June 10, 2020

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert - Review and Giveaway

 

Book details
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series 
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (August 11, 2020) 
Hardcover: 320 pages 
ISBN-10: 1643853074 
ISBN-13: 978-1643853079 
Digital ASIN: B07XX7PHTV 

Book description
From the critically acclaimed author of SIBA Okra Pick A Murder for the Books, Victoria Gilbert embarks with a new series for perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Juliet Blackwell.

A book lover's B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder--and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth.

Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader's paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It's the perfect literary retreat--until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.

The victim's daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.

Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt's name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer's death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer--or end up writing her own final chapter.

Meet the author - Victoria Gilbert
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina. This is her fourth Blue Ridge Library mystery.

Author Links: Website/blog: http://victoriagilbertmysteries.com/ 
Purchase Links: Amazon B&N Kobo Indie Bound 

My thoughts
I enjoyed this first book in the new series by Victoria. The book lover's bed and breakfast sounds like a nice getaway as long as you don't stumble upon a murder victim. The author did a good job of keeping me guessing.  I liked the characters and am looking forward to getting to know them better as the series goes on. I also thought it was neat how the week long stay at the bed and breakfast was themed around an author.  I am hoping we don't have to wait too long for the next in this series. 

Giveaway
TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
June 8 – The Bookwyrm's Hoard – REVIEW J
une 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT 
June 8 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW 
June 9 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
June 9 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT 
June 10 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 10 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT 
June 10 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW 
June 11 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW 
June 11 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW 
June 12 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW 
June 13 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
June 13 – The Book Diva's Reads – GUEST POST 
June 14 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW 
June 14 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW 
June 15 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW 
June 15 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW 
June 15 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW 
June 16 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
June 16 – Moonlight Rendezvous- REVIEW 
June 16 – Jane Reads – GUEST POST 
June 17 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW 
June 17 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
June 18 – View from the Birdhouse – REVIEW 
June 18 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
June 19 – That's What She's Reading – REVIEW 
June 19 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW 
June 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW 
June 20 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW 
June 21 – Melina's Book Blog - REVIEW 
June 21 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST
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May 8, 2020

Mousse and Murder by Elizabeth Logan - Spotlight and Giveaway



Book details
Mousse and Murder (An Alaskan Diner Mystery) 
Cozy Mystery 1st in Series 
Publisher: Berkley (May 5, 2020) 
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 
ISBN-10: 0593100441 
ISBN-13: 978-0593100448 
Kindle ASIN: B07WCZPZY7
 

Book description
A young chef might bite off more than she can chew when she returns to her Alaskan hometown to take over her parents' diner in this charming first installment in a new cozy mystery series set in an Alaskan tourist town.

When Chef Charlie Cooke is offered the chance to leave San Francisco and return home to Elkview, Alaska, to take over her mother's diner, she doesn't even consider saying no. After all--her love life has recently become a Love Life Crumble, and a chance to reconnect with her roots may be just what she needs.

Determined to bring fresh life and flavors to the Bear Claw Diner, Charlie starts planning changes to the menu, which has grown stale over the years. But her plans are fried when her head cook Oliver turns up dead after a bitter and public fight over Charlie's ideas--leaving Charlie as the only suspect in the case.

With her career, freedom, and life all on thin ice, Charlie must find out who the real killer is, before it's too late.

Meet the author Elizabeth Logan
Camille Minichino is turning every aspect of her life into a mystery series. A retired physicist, she’s the author of 28 mystery novels in 5 series, with different pen names. Her next book is “Mousse and Murder,” May 2020, by Elizabeth Logan. She's also written many short stories and articles. She teaches science at Golden Gate U. in San Francisco and writing workshops around the SF Bay Area. Details are at www.minichino.com.

Author Links Website - http://www.minichino.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/camille.minichino
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/160580.Camille_Minichino

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - IndieBound 

Giveaway


TOUR PARTICIPANTS 
May 5 – Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder – REVIEW, RECIPE 
May 5 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST 
May 5 – I'm Into Books – SPOTLIGHT 
May 5 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
May 6 – Elizabeth McKenna - Author – SPOTLIGHT 
May 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
May 6 – The Power of Words – REVIEW 
May 6 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT 
May 6 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT 
May 7 – Ruff Drafts – GUEST POST 
May 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW 
May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT 
May 7 – Reading Is My SuperPower - REVIEW 
May 8 – Reading Reality – REVIEW 
May 8 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT 
May 8 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
May 8 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW 
May 9 – Christy's Cozy Corners – REVIEW 
May 9 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST 
May 9 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, GUEST POST 
May 9 – Eskimo Princess Book Reviews- SPOTLIGHT 
May 10 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW 
May 10 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW 
May 10 – Literary Gold- SPOTLIGHT 
May 10 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW 
May 11 – eBook Addicts – REVIEW 
May 11 – Brianne's Book Reviews – REVIEW 
May 11 – Sapphyria's Books – REVIEW 
May 11 – A Wytch's Book Review Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
May 12 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
May 12 – Diary of a Book Fiend – REVIEW 
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April 27, 2020

Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter - Review

I received this book from the author and all opinions are my own.

