#ABrushWithMurder #NetGalley New Cozy Series Who Likes A Potential Love Triangle?

 Hello and welcome to your summer!  Today I am hyping myself up to start #1000wordsofsummer.  This is it--this time I'm going to finish writing a cozy mystery rough draft.  Even if it ends up printed out and sitting in a drawer, this time I'm going to do it!  No, I won't be able to finish it in the first two weeks of summer, but I am going to finish it by Labor Day.  I am not currently working so I do have the time. I just need to avoid scrolling social media! 

Speaking of writing, today I'm reviewing a new cozy series by Bailee Abbot, called A Brush With Murder. I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley to review. All the opinions are mine. I had a tough time rating this book. Ultimately, I decided on a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for posting purposes. I struggled to like the characters in the book. It wasn't until I was 80 percent through the book that I came to like at least some of the characters. The mystery is good, a nice twist, but clues are laid out from the beginning so, it's earned. I know as a reader I don't like a twist that doesn't have a trail of clues. 

Chloe is our amateur sleuth, and she is trying to save her sister's business and herself after  Fiona, a local reporter who liked to pan local businesses, winds up dead.  Chloe, I grew to like, though I found her ex-boyfriend situation confusing, am I supposed to like Ross or dislike Ross? My instinct was to like him.  Izzie is Chloe's sister, and the proprietor of the new paint shop in town, Paint with A View.  I thought a business that does painting classes is a good business choice for a cozy mystery job.  However, during this book, Izzie the shop owner spends very little time at the shop.  She disappears frequently, is being secretive, and actively refuses to talk to the police officer who is trying to solve the murder. Overall, I had real trouble liking Izzie she came off as very flippant and entitled throughout the book.

Chloe and her family are literally trust fund babies. Her parents live off the funds from the family estate.  This is not something I have experience with, but in the book, there were multiple businesses run by twenty-something women who had financial backing from their families for their businesses. So the main character's situation wasn't completely uncommon for this town. One of these owners was very panicked about her business and worried about being a complete failure after her second chance--which was, to me, a little funny because she was 24 years old. No one is a complete failure at 24, plenty of time to try many more things in life.  

Chloe's dog Max is on the cover, but he isn't the emotional support or sounding board that many a cozy companion provides to their sleuth--he's more of a traditional pet. 

If you enjoy a potential love triangle, this book is definitely for you!  Seasonally, the book takes place during the heat of summer in a lakeside community. 

Most likely, I will pick up the second book in the series to see how Bailee Abbot develops the characters and what new mystery she creates. 

This book will be out on October 12, 2021. Add it to your TBR pile now! 

#TheSundayPost May 30th: Are You Ready For The Summer?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Yes! Yes, I am!  The weather here is more like early April, but I am ready for my summer!  My pool is open!  Marathon training starts tomorrow! #1000wordsofsummer starts tomorrow! 

This will be my third marathon and I'm running as a charity runner for Imerman Angels there are still spots available to join the team and run the Chicago Marathon for Team Imerman this fall! If I can run a marathon, you can run a marathon! Imerman Angels is a non-profit group that connects cancer patients and caregivers with peer support.  They call the peer's Mentor Angels.  Mentor Angels are that crucial listening ear, a person who knows exactly what you are going through and is on the other side--able to remind you that even if things are really tough now, there will be better days ahead. 

On the same day marathon training begins,  the two-week writing challenge invented by author Jami Attenberg.  As the name implies the challenge is to write 1,000 words every day for two weeks. It might actually be 15 days now that I think about it, I believe the end goal is 15,000 words which is a nice start to any writing endeavor. I am going to go back to writing the cozy mystery novel that has been lingering unfinished and ignored by me for months. I have a few changes I want to make to the outline and then get back to writing.  Or maybe I'll wind up writing something completely new.  Who knows! 

This week I have 3 books I'll be blogging about:

 A #NetGalley pick-up, New Series!

I'm trying to add some non-fiction to my audiobooks listening.  This book is really fascinating! 

I'm also trying to read down my physical TBR pile.  I like to read my books and pass them on so if you want this book when I'm done, comment and let me know! ( will send as media mail) 

So, what's on your agenda to start the summer? 

Happy Friday! #Readalong Review! And Some Summer Talk!

