Tide and Punishment by Bree Baker (aka Julie Anne Lindsey)

July 16, 2019Leave a comment

A Seaside Cafe Mystery

Tide and Punishment (A Seaside Cafe Mystery, #3) 5 Stars

To be Released on September 24, 2019

Southern Charm on the Carolina Beach, sweet tea, boardwalks, tourist shops, and murder, what’s not to love??? Throw in Christmas, well I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing that makes it!! My favorite thing about this installment was the sense of community, charity, family, and love that is shown. There is nothing more heart warming than coming together as a whole to help those less fortunate.

In A Seaside Cafe Mystery Series, Everly Swan moves home to small town Charm, North Carolina where she opens her dream tea shop, Sun, Sand, and Tea.

She has been under the microscope since moving back to Charm. The Swan women of the island are said to be cursed in love; falling in love and losing their mate at a young age. Swan women don’t leave the island either. Well, Everly did and returned after suffering at love but since she has been back, death has followed in her wake. Since her return, the easy life of Charm has seen one too many murders, and the town is starting to think there is something to this curse of the Swans. With an amazing core cast (the eccentric aunts, handsome detective Grady, and the best bestie Amelia), Everly has the support team she needs to run her dream business and solve murders.

In this installment, It’s Aunt Fran that finds herself in the police investigation after finding the body of the mayor, whom she is running against in the next race. Everyone knows that Aunt Fran is not capable of committing murder but someone is going out of their way to make it look like she did. I had my suspicions from dooms day of whom the killer may be. Turns out, I was correct but finding out the why was a shock.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley. I am so thankful and yet so disappointed that I got to read it early…. now I have to wait longer for BOOK 4!!!!!

This has quickly moved up to the top of my list of favorite series. Julie Anne Lindsey is an absolute doll and a very talented, humble and gracious author. She writes several other series. You can find her under the names Julie Anne Lindsey, Bree Baker, Julie Chase, and another one of my favorites, Jacqueline Frost. Psssssss….. she has a first book in a new cozy series set to release in November. Be on the look out for the release and a review from me for Apple Cider Slaying, book one of the Cider Shop Mysteries.

Please visit her website to keep up with all of Julie’s books.

http://julieannelindsey.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JulieAnneLindseyAuthor

Crepe Expectations by Sarah Fox

June 26, 2019Leave a comment

Crêpe Expectations (Pancake House Mystery #5) 4Stars

This series is up there with some of my absolute favorites. Okay so I have a million favorites, but this series is up there. This series has everything, mystery, romance, sadness, joy, and a few twists that will keep you guessing. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Fox has in store for us next time.

Protagonist, Marley McKinney, inherits an old Victorian home and a Pancake House restaurant on the Pacific Coast when her uncle passes away. Needing a change, Marley uproots her city life to start over and accept her inheritance. Marley makes some great friends and finds love but she also finds dead bodies.

In this installment of the Pancake House Mysteries, Wildwood Cove is hosting an amateur chef competition. When one of the contestants fall suspiciously ill, Marley begins looking into a possible case of sabotage and blackmail. Also, when Marley visits her landscaper boyfriend Brett at the site of the Victorian mansion that’s being restored, she discovers a sweet little kitten; oh, and human remains. How old are the remains and were they there due to foul play? Could the case of the old bones and the current competition mishaps be connected? Read the book to find out.

What I love about the last few books in the series, we are presented with cold cases. I often wonder if someone HAS to die in a Cozy. Sometimes a good mystery is all we need. Obviously, someone died at some point, but when it has happened years prior, it is sometimes easier to digest.

Even though this is set outside of Seattle, the main setting is the pancake house. One of my favorite places ever is Gatlinburg, Tennessee which is filled with delicious and beautiful pancake houses. So that was a score with me immediately.

Oh and the recipes in the book are to die for!!

I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley as well as having the audio version narrated by Marguerite Gavin. I highly recommend this series.

Southern Sass and Killer Cravings by Kate Young

June 13, 2019Leave a comment

A Review and Interview with the Author

Southern Sass and Killer Cravings (Marygene Brown #1) 5 STARS

Southern Sass and Killer Cravings, book 1 of the Marygene Brown Series, is not only the first in an amazing series, but the first Cozy Mystery by Kate Young. I am blown away. Kate Young hit a Grand Slam with this book (homage to the Braves references throughout the book).

Marygene Brown leaves her abusive relationship in Atlanta to return back her hometown of Peach Cove, a small island town of Southern Georgia. Marygene’s plan is to join forces with her sister, Jena Lynn, and run the beloved Peach Diner, passed down by generations of family. What Marygene did not plan on, was a regular customer dying in the restaurant and her sister being lead off in handcuffs. She also didn’t bargain for having her mama show up to guide her through it all. Did I mention mama is dead??

