Brooke
I enjoyed this British small village cozy mystery! It was a surprisingly different to the other Cozy mysteries that I have read. I have read other British cozies but never any that have centered around farms or colleges as they are called in this book. Which is completely different than here in America, which are Universities.
It threw me off a little bit until I got used to it. But I enjoyed getting to know the characters in the village and how they were all connected. Including the not so savory characters, here's looking at you Lady DeViers.
There were some sad scenes in this book, but there were also some happy to go along with them. I'm just glad that there were the happy that outshone the sad.
I can't wait to see where this series goes from here!
This is the first book I have read by Kara Thomas and I can definitely say this won't.be the last. I am just sad that it took me this long to read her work.
I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. It definitely kept me intrigued throughout the whole storyline. There wasn't a second that I wasn't intrigued or questioning who could have done what.
This storyline kept me wrapped up in a constant whodunnit cycle. I enjoyed being in Natalee's POV, because she had a unique outsiders view. A view that was needed in order to see what was really happening.
The elite 1% always have a code of what happens in their places never leaves their places. It gets swept under the rug and never spoke about again. Even murder. This is every day life. No big deal to them. Until it is to everyone else.
I loved the deep dive into the world of Amanda's life and where it took her. She came from Tennessee all the way to New York to live her dreams to be a photographer. She wanted to get her degree and live out her dreams and have her work in galleries. She just didn't dream her life would turn out the way it did.
Natalee may have been blackballed after a murder she was investigating years before but that didn't stop her from her investigating what happened to Amanda at Carols request.
I never thought that the journey I went on would ever get to that point that it did, but it definitely kept me guessing. I was confused and guessing at every twist and turn.
If I said I didn't cry at the end I would be a big fat liar liar pants on fire. 👖 🔥 I bawled like a little baby. I couldn't helped but feel for the people involved for all the damage that was done in the end.
I cannot wait to read another by Kara!
I loved being back in Valentine, TX! There is nothing like being in the Valentine bubble! It was even better when parts from The Wife Situation intersected within this book!! I loved that I was able to see that book from this perspective as well as that one one! If you haven't seen that one, then please do yourself a favor and go grab it! It's a great time!!
Anywho, back to our scheduled program Cash and Remi!
Remi is one of the several Valentine siblings, but not just any. She is a twin! She like all of the Valentine family love all of her siblings even when they get on her last nerve. Remi knew who she was in love with seven years ago, even when she let him go. Or so she thought.
Cash loved Remi like no other. She was the one and only and that would never change. He made a deal with a Valentine that he knew would never go out, just so that he could be close. He never gave up on what he knew to be true. He just knew that she needed convincing from all sides of the coin.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I loved being able to see their story seven years ago and how much they have changed as people. They were able to see how much Remi became who she was as well as realizing her love for Cash wasn't going to go away.
I loved how much her family was involved with every aspect! I should have expected no less considering they are the Valentine's! But at times it's still hard to fathom that there are families that are that close and love that hard. But I definitely loved every single part of this story!!
Let's Talk About 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Baby:
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 STEAMY- If it's not for you- Skip Through
This has some great scenes that I was like how could she top this? Then she did. Point. Blank. Period.
This definitely had some sexy scenes that I couldn't get out of my mind! They had some great places that they shared!
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Vienne & Austen were such a great couple! I loved that they were in their late 30s and weren't looking for love. Vienne definitely had sworn off love because she didn't feel as if she needed it. She had Catherine, and she felt as if she had kissed enough frogs 🐸 . Why would she need to kiss anymore?
Austen has been a bachelor for the last two decades and he wasn't going to put down roots in this small town part of his family called home. He had plans to be here, flip this house and move to LA to build his security business with his fellow soldier buddies.
I loved that these two had plans, but those plans didn't include what their future had planned for them!
I loved Vienne and her spirit! She wasn't willing to put her business on the line. She was such a fierce mama bear when it came to her daughter Catherine! She had the the unfortunate luck of crappy men in her past, but hit the jackpot when it came to Austen!
Austen moved back to flip his house but what he didn't plan on was movie next to Honey V. He got more than he ever bargained for, when she needed help that morning. He had been a bachelor for the last two decades and had been handed the sweetest honey 🍯 he would ever need!