 Well as Mother Nature is wont to do, last week we had temperatures in the mid-80s and sunshine galore.  This weekend, the official start of the summer season, the skies are a uniform cloudy grey and the temperature is 46!!! 46!!! literally, 40 degrees Fahrenheit colder than this time last week. 

It's really harshing my budding pool lifestyle. 

My little pool which my daughter makes fun of because it's only 33 inches deep, but hey, it's easy for me to maintain and big enough to swim a little and float a lot!  Alas, this 3-day weekend it is going to stay covered, as temps won't even hit 70. 

When it was summer weather, I spend a few afternoons floating in my pool and reading Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh.  This is the 7th book in the PsyChangeling series that we are reading this year.  You can find out more about the read-along and join us here. 

As I have said before, I treating enjoy Nalini Singh's ability to keep raising the stakes in these paranormal romances. Once again, I had my doubts as the book was nearing the climax that Dev Santos and Katya Haas would find their HEA.  During this book, I found that I didn't care as much or root for this couple like I had in the previous book which was the love story between  Mercy and Riley.  For me, I think this was because Mercy was a strong, passionate woman who wasn't a virgin like the Psy, and because she was an equal match to Riley. Yes, Katya, survived and made it to Dev, but she is very fragile and since she has amnesia is one-dimensional. 

In Blaze of Memory, Nalini Singh takes us back to the beginning of Silence and tells the story of one family's exodus to become part of the fallen. This is done through letters a mother writes to her son. I liked this method of storytelling.  Additionally, we learn more about how Judd's special set of skills can work for the good.

I would have liked to have a better understanding of what Dev's affinity with metal meant and how it developed as he grew up. I wanted more of his backstory. 

Next up is the story of the human cop Max Shannon, I have been hoping he would get his own book from the first time he walked on the scene!  

Have a great weekend even if the weather stinks! It's a great excuse to kick back and enjoy a good book! 

Starting A Garden This Year? #TheBeginnersGuidetoGrowingGreatVegetables #NetGalley

 

Off and on over the years, I've had gardens at our homes. Above is this year's situation, one raised bed of vegetables and then containers with flowers and herbs. My gardening style is winging it.  I really don't know what I'm doing.  With that in mind, I decided to check out this book via #NetGalley: (I received an ARC of this book, all the opinions are mine!) 

Doesn't this cover call to you? If you have Kindle Unlimited you can get this book as part of your subscription.  You will be inspired by the gorgeous photography throughout the book. The Beginners' Guide to Growing Great Vegetables i is packed with easy-to-access information to help anyone become a gardener.  It includes explanations of planting zones, microclimates, how to kill pests with beer, and a month-by-month guide to starting a garden.  It also includes instructions and tips for planting raised beds as well as containers and discusses using edibles as ornamentals.  Why not have some beautiful kale in your front yard?  It's pretty and tasty!   

The book is filled with wonderful graphics to show you everything from how to lay out a garden, to DIY soil testing, and how to build a hoop house. In the past, I have purchased gardening books that I have opened and thumbed through and put aside because I felt overwhelmed by the content. This book is different, it's very beginner-focused focusing on why you will want to do certain things and when you will want to do them in order to grow vegetables in your backyard, front yard, or even on a balcony.  

5 Stars- Comprehensive guide with a monthly planner! 

Cozy Mystery Book Club Meets Tomorrow! Join Us on YouTube!

 Happy Monday, is this work week ending in a three-day weekend for you?  If you ask me everyone should have a three-day weekend every week.  Let's make 4 days works weeks a thing!  I'm kicking off this week with a review of the Cozy Mystery Book Club's book of the month.  This month we chose from a selection of bookish cozies and the winner was Maggie Blackburn's (aka Mollie Cox Bryan) book Little Bookshop of Murder. 

I liked this book more than I thought I would at first blush. I thought that the author does a good job of showing Summer's grieving process.  The murder victim in this book is Summer's mom who we do not get to meet, we only learn of her via other people's memories. The killer in this book is pretty easy to figure out, so if being wholly surprised by who did it is important to you, then you might be disappointed. 

Maggie Blackburn takes a big risk in this book by making the protagonist a scholar who has no use for popular fiction, especially romance and mystery which she thinks is complete dreck.  Readers might be put off by Summer's disdain for the very books they love to read. However,  Summer's life in academia isn't all it is cracked up to be, and the bookstore she inherited isn't the terrible navel-gazing place she made it out to be in her youth. I enjoyed Summer slowly having to eat her words and realize that romance and mystery books are quality reads.

