Devi Nair
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Karen White ⏱ Duration: 8 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Kensington Cozies 🗂️ Genre: Cozy Mystery
On paper, this checked all my boxes. Rare books? A librarian protagonist? A moody manor overlooking the sea? I was ready to be emotionally invested and fully cozied up. Addie Greyborne is the kind of quiet, thoughtful protagonist I usually root for, especially with her introverted tendencies and librarian past. She’s believable and likable, a woman nursing heartbreak and finding her footing again through books. That’s my kind of setup.
But the cozy vibes never quite warmed up. The pacing felt draggy without that gentle, comforting rhythm that makes me sink into a small-town series. The townsfolk came off more chilly and suspicious than quirky or welcoming (even with the backstory reasons), and that distance made it tough to connect emotionally.
I gave it a fair shot but ultimately DNF'd, which stings extra for a rare-books bookstore cozy.
Would I Recommend It? If you’re an audiobook listener who enjoys slower cozies with bookish details and a touch of vintage mystery flair, this might scratch that itch. But for me, the heart felt missing this time around.
A Case of Almost-Cozy Have you ever picked up a book that technically had everything you love, but still didn’t click?
🎧 Listened in audio 📢 Narrated by Karen White ⏱ Duration: 8 hours 🏷️ Publisher: Kensington Cozies 🗂️ Genre: Cozy Mystery
On paper, this checked all my boxes. Rare books? A librarian protagonist? A moody manor overlooking the sea? I was ready to be emotionally invested and fully cozied up. Addie Greyborne is the kind of quiet, thoughtful protagonist I usually root for, especially with her introverted tendencies and librarian past. She’s believable and likable, a woman nursing heartbreak and finding her footing again through books. That’s my kind of setup.
But the cozy vibes never quite warmed up. The pacing felt draggy without that gentle, comforting rhythm that makes me sink into a small-town series. The townsfolk came off more chilly and suspicious than quirky or welcoming (even with the backstory reasons), and that distance made it tough to connect emotionally.
I gave it a fair shot but ultimately DNF'd, which stings extra for a rare-books bookstore cozy.
Would I Recommend It? If you’re an audiobook listener who enjoys slower cozies with bookish details and a touch of vintage mystery flair, this might scratch that itch. But for me, the heart felt missing this time around.
A Case of Almost-Cozy Have you ever picked up a book that technically had everything you love, but still didn’t click?