Something Borrowed Something 90% Dark

The time is nigh! The time for Autumn's wedding, that is. Felicity is tickled to be serving as Autumn's maid of honor. Wedding preparations are underway, and Felicity is in the thick of them. But she soon finds herself in the thick of another murder investigation, too, when one of the bridesmaids is under suspicion of killing a real estate agent that was once a friend.
Amber Royer does it up big here! There are so many things going on in this book, but like the perfect recipe for a good chocolate, they all work well together. Wedding things go wrong, including the custom-designed groom's ring going missing and the jeweler nowhere to be found. Arlo's old flame, Pam, asks Felicity to look into her father's disappearance. He's an insurance investigator and may or may not have fled his family and headed south of the border.

And then there's a kidnapped goat. I simply adore Royer's inclusion of animals in her stories. Felicity's bunny, Knightley, is in every book, and he's a dear. Here we also get to meet Princess Buttercup, a darling goat taken from a wedding expo and held captive. Let's just say she doesn't take well to being held against her will, and I am reminded of why I enjoy the cuteness of other people's goats! The goat shenanigans add an extra touch of whimsy to the story.

In the middle of all the goings-on, Felicity is still trying to decide: Arlo or Logan? Her self-imposed deadline to choose is drawing ever nearer, and sometimes she seemed like she was no closer to making a decision than she was in the last book. But huzzah and hurrah, the choice is made! (Don't be silly. I'm not going to TELL you who she picked. Go read the book if you want to know!) I felt myself swayed back and forth as Felicity weighed the pros and cons, the good and bad of each choice. But in the end, I am well pleased with how things turned out. As another reviewer said, the man Felicity chose needed her more than the other did, and she needed him, too. Romance may not be the focus of Royer's books, but it is on point here, and I adored it. Can't wait to see the relationship unfold in future books!

We get to learn more about characters who don't always play a major role in Royer's books, most notably Ash. I liked that we got to see new facets to his character here. I hope we see more of this side of him in the future – maybe more collaboration between him and Felicity? And we get to see Felicity slowly making her peace with being known for her sleuthing abilities almost as much as for her designer chocolates.

It's another five-star read for me! If Amber Royer is writing it, I'm reading it, no questions asked.