Some readers prefer cozy mysteries that don't have a romance component.  While this book talks about romance novels, there is not a romance plot in this book. If you love a unique cozy companion, this book features a bird named Mr. Darcy!

You can join us for the Book Club Live Stream tomorrow May 25th at 7pm EST! I'll be in the comments sharing my two cents! 

#TheSundayPost for May 23rd! What's Going On?

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Purple Irises began blooming earlier this week!  The hubs bought a bunch of vegetable and flower starts for the garden.  The raised bed is planted, the big planter is filled with herbs and I have filled all the containers from last year with flowers.  So I bought a few more containers, some for the front porch and a couple for extra tomato plants in the back yard. 

Upcoming this week I'll be reviewing this month's Cozy Mystery Book Club selection. Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn (aka Mollie Cox Bryan) 

You can join us for the live stream on Tuesday via YouTube.  Here is the link join us! 

How beautiful is this cover! 

And Friday I'll be sharing a review for Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh --I've been hoping that Dev Santos who we meet a couple books ago would get getting his own book! I was sure he'd make a great main character! You can join the Read-Along by clicking here! 

I'm not feeling this cover, it's a little too action movie starring Steven Sagal -esque! I have every confidence that the book is better than the cover! 

If Culinary Cozies Are Your Coconut Jam

 Then you are going to enjoy the stuffing out of Arsenic and Adobo the first book in the new Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mysteries series by Mia Manansala.  This is Mia's first book and it's had a great debut, popping up on a bunch of best new book lists. 

This book tells the tale of Lila Macapagal a twenty-five-year-old who has moved back home to help the family business and forget about a terrible ex-boyfriend.  She is also a first-generation Filipino American who spends her free time concocting recipes using traditional Filipino cuisine and giving it her own spin.  Not long after arriving home Lila has new ex-boyfriend problems when an old high school sweetheart keels over in Tita Rosies' restaurant!

Lila is quickly accused of killer her ex-boyfriend and the restaurant, which was already behind on the rent payments is shut down. The clock is ticking; will Lila find the killer and save her family's restaurant?  

My local coffee shop has a new seasonal drink...Ube Iced Latte!  IFYKYK!

I listened to the audio of this book which was read by Danice Cabanela who does a wonderful job of acting out the numerous characters in this first book. It was a very entertaining listen and a nice distraction while running.  I did struggle to keep track of the characters in the book because there were quite a few and it is a little harder for me to keep track when I listen instead of having a book a can flip back through easily. 

Mia Manansala really excels in her food descriptions.  My mouth was watering!  This book is a culinary delight.  I liked getting to know some of the residents of Shady Palms, IL and it was a treat to be invited into Tita Rosie's home. I enjoyed the touch of romance, the diverse cast of first-generation Asian Americans, and it did my little heart good to read about the way Lila's family expressed their love for each other through food. 

4 Stars for this cozy!  I think the second book will build upon this one and I am looking forward to seeing Lila and her friends and family again soon! 

Talk About Spooky Atmospheres, Wowza!

 A small island off the coast of Ireland complete with deserted homes, castle ruins, and a boggy cemetery. Does this sound like the perfect place to have your wedding? Maybe, maybe not --but it is an excellent setting for a spooky thriller and a bit of murder.  The book creeps on slowly introducing you to bits and pieces of the wedding party.  There is a handful of point of view characters including the bride, the groom, the best man, and the wedding planner as well as a few more characters. We learn slowly, like the storm moving in from the ocean, about traumatic events in some of the characters' pasts.  

As you read you can imagine that this book would look great on the screen, I did some googling and it looks like a miniseries is in the works, but still likely years off.  If you like locked room mysteries this is a locked tiny island mystery.  The multiple POV chapters help the pacing but overall it's a slow burn or a slow sink into the bog, you may not know you are stuck too deep to put the book down until it's too late.  Sure you can predict some of the backstories and twists in the book, but that is part of the appeal.  You the reader will want to know how is it going to come together, is anything connected, is someone dead or not, who is dead and why. 

So many pages lead up to the murder and few pages are devoted to the aftermath, I would have liked to have a little more on what happened when the police would have arrived.