Book details
Series: A Duke's Heiress Romance (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Zebra (April 28, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1420149970
ISBN-13: 978-1420149975

Book description
Minerva Hepplewhite has learned the hard way how to take care of herself. When an intruder breaks into her home, she doesn’t swoon or simper. Instead she wallops the rogue over the head and ties him up—only to realize he is Chase Radnor, a gentleman and grandson of a lord, and a man who makes it his business to investigate suspicious matters. Now he’s insisting that Minerva has inherited a fortune from his uncle, a wealthy duke. Only one thing could surprise her more: her sudden attraction to this exasperating man . . .

Chase can’t decide whether Minerva is a wronged woman or a femme fatale. Either way, he’s intrigued. Maddeningly, with her unexpected inheritance, she has set up a discreet detective business to rival Chase’s own. She may be the perfect person to help him uncover the truth about his uncle’s demise. But as proximity gives way to mutual seduction, Chase realizes he craves a much deeper alliance . . .

Meet the author - Madeline Hunter
Madeline Hunter is a New York Times bestselling author with more than six million copies of her books in print. She has thirty-one nationally bestselling historical romances in print, including most recently, Never Deny a Duke, A Devil of a Duke, and The Most Dangerous Duke in London. A member of RWA’s Honor Roll, she has won the RITA Award twice and been a finalist seven times. Her books have appeared on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly, and have been translated into thirteen languages. She has a PhD in art history, which she has taught at the university level. Madeline loves to hear from her readers, and can be reached through her website at www.madelinehunter.com, on Facebook, www.facebook.com/madelinehunter/, and at twitter.com/madelinehunter.

My thoughts
I enjoyed this first book in this new series.  Minerva was intriguing to me from the first time she appeared in the book.  Chase was a stand up guy that would be nice to know.  Nicholas was a person you should keep your eye on as you never know what he is going to do.  I liked how Chase and Minerva were both trying to figure out why the duke left his money to who he did but yet they both kept secrets.  I felt this was a good start to a new series. 
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April 25, 2020

Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber - Review

I received this book from the author and all opinions are my own. 

Book details
Series: A Cookbook Nook Mystery (Book 9)
Paperback: 226 pages
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing (April 21, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1950461440
ISBN-13: 978-1950461448

Book description
The denizens of Crystal Cove are salivating over the upcoming Food Bowl Week, when local chefs offer some of their best and most imaginative creations in bite-size portions all over town. Bookstore proprietor Jenna Hart is hungry to sample as many of the delicacies as she can, but when she stumbles onto the dead body of a local food reporter and learns that her best friend’s husband is the primary suspect, she’ll have to summon the appetite for a side dish of sleuthing to prove his innocence.

Jenna knows the ambitious and aggressive reporter, who was strangled at a fitness center with her shredded restaurant reviews scattered around her, left behind a long list of potential suspects. As she begins piecing together the scant clues, she uncovers illicit ties between the victim and a local newspaper owner, a spurned would-be lover, and a host of disgruntled restaurant owners not a bit torn up by the critical reporter’s demise. And with a solution so close she can almost taste it, Jenna turns up the heat on the culprit, realizing too late that she’s the next course on the murderer’s menu.

Meet the author - Daryl Wood Gerber
Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber writes the bestselling COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERIES, the new FAIRY GARDEN MYSTERIES, and the FRENCH BISTRO MYSTERIES. As Avery Aames, she pens the bestselling CHEESE SHOP MYSTERIES. In addition, Daryl writes suspense, including the ASPEN ADAMS NOVELS OF SUSPENSE and stand-alone suspense thrillers, including GIRL ON THE RUN and DAY OF SECRETS. Fun tidbits: Daryl jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, and she hitchhiked around Ireland by herself. Also, as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to read, cook, and golf. She has a frisky Goldendoodle named Sparky who keeps her in line!

My thoughts
Daryl has done it again and has another hit with this book.  I love the food theme of this series and am always excited to see Jenna is up to.  She made Food Bowl Week sound like a fun thing to see and do.  I also like hearing about the different foods and enjoy trying out some of the recipes.  I thought I had the killer all figured out then before I knew it there would a twist that would have me rethinking my choice.  I highly recommend this series as the characters nor the author's writing will disappoint. 
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Building a Family by Jennifer Slattery - Review

I received this book from the author and all opinions are my own.

