A Haunted History of Women, by Leanna Hieber and Andrea James

A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts by Leanna Renee Hieber 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, DNF.

Sigh. Another book that I thought would be interesting because I love ghost stories and history and a well told tale. Plus, spooky season is here, so yay!

But this book was anything but well told. It was dry, boring and highly judgemental. It felt like the driest of college course lectures on Women's Studies. Apparently the authors give ghost tours. Those must be just a ton of fun! Or not.

Did not finish.

Also absolutely stunned that Amazon has limited who can review this book to Verified Purchases "Amazon has noticed unusual reviewing activity on this product. Due to this activity, we have limited this product to verified purchase reviews." Apparently multiple poor reviews are unusual? So yeah, no Amazon review for this one.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Bound by Murder, by Laura Gail Black

Bound by Murder by Laura Gail Black 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, left unfinished.

Book 3 in the series.

I gave all three books in the series a try, and I still don't really care for Jenna. This series just isn't for me. It's too bad, because I do love a good bookshop mystery, but I just couldn't stay interested in this series. No more for me.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Six Feet Deep Dish, by Mindy Quigley

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not finish.

First in a new series, but last for me.

I had a really hard time getting in to this book. The main character just wasn't super likeable. Wow, a chef with anger issues? And she actually thinks that is a good thing! Add in that a lot of the descriptions of things (characters' weight and relationships with food, etc.) were really off-putting. Other descriptions were just dumb. I mean, please stop describing the man's lips as "pillowy."

This series is not for me.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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Death by Beach Read, by Eva Gates

Death by Beach Read by Eva Gates 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, almost a DNF.

Book 9 in the series.

Honestly, this was my least favorite of the whole series. It was slow paced, and Lucy was almost unlikable in this one! She was snobby and I got tired of all the "white" lies she told. The storyline was very predictable.

It makes it on to the Read shelf, but barely. I finally skipped to the end just to see if I was correct in my deduction. Yep.

This series has been very up and down for me, some I have absolutely enjoyed and others just dragged and didn't entertain me at all for various reasons. I keep saying I am done with the series and then one shows up on NetGalley and I request it. Time to stop, for real this time.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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How to Book a Murder, by Cynthia Kuhn

How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, it's a DNF for me.

Book one in a new series.

I wanted to like it. It had a bookstore and it was set in Colorado. The mean girl from high school trope is starting to get on my nerves, and the whole thing dragged. Emma needs to grow a backbone, because the client is NOT always right. I finally gave up and walked away. I started reading this in JULY, and tried again in December, closer to the pub date. Still a NOPE for me.

This is just one of a string of cozies that didn't hold my interest. I find myself thinking that maybe, I am growing out of cozy mysteries?

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Slashing Through the Snow, by Jacqueline Frost

Slashing Through the Snow by Jacqueline Frost 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't care for it.

Book 3 in the series.

I'm not sure what happened to the main character after the first book, but I wanted to slap Holly multiple times. She was too stupid to live way too often in this book, and I get really tired of books where the amateur sleuth completely ignores their day job to nose around. And in this case, it's a brand new business and Holly is supposedly worried about a bad review from the person who ends up the murder victim. Honey, you need to be worrying about all your guests, because you're a terrible innkeeper!

This book just didn't sit well with me. And I don't understand why Holly's boyfriend, Sheriff Evan, puts up with her. She's turned into a nosy old biddy, and was truly insufferable.

I don't think I will read anymore in the series, if there are anymore to come.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Once Upon a Seaside Murder, by Maggie Blackburn

Once Upon a Seaside Murder by Maggie Blackburn 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did Not Finish, I'd give it Zero stars if I could.

Book 2 in the series.

I didn't finish the first book in the series, but I thought I'd give it a second chance.

Unfortunately, the main character is still condescending, rude, and absolutely unlikable, and adding a bunch of new characters doesn't help me get past that.

It's too bad, because the idea should have been fun. But I read to have a good time, not be talked down to by the main character.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Reserved For Murder, by Victoria Gilbert

Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Unfinished.

Book 2 in the series.

I saw this on NetGalley, and even though I didn't care for the first book, I thought I would give it another chance.

Unfortunately, I didn't like it anymore than I liked the first, so it goes unfinished and on my NOPE list.


*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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Organize Your Corpses, by Mary Jane Maffini

Organize Your Corpses by Mary Jane Maffini

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, DNF.

Re-release of book 1 in a 5 book series.

Ugh. I didn't find ANY of the characters likeable, not even the dogs. I got to the discovery of the body and lo and behold, the main characters favorite pen under the body, rolled my eyes hard and closed the book on my Kindle.

Life is too short to waste on books you don't enjoy.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*


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Picture Perfect Frame, by Lynn Cahoon

Picture Perfect Frame by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 1 of 5 stars, just meh.

Book 12 in the series.

I love this series, and have since I first stumbled across it in my local library. But lately I haven't been so thrilled. First there were all the holiday themed novellas that scrambled the time line, and then there was the somewhat of a cliff hanger of Aunt Jackie's weird behavior. But we got answers there, and a full length book, so I was happier.