Overall 4 stars, when this is a show, I'll be sure to watch it! 

I Took A Vacation to Ireland Over The Weekend!

 The weather was gloomy Friday and Saturday, so I turned to reading and found myself quickly in the midst of murders and ghosts in Ireland. 

The first book I read, on my imaginary trip to the Emerald Isle, was Death in D Minor by Alexis Gordon.  This book is the second book in Dr. Gordon's  Gethsemane Brown Mysteries series and right off the bat, I found this book to be even better than the first. It is available free on Kindle Unlimited, or like me, you can probably find it at your local public library.  

One of the most enjoyable parts of this series is the focus on Fine Arts. In this book in addition to Gethsemane's classical music background. we learn about textile artwork and schoolgirl samplers. This isn't your average murder mystery: there is also an international art fraud ring!  

Here are some examples of schoolgirl samplers from the website Colonial Sense

Cleverly, this murder mystery takes place in a different town than the first book so we meet a whole new crop of shady characters.  We also get to meet one of Gethsemane's family members and Inspector O'Reilly and Frankie the math teacher are back.  Will there be a romance with either of them?  If not I don't mind because I do find their characters enjoyable on their own merits.  This second book cemented my affection for Dr. Gethsemane Brown. She is bold, tenacious, and unflappable. Plus she can see ghosts! 

5 stars for the second book in this series!  It's like a fine arts seminar wrapped in a murder mystery!  I loved it! 

The second book I am reading from Ireland is The Guest List by Lucy Foley. I'm about 60% finished as of Sunday afternoon so I am going to dive back into it and I'll share a review on Wednesday! 

#TheSundayPost My Belated Mother's Day!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Last Sunday we celebrated Oldest Son's birthday with his favorite pizza, so I opted to request any Mother's Day celebration for me to be moved this Sunday. Since I recently went to Love's Sweet Arrow and purchased a nice stack of books for myself, I don't really need any presents for Mother's Day.  Instead, I'm expecting my family to put up my pool. 

 I was planning to get a pool last summer to celebrate being done with cancer treatment and the momentous occasion of being alive for half a century; however, the global pandemic caused a run on pop-up pools and also ruined my plans to have old lady backyard pool parties. 

I bought a pool and all the supplies necessary for it, about five minutes after President Biden signed the stimulus bill and now tomorrow is the day my wonderful family can get that pool set up!  The forecast is calling for temperature in the 80s later this week...and I can't wait to float in my pool with a book in my hand! 

How are things by you?  I hope you had a good week! Comment below and share any fun summer plans you have coming up! 

What I'll be reviewing this week:

What's A Kitchen Witch? Magic in the Kitchen and a Cozy Review!

 What is a kitchen witch? It can be a handcrafted doll that is used as a good luck charm in Scandanavian kitchens or it can be someone who practices magic centered on the craft of cooking and all things related to food.  One can be a kitchen witch who practices in the Wiccan tradition. In my opinion, if you cook with love and talk to your plants, and have a green thumb and secret recipes for delicious cookies that you won't share- I probably think you are a kitchen witch. 

In paranormal fiction, various types of witchcraft are as popular (i.e. Harry Potter)  as vampires and werewolves.  Of course, I don't think vampires or werewolves exist, but paganism and Wiccan practices have been around for millennia and only got a bad wrap when men took over religions.  Under the cozy mystery umbrella is the subgenre of paranormal cozies.  Paranormal cozies are chock full of many different types of witches!  

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon is a series featuring Mia who is a kitchen witch and is working on starting up a catering business, only to have a murder pop up right before her first catering gig! This magical cozy is light on the magic and heavy on the sleuthing and traditional cozy themes, so if you haven't read a magical cozy yet, this could be the perfect foray to see if you like it. 

I enjoyed the fresh tone of the book, Mia has common sense and a dogged determination to get her fledgling business off the ground.  She also has a terrible ex, a grandmother who holds secrets and a potential new boyfriend. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Two Wicked Desserts,  which I will be reviewing next month thanks to a copy from Net Galley. 

Solid 4 Stars!  A series I will continue!

As you know from reading my blog, I'm an aspiring cozy writer myself.  I love the idea of a kitchen witch protagonist and I have been doing research and have an idea I am working on, I also have an 80% complete rough draft for another cozy mystery series idea.  What I need to do is focus, finish one of these books and then go from there! 