I really enjoyed how these two respected each others boundaries, but also wanted to see where each other wanted to take things. They were attracted to each other in all the important ways and made it known by enjoying each other in unconventional ways.
I loved that Austen stood up for Vienne in ways that said that she deserved to be stood up for against other men. I also loved that he always included Catherine in everything they did. He treated her as his own.
I was so glad to see how this ended. I think they deserved to have the utmost happiness in the end!!
Let's talk about spice, baby 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
If it's not for you- Skip Through
This one was a spicy one!! If you aren't into spice, BUYER BEWARE! There is more in this one than previous!
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Sutton and Wilder are the couple who have tried it before and it hasn't worked for them. They can't seem to shake each other. They aren't finished with each other.
I loved this story between Sutton and Wilder. Wilder is a stubborn King cowboy who knows what he wants but is struggling with the fact that he has to make changes in order to have it all.
He had a father figure who was crap at it, but he had a backup who molded him into what he wanted. Wilder became the dependable lawman that everyone came to know, and knew they could call on when they needed help. With him being there for everyone in town came with a detriment. He couldn't be there for himself family, or his wife.
Sutton is a talented vet who opened up her vet clinic on her own. She wanted to prove that she could do it on her own, and she did. She tried to date, but it wasnt the same. Wilder came back into her life and she knew what she missed but could she handle the disappointment when he couldn't make it when he had to work?
I loved the passion these two had for each other, it was there and palpable. It never left. It was something that never left, it was just pushed down and away until it could be rekindled. I think that if they could have had that honest conversation they had before things could have been different. But I also think that Wilder needed to know what it was like to not have Sutton to know that this is what it would have been like without her.
Let's Talk About Spice Baby: 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Great Scenes! Cars, Campers, Laundry Rooms. If it's not for you, Skip It!
I was intrigued by the King family in the first book of the series, A Reckless Memory, just by the dynamics. I needed to know more about this family. When I read the synopsis of this book I was hooked. I knew that I had to know more about Tova, Cody, Ivy, and Grayson.
Tova and Cody couldn't have been better suited for each other.
Cody was a widower who was still trying to figure out life with his kids after losing his wife.
Tova, a burlesque dancer, found herself with Thelma a family friend, after discovering her life was turning into something she never wanted it to be. She needed to find a way to take care of not only herself but her mom as well.
Bumping into each other in the diner in town couldn't have been more serendip tous. The Dancing Queen meets Milk Daddy.
I fell in love with these two characters as they fell in love with each other. And as Tova fell in love with Ivy and Grayson. Sometimes falling in love with a man with children can be tricky, because not all children can be as welcoming. Ivy and Grayson took to Tova like ducks take to water. I loved these kids so much. They had been through so much and deserved so much love.
“I was no longer Alcott Knight, a married father of two. I was Cody Knight a single dad who had the hots for his nanny.”
These two built a friendly relationship in such a short amount of time while also pushing down their attraction for one another. I loved that they had this instant attraction but refused to act on it right away because of the kids and how it would look.
They were like two horny teenagers and I loved it!! It felt like they were fighting so much attracting and doing everything they could to keep from running right into each other.
I loved how his family was able to give them some time together without the kids so that they were able to get that time together. Everyone deserves to have some times to themselves and workout whatever it is that they have going on between each other.
I was so darn happy to see the ways things ended in the end but I definitely wanted to see more of what happened!! I was hoping that we would get more!
I loved that this wasn't as long of a time jump as previous books in the series. Especially since Franny is pregnant and Alice and Ben's Grandma is getting married!
I really enjoyed the writers convention and what is brought to the town and the Shakespeare angle to everything! I loved how this mystery wove more than just the mystery of a whodunnit into the storyline. It definitely brought some romance, and a little whimsy.
I loved being able to see how everyone was able to come together when it mattered the most.
I'm so excited to see where this series goes next!
Loved the Faire when I first read it in the series the first time, and really loved it this time!
I have to say this book definitely kept me thinking about who could have done what within the pages. I was trying to pick through and sort out who could have couldn't have done anything. I definitely enjoyed this book more than the previous.