With the help of her mama and others in town, Marygene sets out to prove her sister’s innocence and find out what is going on in her small town. Can she find the killer before the killer finds her?

The character development, setting description, and story line are phenomenal. I instantly fell in love with the characters. There were moments of shock, laughter, intrigue, and emotion throughout the entire book. The mystery was great, I did have my suspicions of the killer from the get go but the road getting there was worth the trip. I laughed many times at the shenanigans of Marygene and Betsy. And somehow, Kate Young adds in the emotional issues of domestic violence. Marygene Brown is one of the strongest Protagonists I have seen in long time.

I cannot wait to continue my journey with Marygene and the Peach Cove Gang.

I read the digital copy awarded to me by NetGalley as well as the audio version of the book. The narrator, Tiffany Morgan, does a fantastic job.

INTERVIEW WITH KATE YOUNG

1. After writing paranormal fantasies, what made you decide to dive into the Cozy Mystery genre? Will you continue to write in other genres?

Mysteries have become my favorite genre to read. I love everything from cozies to heart pounding thrillers. I decided a couple of years ago to try my hand at writing one. I had to learn to write differently. Panster style wouldn’t work in this genre. I took several classes offered through Sisters in Crime and learned that writing a mystery took skill. A skill I had to learn and am still learning. I have great respect for long term writers in the genre. The plan right now is to focus on writing more mysteries.

2. They say write what you know. Being from a small town in Georgia, is Peach Cove based on a real town?

The inspiration for Peach Cove came from both Savannah and Seaside, Florida. The quaintness and beauty of Seaside and the old southern charm of Savannah.

3. Are any of your characters based off of people you know?

The Yvonne character is loosely based on my childhood best friend. The character has her likeness some of her mannerisms, and charm that merged beautifully with the character she became.

4. When can we expect from Marygene Brown and the town of Peach Cove?

There is a lot to come from Marygene and the Peach Cove gang. In book two, Southern Sass and A Crispy Corpse, our heroine is pushed to the limit and finds that her southern sleuthing grit is her saving grace. It’s a wild ride for sure.

To learn more and keep up with Kate Young…

https://www.kateyoungbooks.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Young/e/B0094KQZSS

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKateYoung/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6527572.Kate_Young

https://www.instagram.com/kateyoungbooks/

Dying For Devil’s Food by Jenn McKinlay

June 3, 20191 Comment

A Cupcake Bakery Mystery
“Mean Girls meets Fairy Tale Cupcakes”

Dying for Devil’s Food (Cupcake Bakery Mystery #11) 4 Stars

In this installment, cupcake bakers and bakery owners, Mel and Angie, are baking cupcakes and preparing for their high school reunion. However, Mel is doing so under protest. Mel did not have the best experiences in school as she was overweight and bullied terribly. Although, thinned down and successful, Mel is still terribly insecure. Mel soon finds out that time doesn’t change everyone. The night of the reunion, things are just like high school. Her bullies are still there, holding court, and ready to bully her. The plot thickens when one of her tormentors is found dead and she is the prime suspect.

Determined to clear her name, Mel works with some unlikely people from her past. Together they are determined to find the killer and uncover secrets that may unravel a lot of lives. Some people are willing to do anything to keep their secrets, even kill for them.

I wasn’t surprised really by the culprit, as I suspected them at one point throughout the story but it was still a shock at the reveal.

I love Angie and Tate as a married couple now and I really liked Mel and Joe’s relationship in this book. I was never really Team Joe, always Team Martinez. And as odd as it may be to see Uncle Stan and Mel’s mom together, it makes me happy that they are finding companionship at this time in their lives. I am not sure when book 12 is going to be released but I cannot wait for it, as there will be a lot going on from the way this one ended.

I had the audio version of this book narrated by Susan Boyce. Highly recommend.

Murder With Cucumber Sandwiches by Karen Rose Smith

May 16, 2019Leave a comment

A Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery

Murder with Cucumber Sandwiches (Daisy’s Tea Garden Mystery #3) 5 Stars

I adore this series. The setting of a small town tea shop, the cast of characters, and the sweet and sinister plot lines have made the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mysteries one of my top series.

First and foremost, I love any book, especially a cozy, that has a middle aged (give or take a few years) protagonist. Also, when said protagonist is a single woman battling her own insecurities while trying to keep it together for her family, that’s the perfect recipe to connect emotionally with the books.

In this series, Daisy, a widow with 2 teenage daughters, returns to her small, home town to be closer to her family. In need of a fresh start, Daisy and her aunt Iris open a Tea Shop. Although the business is very successful, its seems a dark cloud has been hovering around the town, especially the tea shop. With murder and mystery popping up in town, Daisy or someone she cares about always seem to be a suspect.