This is a beautiful book filled with recipes and rituals to be more connected to the Earth. 

Let's Hope This Warm Up Is Here To Stay! Plus! NEW Cozy Series Book- Farm to Trouble!

Prolific cozy mystery writer Amanda Flower is out with a new series.  I was drawn to this series by the fresh look of the cover and the fun title. I'm excited to say this is the book of the month for June's Cozy Mystery Book Club. I am reading it early because this is when I was able to borrow it from my library! 

This is the story of Shiloh Bellamy who grew up on a farm in Northwestern Michigan and then moved to California where she built a career as a television producer.  Now she is back in her hometown to help her very taciturn father save their farm which has gone fallow (i.e. weeds no crops).  First, she finds out the family home is in terrible shape and then she stumbles across a dead body.

I had trouble reconciling Shiloh's career as a television producer, a tough job that requires the ability to lead as well as sell people on ideas and meet tough deadlines, with her passivity and lack of self-confidence in the book.  Far too often people berate her, far too often she is running here and there chasing after things other people want her to do.  Her personality didn't match a successful 38-year-old television producer. 

The person who is killed is a terrible person, that is always a plus in my book when it comes to cozy mysteries. However, in this book, Shiloh has more than a couple of unpleasant friends and family.  I didn't enjoy spending time with them as the book progressed. 

Cozies are so much about plucky MCs and Community.  I love reading about protagonists who aren't afraid to ask questions or speak up for themselves and in this book Shiloh doesn't advocate for herself and is surrounded by people who are family who mistreat her and acquaintances who call her a murderer and a killer from the moment of the murder. 

This is a three-star read for me. 

*****

Can you believe it is already just about mid-May?  My oldest has finished his Junior year of college and second son is finishing his first year of college finals this week, and my youngest child is at an AP test right now.  We can taste summertime! However, the weather has been more like the Ides of March than the cusp of summer for the past week. My weather app says we should start seeing 70s by next week; but, that is what the app said last week and all we got were the mid-50s.  Not Cool Mother Nature!  --Well really, it is cool, that's the problem!  

Time files! 

Pierced Peony Silver Dagger Blog Tour Giveaway! - New Cozy!

 

 

Pierced Peony

Motts Cold Case Mystery Book 2

by Dahlia Donovan

Genre: Cozy Mystery

On a casual walk along the Cornish Coast, Pineapple “Motts” Mottley stumbles upon a body and a perilous new murder case in the second novel in the Motts Cold Case Mystery series.

As spring rolls into summer, Motts settles into her cottage. She’s enjoying a daily stroll when a body in the sea destroys her peace and quiet. It brings yet another mystery for her to solve.

How does a woman who vanished from Polperro three years prior wind up battered by waves?

Motts is drawn into the investigation despite her best attempts. She finds a family in turmoil and loads of suspects. With no easy answers, she tumbles further into chaos and ever closer to danger.

Can Motts find the killer before she’s the one put on ice?

Will she survive a bone-chilling brush with death?

***

I'm very pleased to be part of the blog tour for this book.  When I read cozies, sometimes I'm fully focused on solving the mystery, and other times I am rooting for the main character in all things.  This is one of those series where I am hoping for all the good things for Motts.  I hold my breath when she decides she needs to venture out and speak to someone new, I cheer her on when she stands up for herself, and I smile when she gives special treats to Moss and Cactus.  This series is one that I will preorder and follow the author. 

A quote from the book that I enjoyed (Motts inner monologue): 

"Why is my cat obsessed with brooding police types? Is he trying to tell me something? Do detectives smell like catnip?"

I hope that you check out this series and that you too root for Motts an unlikely amateur sleuth!

Add to Goodreads

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Poisoned Primrose

Motts Cold Case Mystery Book 1

"Wonderful mystery with a unique and special heroine!" - A Cozy Cup of Murder

Meet Motts and the quirky cast of characters in her world. Poisoned Primrose is a quintessential cosy British mystery and an all-round fun story to throw yourself into.

Autistic, asexual, and almost forty, Pineapple “Motts” Mottley flees London with her cat and turtle to a quaint cottage in Cornwall. She craves the peace of life in a small village. The dead body buried in her garden isn’t quite what she had in mind, though.