I seem to be seeing a trend. The more I get through the series the more I am loving these books. I was so beyond excited when we got to see more of Franny pregnant, although I wish there wasn't such a huge time jump between books.
I kind of squealed when other things happened toward the end and I am so beyond excited to see what happens in the future books!!!
Absolutely loved this one. This seems to be a trend with this series. What can I say? This series has a way with my brain, and I can't say that I'm upset about it!
This one was great! I really enjoyed that they brought everything to the newly built resort like place to bring in the new year! I really enjoyed this one because it definitely made me think about who could have done what to who! It really gave me Clue vibes! Clue vibes with snow and less old school. Definitely more fun than cut throat everyone is against everyone else.
Definely enjoyed this one!!
Another small town mystery win for the books!!
I loved the mystery going on during the festival and the wedding during Halloween! It definitely gave it some ambiance!
Just when I thought I had it figured out, it wasn't who I thought it was! I love that these mysteries keep me guessing!
Granted they aren't super complicated, but just enough to keep me entertained!
This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series and this book only cements that feeling even more.
It's been a little while since I've read this series and when I picked this up, it was like I haven't missed a beat. There is nothing more comforting when reading a series than that feeling.
I absolutely adore this small town along with Alice, Franny, Owen, Luke, and Ben. I love that this friend group work together in conjunction with the not so always thrilled officers.
This mystery was definitely different and out of Alice's comfort zone. I always enjoy when there is a holiday and the group is able to come together to enjoy the holiday but also work together to solve what is going on!
I can't wait to read the next one!
This is a short cozy mystery but to be honest was short on the mystery for me. It may just be me, but I found this to just be lacklustre.
I'm from Little Rock and the author made it out to be some little rinky dink place. Granted it's not a huge city. But it's not as small of a city like there are in other parts of Arkansas or Missouri where the series is based.
I also just had a hard time believing that there is a hotel that is not staffed but there is a door code given to get in and out of the main entrance. I've been in my fair share of hotels and I find that highly unbelievable.
With this story being as it was, I don't know that I will continue on with the series.
C.L. Rose always finds a way to hook me into her books, and this one was no different.
I will start this by saying this one was different because it was hard hitting. It was hard hitting because it hit closer to home.
This book was so much more than I ever thought it would be. I thought it would be about a football player and his girl. Check and check. But this one went way deeper than I ever imagined.
Dalton is a man that so many women wish to have. Well, let me rephrase that. He is a man that so many women wish to have because he is so much more than a man with money. He is a man that cares. He is a man that lives with his whole being. He has been shown what love is whole life and he knows how to reciprocate. When he meets Dia, he knows that she is it for him. No one else could ever compare. He doesn't care about her past, or her future. Because he knows that he will do anything and everything to prove to her that he is the only person she will ever need when it comes to her husband.
Dia is such a great person. She has such a a great heart, and see nothing but the best in everyone. She wants to be loved by the people who should love her the most. She has struggled most of her life due to the environment she has grown up in, but she refuses to let that hold her back. She continues to perseverez but struggles personally to let people close to her. In comes Dalton, he gets under her skin in the best way.
At times I had to take a break and kind of gather myself and let myself feel my feelings. I knew what she was going through and at times I still struggle with those feelings. Being able to see it from an outsiders perspective gave me a better perspective. I was able to see that I am worthy of so much more than I think.
Like I said this book not only made me feel all the feels but made me think so much harder than other books that I have read. It made me see myself in another light. This book is held in a different regard than so many other books that I have read just based on that alone. This wasn't just a feel good book.
Let's Talk About 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Baby:
🌶️🌶️🌶️ STEAMY- If it's not for you- Skip Through
This has some great scenes that I was like how could she top this? Then she did. Point. Blank. Period.
Thank you so much to C.L. Rose for making me feel so many things and helping me see myself in a better light.
Also for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own, honest, and voluntary.
Evie Alexander is an absolute gem in my book, and this book was nothing short of fantastic!
I absolutely loved our characters James and Estelle, even though they were complete opposites. Which made for the perfect coupling! They were thrust into a partnership that couldn't be dissolved, so they had to make it work. Make it work they did! With the help (or not so much help) of family they were able to pull together their relationship and see what they were made of together.