Book details
Series: Love Inspired
Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Love Inspired; Original edition (May 19, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1335488227
ISBN-13: 978-1335488220

Book description
Worried that Noah Williams is still the reckless bull rider she remembers, Kayla Fisher is convinced he isn’t the right person to care for their orphaned niece and nephew. Now she’s back home, determined to fight for custody. But Noah is a changed man, and he intends to prove it. When Noah and Kayla start falling for each other, could raising the children together be the perfect solution?

Meet the author - Jennifer Slattery
Jennifer Slattery is a writer, speaker, and the founder of Wholly Loved Ministries. She writes and blogs for Crosswalk and is a multi-published author. She speaks to women's groups, at conferences, retreats, and to Bible study groups across the nation and encourages women to discover and live out who they are in Christ. When not writing or reading, you'll likely find her sharing coffee with friends or laughing with her hilariously fun husband.

My thoughts
I thought this was a book that was enjoyable to read.  As I read it I found myself at first mad, that a mom could leave her kids and a dad who did not care, to happy that an uncle stepped up to take in the kids and an aunt who rushed to be there for the kids.  I am glad that Kayla rushed to make sure that the kids were being taken care of and understood her apprehension that Noah was doing what was right for them.  This was a very touching story and held my attention all the way to the end. 
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April 8, 2020

Beachside Beginnings by Sheila Roberts - Review



I received this book from the author.  All opinions are my own. 

Book details
Series: A Moonlight Harbor Novel (Book 4)
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: MIRA; Original edition (April 21, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 077836089X
ISBN-13: 978-0778360896

Book description
Moira Wellman has always loved makeovers—helping women find their most beautiful selves. Funny how it’s taken her five years with her abusive boyfriend, Lang, to realize she needs a life makeover. When Moira finally gets the courage to leave Lang, the beachside town of Moonlight Harbor is the perfect place to start over.

Soon Moira is right at home, working at Waves Salon, making new friends and helping her clients find new confidence. When she meets a handsome police officer, she’s more than willing to give him a free haircut. Maybe even her heart. But is she really ready for romance after Lang? And what if her new friend is in hot pursuit of that same cop? This is worse than a bad perm.

With all the heart and humor readers have come to expect from a Sheila Roberts novel, Beachside Beginnings is the story of one woman finding the courage to live her best life. And where better to live it than at the beach?

Meet the author - Sheila Roberts
Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her novels have been published in several languages. Her book, Angel Lane, was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009. Her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas, was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network and her novel, The Nine Lives of Christmas, was made into a movie for Hallmark . You can visit Sheila on Twitter and Facebook or at her website (http://www.sheilasplace.com).

My thoughts
Another great installment in the Moonlight Harbor series. This one caught my interest from the beginning as I have a family member that went through the same thing as Moira.  She also had a new beginning but it was not easy. I think that is why I liked Moira so much and was pulling for her to find happiness. I also really liked Annie and wanted her to find her own success.  This book was easy to read and I enjoyed every page of it. At times I had a hard time putting it down. I liked how the author ended things and can't wait for the next book in the series. 
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March 31, 2020

Sourdough by Robin Sloan


Book details
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Picador; Reprint edition (September 18, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250192757
ISBN-13: 978-1250192752

Book description
Lois Clary, a software engineer at a San Francisco robotics company, codes all day and collapses at night. When her favourite sandwich shop closes up, the owners leave her with the starter for their mouthwatering sourdough bread.

Lois becomes the unlikely hero tasked to care for it, bake with it and keep this needy colony of microorganisms alive. Soon she is baking loaves daily and taking them to the farmer's market, where an exclusive close-knit club runs the show.

When Lois discovers another, more secret market, aiming to fuse food and technology, a whole other world opens up. But who are these people, exactly?

Meet the author - Robin Sloan
Robin Sloan is the author of the novels Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore and Sourdough, published in the U.S. by MCD. He grew up near Detroit and now split his time between the Bay Area and the internet.

My thoughts
My book club chose this book as this months selection to read. While I did enjoy this book, I have to be honest that I would not have picked this book up on my own. I am ashamed to say that the cover did not appeal to me and that is one thing that first draws me to books. I liked the brothers that Lois was getting her supper from every night and that they entrusted her with the sourdough when they had to leave.  Some of the things about Lois' day job confused me a little. My favorite part of the story the sourdough. I liked how things ended for Lois in the end, but at the same time would have liked to hear just a little more about her adventure. 
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