Unable to resist her curiosity, she falls directly into a mess of trouble and runs head-first into the attractive detective inspector, Teo Herceg. She tries to balance her business with the investigation, but as the killer focuses on her, staying alive becomes trickier than advanced origami.

Will Motts survive the onslaught of murderously bad luck?

Can she solve the mystery before it all spins out of control and off a cliff?

I enjoyed this new cozy series. The story is located in England which is a different location for me, as all the cozies I've read so far this year have taken place in the United States. Motts is easy to love, she is on her own for the first time and is working so hard in this new phase of her life. Being neurodiverse, she is unique among cozy sleuths and I am a fan of reading stories centered on unique protagonists.  Motts makes a living creating intricately designed origami floral displays. What a clever craft, flowers for those who are allergic or who want flowers that won't die.  I could picture the lovely bridal bouquets Daliah Donovan describes.  

Motts is surrounded by a kind and funny cast of friends and family that one must have to establish that cozy vibe. I look forward to continuing to read this series.   

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read

Dahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * Newsletter

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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#TheSundayPost The Second Sunday in May!

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

Happy Mother's Day to anyone celebrating.  Virtual hugs to anyone who is sad on this day unable to talk, or be with someone they love or dealing with complicated mother/child relationships.  

At my house, this Sunday is my oldest son's bday so we are celebrating his day today. Later on in the day, I am fortunate that I can call my mother.

This week I had my second Pfizer shot, and with that shot, everyone in the house has had all their vaccine doses and on the 18th we will reach fully vaccinated status. Hooray! 

In celebration of getting that second shot, I decided to visit a romance new and used bookstore near me.  They have online ordering so check out their website: Love's Sweet Arrow

Here is the picture of my book haul! 

Now all I need is the weather here to perk up so I can sit outside and read! 

Tomorrow on the blog I am a Blog Tour host for a new book by Dahlia Donovan called Pierced Peony.  It's the second installment in her Mott's Cold Case Mystery series.  Make sure to check it out! There's a Giveaway!!!

How was your week? Did you read, watch, or listen to anything good?  I hope you are doing well! 

The Installment in the #PsyChangeling #Readalong #COYER Challenge Book 6! And Grocery Store Monopoly Talk

 Just when you think you think a book is going to be full of pining and delayed gratification Nalini Singh comes out of the gate hot!  Sexy time right from the get-go.  I love this series because of stuff like this.  Nalini keeps the readers guessing and that keeps this reader, reading! 

Branded by Fire tells the story of Mercy from the Dark River pack and Riley from the Snow Dancer Pack. She's a leopard and he's a wolf.  Can a cat and a dog find happiness together? Let's find out!  In this story, we have two main characters that are antagonists to each other but also have wild chemistry.  Frienimies to lovers is a solid descriptor, but none of the I hate you, I love you. Their relationship is more nuanced and because they are at the top of the pack hierarchy, they have to consider how becoming mated would affect both of their packs. I know they will get there, just a matter of how fun getting there will be for me the reader!

I loved the banter! 

Nalini Singh shares more about the lives of the couples we have already met, as the packs face a new challenge when the Human Alliance emerges as a terrorist group. There are also developments in the growth of Sienna Lauren, a character that readers know will be more and more pivotal as this story continues.  Lastly, is Nalini rehabilitating Ashaya's sister Amara?  Will Amara be fit to be around the pack in the future? 

Solid advice from E-Psy Sasha to Mercy! 

4 stars to the Branded by Fire, It was fun to read Mercy and Riley's point of view and see their romance play out! 

While I've been trying to read this week, I'm also in the midst of trying to win fabulous prizes from my grocery store's monopoly game. Thanks to a friend that passed on a ton of tickets to me, I'm up to my eyeballs in chances to win major prizes!  All I need to do now that all of the tickets are opened is to scan them in my app.  So far I have won over 36 individual bottles of water, five loaves of french bread, and three bottles of ranch dressing. Wish me luck, maybe I'll win $25,000! Who knows! If I do, I'll let you know!

Judging A Book By Its Cover #RubyRedHerring #NetGalley

 

Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner is the first book in her new Avery Ayers Antique Mystery series.  I chose to pick up this book from NetGalley because I loved the cover. The title is also a perfectly punny cozy title! 

