Killing Time, by Suzanne Trauth

Killing Time by Suzanne M. Trauth

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 6 in the series.

This is a fun series, about a collaboration between a restaurant and a community theatre. Dodie always ends up right in the middle of murder.

This one was a light, quick read, set at my favorite time of the year, Halloween. My only complaint about this one was that Dodie had more than the usual too stupid moments that got her quite banged up in the end.

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

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Breakfast at the Honeycreek Cafe, by Jodi Thomas

Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café by Jodi Thomas

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

First book in a new series.

This was the first book I've read by this author and it was an okay read. The town is the typical charming small town, but I felt like the author tackled too much in featuring 4 main characters and their stories. There didn't seem to be a lot of character growth, and frankly the plot lines were slooow for most of the book and then way too fast for some things. All the characters falling in love in a week felt like a stretch.

It's an okay book for a series start, I guess, but not anything special.

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

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Grave Consequences, by Lena Gregory

Grave Consequences by Lena Gregory

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

Book 5 in the series.

After the previous book, I did go back and read the rest of the series, so I was happy to see this one listed on NetGalley.

Sadly, this one was kind of boring. The Whodunit was kind of obvious and the rest of the story filled with tedious details as filler. It took me several days to get my disinterest and to the last few chapters. In the end, it turned out to be an okay read, but nothing fantastic.

Less dog and people feeding, please, haha.

Still, I am looking forward to the next book.

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

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Murder in the Storybook Cottage, by Ellery Adams

Murder in the Storybook Cottage by Ellery Adams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 5 in the series.

I enjoyed this one much more than the previous one. It's not nearly so over the top and out there, now that they're slowly supposed to be dismantling the collection. I still find the Edward storyline silly, but at least it's a bit minimized in this one.

All in all, I love the setting, the town, and the idea of the series, I'm just still a bit hesitant about the practice, haha.

Hoping this leads in to a bit more "normal" stories, instead of cozyish spy tales.

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

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Shredding the Evidence, by Daryl Wood Gerber

Shredding the Evidence by Daryl Wood Gerber

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

Book 9 in the series.

I wanted to like it. I've enjoyed previous books in the series. But this one was boring. The quirky characters I liked were just blah. And it felt a little mean. Like, fat shaming mean. I finally gave up on it and put it down 2/3 of the way through.

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

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A Bad Day for Sunshine, by Darynda Jones

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 1 in a new series.

I originally really liked Darynda Jones' previous series (it started to go a bit too off the rails for me after several books, but that's another blog post), so when I saw she had a new series coming out I decided to request it.

I'm glad I did. I liked Sunshine immediately. Her relationship with her daughter is fun, but still mostly realistic and they're both sharp, capable females. In fact, this book has numerous independent, tough, funny, sexy, smart females and I loved that.

The plot kept me entertained and laughing out loud, while waiting to see what would happen next. I can't wait for the next book (And I really want Sunny to take that *itch of a blackmailing mayor down! You know it's coming, she threatened Sunny's daughter!).

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

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The Immortal Conquistador, by Carrie Vaughn

The Immortal Conquistador by Carrie Vaughn

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

Book 15 in the series, but not really, since it's a completely stand alone book about Rick the vampire.

It's also not really a cohesive novel, but more chunks of stories about Rick that have appeared elsewhere and been collected in one place and then filled out. As a result, it was an okay read, but nothing special. Mostly, it was just fun to be back in Ms. Vaughn's alternate reality.

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

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Berried in the Past, by Peg Cochran

Berried in the Past by Peg Cochran

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 5 in the series.

I liked this one a lot better than the previous one. The murder mystery was interesting and intrigued me. I always like a story within the story. It was a quick read.

There was much baking of cranberry goods, and I confess, I'm not a cranberry fan. The recipes hold no draw for me, but then, I've never made a recipe from a book that turned out as good as it sounded, so oh well, haha.

Altogether, this was a much better comeback for this series and I am looking forward to the next.

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

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Death on the Page, by Essie Lang

Death on the Page by Essie Lang

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, It's a NO from me.

Book 2 in the series.

I struggled with book 1, and I struggled with the one as well. It just didn't hold my interest. I finally gave up on it a few chapters in. I did not finish and I give up on this series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book received from the publisher, via Netgalley

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Murder in an Irish Cottage, by Carlene O'Connor

Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O'Connor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I mostly liked it.

Book 5 in the series.

I'd read the first two books, and the novella in Christmas Cocoa Murder and man, there's a huge jump in relationships from 4.5 to book 5! To the point where I was a bit baffled, because I'm obviously missing a whole heck of a lot of the story.
[I mean, in 4.5 Mac and Siobhán aren't together, with Mac lurking around watching her in an almost creepy way, and here they are, engaged and setting a wedding date! (hide spoiler)]

The story itself was fun, and I enjoyed the mystery, but I really wish there'd been another book or at least another novella in between to explain how we got here, unless something else is explained in books 3 or 4. Anyway, I'm going to go back and read them, in case I missed something.

Do yourself a favor, and don't start here! There's a lot of characters to keep straight, and some back story that left me feeling a bit lost.

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

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The Book of Candlelight, by Ellery Adams

The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams

My rating: 5 of 5 stars, I LOVED it!

Book 3 in the series.