In this installment of the series, a local food critic is going around town reviewing local businesses. With the extremely unfavorable reviews he is giving, it is no surprise that he meets an untimely demise. The twist, it may have been food from Daisy’s Tea Garden that did him in. With her staff being prime suspects, Daisy and her somewhat boyfriend, Jonas, are on the case. If that’s not enough, there seems to be something going on within her own family.

I had no idea who the culprit was of the murder and the why. I did have my a strong idea of what was going on with Daisy’s family. This book, although Cozy, has a strong emotional theme. The sense of strength, family, support, and love are very strong in this novel. When a book can surprise me, make me laugh out loud, and tear up with emotion, it gets a 5 Star rating.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley in return for my honest review.

I am highly anticipating the release of book 4, Murder with Cherry Tarts, 11/26/19.

The Domestic Diva Mysteries by Krista Davis

May 2, 20192 Comments

“So Cozy, you’ll think you are one of the characters.”

The Diva Sweetens the Pie (A Domestic Diva Mystery #12) 5 STARS

This week, Krista Davis released The Diva Sweetens the Pie, book 12 of The Domestic Diva Mystery Series. I cannot sing the praises of this series loud enough. Book 1, The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, released in 2008. For whatever reason, I did not start reading this series until last year. If you still have not read this series, I am urging you to stop what you are doing and read it now!

The core characters of the series, Sophie, Nina, Bernie, Mars, and more, even Natasha, are so well developed that you will forget you are reading a book. You immediately become invested in this cast, you feel like you are a part of the gang. I can also add, the animals’ personalities even shine through. Every book in the series introduces several new characters but its never too much. You never lose focus or become overwhelmed. I have no idea how she does it. Every book is amazing. You would think maybe at least 1 out 12 may have just been okay, but that is not the case. I have never enjoyed a series as much as I enjoy this one. You will laugh out loud, you will be angered and disappointed, you will be surprised and you will long for the next book.

A little about the books…

The books are set in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. Sophie and her semi nemesis Natasha are dueling divas with advice columns; think Ann Landers, Dear Abby, and Hints from Heloise all wrapped into one. Sophie and Natasha have been competing against each other since childhood. I would give their relationship the title of Frenemies.

In each book, Old Town Alexandria starts off just like any small southern town. There is usually a competition, festival, or holiday around the corner that everyone is gearing up and coming to town for. Coincidentally, there is always a murder to investigate as well. Sophie, along with her best friend Nina and the rest of the gang, are the sleuths that get to the bottom of it all. I like to think of them as an adult, southern Scooby Gang, yes they even have a dog!

My description of the series does not do it justice. Anyone that follows my reviews on Goodreads, knows that I am a harsh critic. So if I am telling you to read this series, read this series LOL. I give this series overall 5 Stars!!

If you have never read a Cozy Mystery, this is the series for you. If you have never tried an audio book, this is the series for you. The narrator, Hillary Huber, is phenomenal. If you are skeptical about listening to books on audio, this will change your mind.

Krista Davis also has two other Cozy Mystery Series;
Paws and Claws Mystery and Pen & Ink Mysteries

I have read and/or listened to all of the books Ms. Davis currently has released. Pen & Ink and Paws and Claws both have an amazing cast of characters.

Paws and Claws takes place at a mountain resort that revolves around pets and pet lovers. There are currently 5 books released in this series with book 6 scheduled for release October 1, 2019.

Pen & Ink revolves around a small town bookstore. Who doesn’t enjoy books about books? There are currently 2 books released in this series.

To find out more about Krista Davis and her books, please visit her website at http://www.kristadavis.com/

You can also follow her on social media and on Goodreads.

I’m Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan

April 4, 2019April 4, 2019Leave a comment

Review by DJB

I’m Fine and Neither Are You

4.5 Stars(almost 5 except the protagonist was a tad bit “too” much at times and worked my nerves) **Spoiler Free Review**

This is not a book that I would normally read, as I would have considered it “too realistic” for me. However, it was selected for our book club and I stepped out of my comfort zone. I normally don’t read books about real life problems because I have my own, I read to escape reality. After reading this book, I have a better understanding of what I already knew. You can never possibly know everything that is going on in people’s lives and minds. If you didn’t already know there were problems in your relationships, reading this book will surely tell you there are many. I actually realized I do some of the same things as Penny and sabotage things because I think are going too well. Or, I accept things the way they are because I am afraid of conflict or hurting someone. The core characters of this story experience the same things most of us have and it helps to see others struggle through it. I am not saying its good to see others struggle, it just shows you that you are not alone in the struggle.

This is a work of fiction but could easily be an entertaining self help book. I highly recommend this to anyone (male or female) that has ever been in a relationship (not just a romantic one), had a stressful job, experiences the struggle with the balance of life, experienced the loss of a loved one, or an absentee parent.

I had a digital copy as well as the audio version. The Audible narrator, Amy McFadden, was great!