Our Amateur sleuth is Avery Ayers. Avery and her sister live in the family home with their Aunt following the death of their parents in a car crash a year prior to the series beginning.  We quickly begin to wonder if the car crash was an accident or if foul play was involved.  Lilac Grove is a small suburb of New York City.  So we have the small-town setting where Avery and her family live, and then we also Manhattan where the family business is located.  The family business is an appraisal business that is focused on antiquities and artifacts, we find out the business has suffered since the deaths of William and Anne.  Things are now on the upswing due to a couple of contracts Avery's partner Sir Robert has acquired. 

My only exposure to the world of appraising antiques and artifacts has been through watching Antiques Roadshow on PBS. Tracy Gardner explains the appraisal process in an interesting and easy-to-understand way. I like the variety of character ages in this book.  Avery is 25, her sister is a senior in high school, Aunt Midge is sixty, and the people who work with Avery at the museum span the decades from the late 20s to late 50s.  A nice mix of points of view.  

Tracy Gardner does a very good job highlighting Avery's struggles with mental health after the deaths of her parents.  She is seeing a therapist and working on anger issues as well as grief, I appreciated that her pain and her struggle wasn't glossed over in pursue of the mystery plot.  

4 Stars to this new cozy series, this one takes some liberties with the standard cozy tropes, and I'm always open to reading new twists on cozy mysteries! 

I received an ARC of this book, it may change some when it is in final form.  All my opinions are mine!

Food Talk and Today's Cozy Review, Spotlight Scandal by Stella Bixby

 

About every six weeks, I'll treat myself to a couple of meals from Blue Apron. This past week was that week.  We got Pork & Marinated Cucumber Steam Buns which turned out to be completely delicious and now that I have made it and have the recipe, I am going to make it on my own in the future. It was so good I forgot to take a picture. The second meal I made was Steaks & Black Bean Butter Sauce. This meal was also very yummy.  The only thing was the kale became too wilted.  Weird. 

Now on to today's book review.  This book takes place near Christmas, so if you like holiday cozies, add this to your collection when it comes out May 11th, 2021, and then read it come December!  I might re-read it too!  I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy Stella Bixby's writing style so I am a member of her 'review crew' This book is the third book in the Magical Mane Series.  The books are novella length and lend themselves to fun weekend reading. 

I was very happy that Xander the warlock from book two has returned in this installation and that we get to meet Katie's daughter the actress Melody.  Additionally, Bonnie who seemed like a cold-hearted villain in book one has become a much more complicated and sympathetic character which I am happy to read. Maybe one day she will wind up with Jake? Or will Ellie's mom return and Jake and Emily will have their HEA.  I am going to keep reading and maybe we will find out! 

The book begins with Ellie not being able to say her one line in the Christmas play. We are left to wonder, will she get over her stage fright?  Why is she stuck on this sentence?  I liked the small mystery over Ellie saying the line, it compliments Ellie's struggle to feel like she is part of a family. (biologically or found)  

I think it works well to have Ellie as an unofficial consultant to the police department.  It makes sense to have her and Jake work together than to have Jake be a foil for Ellie.  Lastly, I have to say, I want to know more about Xander!  What's his deal!  Sigh, I'm going to have to wait and keep reading.  I'm confident the payoff will be worth it! 

4.25 stars to Spotlight Scandal!  Add this book to your Goodreads or order on Amazon it's out May11th! 

#TheSundayPost Time to Embrace Those May Flowers

 

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.  See rules here: Sunday Post Meme

This year, to me, is a time when I feel as though the days are often long but the months are short. And in retrospect, this can definitely be said about my life as a Mom. Next Sunday is Mother's Day and also my oldest's 21st birthday. How did that happen?  It seems like five minutes ago it was 1999. As Ferris Beuller says: 

So my wish for everyone reading this, whenever you read this, is that you have a chance to stop and smell the roses! I'm planing to spend some of the first Sunday of May reading outside!  

*** What I'm Reviewing This Week***

This week I'll be sharing reviews of the upcoming release Spotlight Scandal by Stella Bixby. 

An upcoming cozy I got from #NetGalley, Ruby Red Herring by Tracy Gardner. 

And on Friday, I'll be sharing my thoughts on Branded By Fire for the Psy-Changeling Read-along Have you read this series?  It's so good! 

Hope you have a great week!  Any plans to stop and smell the roses or hop on a parade float? Comment Below!