I loved seeing the moments that Estelle had in her mind that she had that werent filled with distain. I swooned when she has those soft moments and was able to see that she had that soft side to her. She didn't always have to be the badass woman she was.
Let me just put it out there, I loved James as a character!! Even though he comes off as a pompous jerk, he really was the nicest man. He used that persona as a way to keep from being run over. In business you have to be able to keep from being run over, and he unfortunately used it In his real life. But with some work and some apologies he was able to see that not everything is business. I loved how he loved Estelle. Even if he wasn't always able to show it or express it verbally he always loved her in his own way.
Lets say it together: COMMUNICATION IS KEY!
I'm glad we got that out of the way! Unfortunately our characters had a time of being able to tell each other how they felt and what they wanted. But in the end they were able to communicate.
Let's talk about spice 🌶️ baby:
🌶️🌶️🌶️ This one has some great spice and a great amount in it!! If you're not into it, skip through it!
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Lyra has some kind of magic in her words. I swear!! It doesn't matter what I have read of hers, but I always get sucked in and enamored.
This book was no different. I immediately fell in love with Easton and Lexi. Their personalities couldn't have been more opposite but more complimentary towards each other. I absolutely loved their banter, it fit their personalities so well. I laughed throughout the book at how their personalities shown throughout their banter.
While laughing is a good time, I also loved the moments when there was the vulnerability between Easton and Lexi. I look forward to the moments when they are able to build upon their relationship. Let's just say that there are some amazing moments between our characters that you don't want to miss.
Easton and Lexi each give each other moments that they each need in the times that they need them the most when they least expect them. It only made me swoon even harder for these two.
Let's talk about spice, baby 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I would give this one 2🌶️ 🌶️
There is some spice in these pages! But there is more story than spice. But don't get it twisted, there is some great spice. Lyra does an amazing job of giving you an amazing story but making sure that you get some great spice to go with it. If you don't like spice, then this isn't the book for you. You will want to skip those parts.
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
I adore this book and series, for that matter. It's like coming home after having a bad day. You sink into your favorite clothes and fall into your favorite chair and cuddle up with your favorite blanket.
Christmas is my favorite holiday and getting to see this family dynamic during this season warms my heart. Their season isn't like everyone else's, but they make it their own. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting it to be more like their Thanksgiving. More of them together, decorating their tree, baking, etc.
Unfortunately it didn't have near as much of it as I had hoped. But that didn't take away from everything else going on to bring them together. There was so much else going on to unpack towards the end that I can't help but hope to see another book in the series!
After starting another book and getting 75 pages into it, I couldn't keep going. So I came back to where I knew I felt some comfort. Libby and Jess always seem to provide that comfort that I seek when I want a cozy mystery. They give that warm and cozy feeling that I seek when everything else in my life seems to be going crazy.
Comfort, plenty of questions and lots of yesteryear gave me everything I needed in this book. I loved this book with every page. I thoroughly enjoyed how much of a family they are and how willingly they are to help the people around them even if it isn't the most convenient for everyone. They make sure that they pull it all together. Even during the holiday. Jess and Libby along with Bev have got to be the strongest women I have seen in a cozy mystery. And it is definitely one of the things that keeps me coming back to this series.
Along with the mysteries within the mysteries. I love the town and the mysteries within it. I love being able to go within the town and see the new places and see who is in it and what new ghosts and ghost animals inhabits it!
I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery because it was very complex and brought us back to a time that isn't explored often. A time when segregation wasn't just about the color of our skin, but the place where we originated. Murder, Mob mentality, War, theft and so much more ran the world's back then. But with the help from family there is always a way to solve the crime and find a way to make wrongs right again.
I have missed Staci's words so much and so beyond excited when I saw that she was coming out with another book. She didn't disappoint on the least.
Baseball romances have a place in my heart that will never be replaced and Staci brought Jessa and Remy to life in only the way that she can. Southern hospitality, baseball, scandal, food, and some good romping around always spells a good time in my book.
This was such a great time. I enjoyed every single scene. I love baseball and I loved Jessa & Remy. There will never be anything better than southern gentleman and how far they are willing to go to be with the woman they love. Not to mention to do what they love to do as long they as able to be with the love of their lives.
