrett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With her assistant, Pixie, picking up more responsibility, Tricia Miles, owner of the Haven’t Got A Clue mystery bookshop, suddenly has a lot more time on her hands. Tricia decides to join the local animal rescue board and enter the Great Stoneham Bake-Off. When Tricia stops by Joyce Whitman's romance bookstore looking for a book, she stumbles on an argument between Joyce and her neighbor Vera Olson. When Vera turns up dead in Joyce's garden hours later, Tricia has to wonder, could Joyce be the killer? Or is the culprit still lurking in town? Tricia is determined to win the cooking contest, but first she will have to make sure no one else is in danger of getting burned.
This cozy mystery was a very intriguing read. I love reading about Tricia and her attempts to better her life and deal with the townspeople. I would love to live in a place like Stoneham with all of its wonderful bookstores. The plot was full of suspense. The mystery had enough twists and turns that I couldn’t figure out who the culprit was until the big reveal. But there was one thing that bothered me, the subject of animal abuse. Even though there were no graphic scenes of said abuse, it was related through the story. Otherwise, another great read!


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He Is A Remarkable Rogue!

 

A Remarkable Rogue by Anna Harrington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lady Sydney Rowland, Baroness Rowland, has spent a lifetime keeping secrets, one of them being her young son. Now that the husband she despised is dead, she'll do anything to get her son back and protect him however she can. And that includes risking her life when she's coerced into working for a revolutionary group determined to overthrow the government. Captain Nathaniel Reed has heard of Sydney's involvement with Scepter. Though he quickly learns that Sydney is innocent, he's determined to keep the secretive widow at arm's length despite the attraction that burns between them. But when she turns to him for help, nothing will stop him from coming to her aid and showing her exactly what she means to him.
The moment I opened this book and read the first page; I was hooked. This historical romance has everything I look for: a hero who is strong, confident, and loving, a heroine who knows her own mind and is independent, a suspense-filled plot that helps to build the loving link between the main characters, and a happy ending. This is the best historical romance that I’ve read this year so far. I highly recommend it to all romance book lovers. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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A Killer Kung Pao, Anyone?

 

Killer Kung Pao by Vivien Chien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lana Lee runs her family’s Chinese restaurant in Cleveland’s Asia Village. Before she leaves for the weekend, she witnesses a car accident in the parking lot. June Yi, of Yi’s Tea and Bakery, meets her match when she rear-ends the Cadillac belonging to Mah Jong lover Mildred “Millie” Mao. After each woman curses and threatens the other, Lana believes that trouble lies ahead. Still, she couldn’t imagine that Millie would end up dead at the beauty salon. All eyes are on June. Can Lana find a way to solve this case before another fatality occurs in Asia Village?
This was a great cozy mystery to curl up to on a rainy day with some wonton soup. Lana is a girl that I love to read about because she takes chances and things happen. I also love to read about the Mah Jong loving women who seem to always know the scoop. The plot was a puzzler, and I was shocked when the culprit was revealed. These stories are always fun reads. I will definitely read more from this series.


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Grilled Cheese, and a Great Mystery - Yum!

 

No Parm No Foul by Linda Reilly
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After a long hot summer in Balsam Dell, Carly Hale, owner of the Grilled Cheese Eatery, is ready for autumn weather and the upcoming Halloween food competition. But Ferris Menard, the owner of Sub-a-Dub-Sub, is nursing a grudge against Carly. Two days before the competition, one of Carly's employees quit his part-time gig at Menard's sub shop, sending Menard into a snit. In a confrontation at the Eatery, Menard accused Carly of sabotage and vowed to bring her down. The morning after the competition, Menard's body is found with a steak knife sticking out of his heart. But he had a slew of enemies, and if Carly doesn't figure out which one is the culprit, someone she loves will be serving grilled cheese sandwiches under lock and brie!
This was a great new installment to a mystery series that I deem one of the best. Carly Hale is a woman who values friendship and hard work. She caters to the population of her town with luscious grilled cheese delights, as well as making the reader (meaning me) hungry. The plot was a puzzle, and I was surprised with the ending. It also had enough suspense and a cozy setting that I loved. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this advanced reader’s copy. This review is my unbiased opinion.


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