This is my favorite of the series so far! I loved the ladies of the Secret, Book & Scone Society, but I think adding Sheldon to the mix is wonderful. I absolutely adore him and his attitude even in the face of debilitating chronic pain. Even when he's "cranky," he's likable and easy to relate to. As in the previous books, Nora and her friends, are well fleshed out and interesting. They each have secrets and emotions and aren't always likable or smart because of that, just like real people.

I loved the touch of Native American folklore, and the storyline moved quickly. I devoured the book in one night, not wanting to put it down. I hope this series continues for many more books!

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

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A View to a Kilt, by Kaitlyn Dunnett

A View to a Kilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett

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

Book 13 in the series.

This one took me some time to get into, which is weird, because it started off with a bang, and had two of my favorite characters in it (Dandy and Dondi!). But it really just had a slow pace after that. And Liss' mother is annoying as all get out.

In the end, it all wrapped up nicely and it was an okay story.

I like this series, and I will continue to read it, but this one is definitely not one of my favorites.

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

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A Field Guide to Homicide, by Lynn Cahoon

A Field Guide to Homicide by Lynn Cahoon

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

Book 6 in the series.

This one was not my favorite. I had a hard time getting in to it, and I found myself really not liking Seth for much of the book. And really, I am getting tired of Cat's ex being dragged in all the time. I thought we were finished with him.

Throw in all the food descriptions, eating and an over-use of dialog versus action, and the whole book was weak. As Elvis once said, "A little less conversation, a little more action, please."

Hopefully this book was just a fluke and the next one will be back to normal.

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

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Mortal Music, by Ann Parker

Mortal Music by Ann Parker

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 7 in the series.

This is the first book I've read in the series, but it absolutely is a stand alone story. It's also not really a cozy mystery, but more of a historical mystery.

I'm a huge western history buff, so this was right up my alley. Yes, it's historical fiction, but Ms. Parker has obviously done her research on the area and time period.

Her main character is interesting and likable, intelligent and strong. The plot was full of twists and turns and now I really want to go back and read the previous books in the series!

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



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Fatal Roots, by Sheila Connolly

Fatal Roots by Sheila Connolly

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

Book 8 in the series.

I've enjoyed this series from the beginning, but this one just felt like the weakest of the lot. On one hand, it was nice to get to meet Maura's half sister, on the other hand, the mystery was kind of boring and the victim wasn't super likable and no one really seemed to care about him other than his gang-like family.

And the college student part of the plot kind of felt like half that story had been cut out, as we never really got an explanation of why the kid disappeared, or what he was doing when he was gone.

I still like the characters, and will continue to read the series, but please, finish the kitchen already! And if Ms. Connolly could bring back some of the music again, instead of just talking about it, that'd be good too.

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

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Dead in Dublin, by Catie Murphy

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy

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

Book 1 in a new series.

I wanted to love this book. It's by one of my favorite Urban Fantasy authors (C.E. Murphy), so when I saw it on NetGalley, I snapped it up.

For some reason, it just didn't hold my interest until about halfway in. I found myself putting it down and reading other things, a lot. In the end, it was okay. And I will definitely read the next in the series. In fact, with her Urban Shaman series, the books just got better and after the first one, so I am hoping for the same here.

The series has a lot going for it, interesting setting, a different career for the protagonist. And I liked Megan. I know some people were upset about a bit of cursing, but that doesn't bother me a bit.

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

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Verse and Vengeance, by Amanda Flower

Verse and Vengeance by Amanda Flower

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 4 in the series.

Thankfully, this book is a big improvement from the previous one in the series and actually kept my attention all the way through.

Emerson and Faulkner are, as always, a fun addition to the story, but I have to say, enough Walt Whitman! Dialogue can be a bit cheesy, but that's part of what makes it fun, haha.

All in all, the mystery was decent, and Violet and the magical bookshop are always fun to visit.


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

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Potions are for Pushovers, by Tamara Berry

Potions Are for Pushovers by Tamara Berry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 2 in the series.

I loved this book as much as the first one in the series. The pace was quick and I read it in one sitting.

The entire cast of characters is a bit kooky. The main character, Eleanor, is not a physic at all, but previously pretended to be one to make a living and support her sister. Now, she creates herbal potions as the town witch. Despite the fact that at heart, Ellie is a con artist, she's still incredibly likable and funny.

She's also smart, independent and capable. And did I mention funny? I had several laugh out loud moments with this book.

Ellie seems to have found her place in the village in this book, settling in and making friends outside of the Hartford family.

I absolutely love this series and can't wait 'til the next one.

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

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Cobblered to Death, by Rosemarie Ross

Cobblered to Death by Rosemarie Ross

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

Book 1 in a new series.

The setting was interesting, but Courtney feels a bit one dimensional and the mystery was a bit blah, with most of the action happening at the very end. All in all, it's a decent first, but hopefully the author tightens things up a bit and develops Courtney a lot in the next book.

I'd like to read the next in the series, but it's not going to the top of my TBR pile just yet.

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


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Memories and Murder, by Lynn Cahoon

Memories and Murder by Lynn Cahoon

My rating: 3 of 5 stars, I liked it.

Book 10 in the series.

It was good to finally get a full length story in this series again, and one that answered the questions from the previous book. The novellas published in between all took place before book 9, and just left me annoyed that I still didn't know what was going on with Aunt Jackie!

This time I enjoyed my visit to South Cove, and the mysteries Jill decides to get involved in.

More full length books, please!

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

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