Remy got so much crap for being who he was, but they didn't seem to take the time to see who he was under the exterior he shown them. He only shown them what he wanted them to see, because he didn't want them to see how hurt he truly was. I think if they would have truly taken the time to check on him they could have seen him for him.
I absolutely loved Jessa! I loved her spirit and the way the fell head first into the southern Tennessee culture. Not to mention the way she loved Remy. I couldn't help but voice her the entire way through the book in a British accent because how could you not? She definitely had her work cut out for her in the beginning when it came to the men, and her mother. Dealing with parents is never an easy thing, but I was proud of her for standing her ground.
I absolutely adore this book and cannot wait for the next installment.
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
This is the first I have read in the series and I definitely recommend reading the others in the series to get a feel for the world that everything is set in.
There are a good amount of characters and moving parts within the storyline that I feel play a bigger part within the whole Cosa Nostra world.
I enjoyed getting to know this world and our main characters Gigi and Antonio. The Mafia princess and the third in line to succeed the Lombardi family were two that were never meant to be together. Fate had other plans and chose to put these two together in ways no one ever thought possible.
This storyline has so much into it is hard to put into words how much is actually going on. With so much war going on, and different characters it seems like a lot, but when it all comes together it's like a symphony. The maestro plays the concerto well, and at the end you feel such a sense of enjoyment.
I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
I thoroughly enjoyed the journey through this book! I had so many good laughs and many questions throughout this book. But I also felt as if there were many things that were left to the imagination that required explanation.
I really enjoyed how the two families came together when they were at the hardest times in their lives. They knew that sticking together was the best way to handle everything going on.
I loved seeing all of ghosts in town and how much they were accepted for still being around. I loved seeing the ghost couple in town who visited the family often. I loved that they were like the adopted grandparent ghosts.
I wish we could have seen more of what happened from Leo's perspective with his son. I think that would have answered a few more questions for sure.
Hockey why choose romances are quickly becoming one of my favorite genres and this book proves why. Because there doesn't have to be a reason.
Luna is a woman who doesn't have to date anyone. Doesn't have to deal with the issues in her life that she struggles with regarding hockey. But she chooses her path. Hockey, family and dating all included.
Cam, Owen & Alexsei all bring so much to the table respectively. They are able to make their relationship something that so many tandem couples can't. Which is mind boggling! I love that about these characters! They are willing to put their hangups aside and get over the surface level crap to get to the real level of things. LOVE.
I thoroughly enjoyed how they came together in their times of need and made sure that they had each other.
Now don't get me wrong. This book has it warm and fuzzies, but it's was SPICY 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥.
I love love loved it 😍. There were also scenes where I had to try to figure out in my brain how they were working in the scene. I felt like the meme where Einstein had the equations floating around his head.
Either way. I definitely can't wait to read more!! Thank you to Good Girls PR and Emma Foxx for the complimentary review copy! All opinions are my own, honest and voluntary.
Another case solved in the Everly Mysteries! This one was definitely different in the sense of the crime being committed in the 80's and Everly getting her abilities back but more expanded.
I loved seeing how much her abilities have expanded and changed since the last book. She was able to really use her abilities to the max and really help those she was able to come in contact with. Even those who did things that weren't the greatest acts when they were alive received a comeuppance. By their own hand, never the less.
I loved seeing all of the prep for Everly and Drew's upcoming wedding!! But I am so much more intrigued to see what Drew has had up his sleeve all this time! I know that there is so much more we don't know. I can't wait to see more about Drew!!!
I absolutely love these novellas that give us a great story in between the larger books!
This one was definitely one I think could have been one of the full books but that doesn't detain me from loving it!!
Im so glad we were able to see the story for Angus and how much this town really pulls together.
It really makes me want to move here!
I loved reading the new adventures that Noelle and the whole town got involved with in this book.
It definitely was a team effort to be all able to pinpoint where everything happened and what caused it.
I absolutely loved being able to see new characters come into the town and where they played their part. I especially loved seeing Justin again and how much he has grown and become apart of both families. I can't wait to see their growth and what shenanigans come into place!