This one disappointed me again. It just didn't keep my attention for long. I found myself putting it down for other books, before picking it up again days later. I finally finished, but it was a struggle.

I was hopeful that with this one, all the wedding blather would end, between Aunt Jackie's previous bridezilla behavior and now Amy's wedding. But it sure looks like Jill and Greg will be next up, so so much for that. Honestly, I'm sick of weddings and all the planning and money spent on them, even in fiction!

I will wait and hope for a better story in the next one though, because I really do love South Cove and the characters.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Death Bee Comes Her, by Nancy CoCo

Death Bee Comes Her by Nancy CoCo
My rating: 1 of 5 stars, did not finish.

Book one in the series.

This book just wasn't for me. I couldn't get in to it at all, despite trying multiple times. I finally just gave it up and DNFed it.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Grounds for Murder, by Tara Lush

Grounds for Murder by Tara Lush 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not like, didn't finish.

Book 1 in a new series.

I just couldn't make myself care about any of the characters in the book. The main character was pretty pathetic, and the murder victim was a jerk. I finally skipped to the end, just to see who won the barista contest. (view spoiler)[It was Lana, of course. (hide spoiler)]

After literal months of leaving this book on a back burner, I had to actually go read the blurb again, because nothing about it stuck with me. And when I did, I thought,"Oh yeah, that book. DNF."

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Murder at an Irish Christmas, by Carlene O'Connor

Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'Connor 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not finish.

Book 6 of the series.

This series has really been hit or miss for me. I have really enjoyed some of the books, and others, not at all.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss. I just couldn't get into it, at all. After finding myself putting it down for something else multiple times, I finally decided to called it DNF.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Have Yourself a Fudgey Little Christmas, by Nancy CoCo

Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas by Nancy CoCo 

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay, but....

Book 8 in the series.

I love Mackinac Island, but I am not loving Allie lately. In this book she's whiney, and I am absolutely over her love life, or lack thereof. Being in a relationship just seems too important in this series. I thought the stupid love triangle was wrapped up and now we find out it imploded instead (although I do kind of find it ironic that the guy Allie "picked" is now involved again with his ex, Allie played him, then she got played).

There was a lot of repetition in this book too, like almost the same conversation, repeated with another character. The whole thing felt a bit wordy. Like the author was trying to draw it out and hit word count.

After the previous book I was rethinking my commitment to this series, and this time I really think I am done.


*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.*

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Death on the Green, by Catie Murphy

Death on the Green by Catie Murphy
My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I was disappointed with this book and the series.

Book 2 in the series.

This series has been a huge disappointment. I love the author's Urban Fantasy series, but this just left me bored to tears. It's a shame too, because there's not a lot of LGBTQ+ represented in the Cozy genre, so Megan could have been ground breaking, instead she was just blah. And some of the situations she was placed in were actually bordering on icky. Dressing up so a client can oogle you? She's a limo driver, not a sex worker.

It took me days to finish this book as I kept putting it down for something else every time I got bored or annoyed with the characters/plot.

I gave both books in the series a try, but I think I'm done. I'll stick with re-reading the author's Urban Shaman series instead.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via, NetGalley*


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Little Bookshop of Murder, by Maggie Blackburn

Little Bookshop of Murder by Maggie Blackburn 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars. The author put me off almost immediately. DNF.

Book 1 in the series.

This book had all kinds of good things going for it, a bookstore at the beach? I'm there.

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this book. The main character was kind of a condescending ass, (and frankly, by extension, the author as well) going so far as to mention that she teaches "real literature" and that most other books are just fluff. Umm, that's why we're reading your new cozy, author. We like fluff and we don't need you to talk down to us through your main character!

I pretty much put the book down right after that and called it DNF.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, via, NetGalley*

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Booked For Death, by Victoria Gilbert

Booked for Death by Victoria Gilbert
 

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, it wasn't for me.
 

Book 1 in a series.

I wanted to like it. Once again, the premise of a booklover's vacation excited me, but failed to live up to the idea for me. I didn't really connect with the main character, Charlotte, or her pack of zany associates. Add in, without spoiling too much, the outlandish background of Charlotte's deceased aunt and next door neighbor and this book is a pale shadow of the Book Retreat cozy series, (which ended up utterly out there, but at least the characters were likeable.)

This series is a "One and done," for me.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley*


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RomeAntically Challenged, by Marina Adair

Romeantically Challenged by Marina Adair

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not finish.

Ugh. The blurb sounded so cute, but the love interest was such an ass, I really couldn't get in to the book. There were tons of distracting errors too. It was all too annoying for me, so I just moved on to the next book on my reading list.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley*

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Witch Hunt, by Cate Conte

Witch Hunt by Cate Conte

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't like it.

Book 1 in a new series.

I've come to the conclusion that this author is just not for me. Unfinished.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley*

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Crushing It, By Lorelei Parker

Crushing It by Lorelei Parker

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I didn't like it.

As a gamer, I wanted to like it. But it bored me from the beginning and I finally gave up. Sierra was too freaking gullible and Tristan was an Ass. The author's writing was fine, I just couldn't get behind the characters.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided to me by the publisher, via NetGalley*


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