Very, very in your face spicy from page 1. I might not otherwise have continued, but I wanted to see why the person who loaned it to me loved it; then it became engrossing. Feyi is a 5year survivor of a traumatic accident that took the life of her husband. She is just now beginning to overcome and return to life when she meets Alim, who understands her completely.

Arlo‘s body is found dead at a private park. Since his breakup with Cay people haven‘t seen much of him and it makes it difficult to determine why he is killed. Janis has a new French Bulldog and seems to have lost her canniness as she falls in love with the pup. Olivia is not falling in love with the new house Michael built and is irritable. Yet they all try to solve the murder Woofstock is going on.

This book brought me peace as the characters struggled to find their own. I needed that. Olivia gives advice over the radio. A caller tells her she needs to look into her own marriage and then her personal life falls apart with her breaking down in the middle of her show. She invites 4 with broken hearts to join her on what was to be her anniversary vacation and they help each other heal.

A death at a local cleaning competition has Olivia looking into murder, but at the same time as big a mystery is where is the corporate sponsor owner. (I think you too will figure that out.) Olivia is having doubts about moving in with Michael and all of this is keeping her head spinning.

Whoa! The story is practically told backwards. Nic returns home because her father is going further in his dementia and she has to help her brother get the house ready for sale. She hates going back because a girl disappeared shortly before she left, her best friend. And, now, another is gone.

Who Olivia hoped would be their new drummer is murdered before she even gets to interview him. It turns out his ex and children had just moved to Lily Rock and they‘re top on the list of suspects. They are all slippery and rude so it‘s hard for Olivia and Janis to figure out the killer and Sage has a big surprise. I am always immersed in this small town and its characters.

A fun enemies to lovers romance. Alexa asks her 2 best friends to stand up for her at her wedding. The only problem is they despise each other. However, as they keep getting thrown together they find things to like each other and there‘s strong chemistry.

I didn‘t really like this one, mostly because of the subject matter, and even though the suspense and action was kept high. Jack Morgan of the company Private is supposed to keep the Olympic games being held at Rio in Brazil safe. Unfortunately, for him, there is a mad scientist, hoping to release a deadly virus and a conspiracy to kidnap and kill the man who built the stadium for the Olympics.

Enjoyable cozy mystery. An elderly gentleman is found dead in a garden. Closer investigation shows that something is off. Olivia gets a new temporary job at Hello Age, a retirement home and it seems as though they have a higher number of deaths than normal. At the same time it looks like someone is trying to set Raleigh up as the murderer of his grandfather.

A slow, dry start (real action doesn‘t start until about page 60), but it turns into an interesting read. A young 12yo is hit by a van and knocked unconscious, which turns into amnesia. Another 12yo decides he looks like the missing boy and steps into his life. What does that have to do with the current murder and attempted murders in Santa Barbara?

Whoa! What a roller coaster! Told in almost a reporter style, this story follows the career of Maggi Lane who seemed to represent the American housewife as she pursued her career in television from her youthful beginnings and failed love…to a married woman trying to balance career and husband.

Olivia is staying in town for a while and takes a temporary job with the constabulary just as things are heating up with Michael. A man‘s body is found at the bottom of the hill and it‘s suspected that he was pushed; Olivia‘s aid is requested and she discovers the dead man is part of her band. All this happening while it is Parents week at the music academy and school politics are rough. A good read.

Wow! A great read. An epic adventure of a young Caribbean girl who lost everything and yet kept persevering and how it affected family and friends. I had a hard time putting it down and imagine this book hangover will last a while.

I felt this story could have been told more succinctly, but I guess she wanted to keep it close till the end. It did have the flavor of To Kill a Mockingbird. Lu Brant, a fairly recently elected State‘s Attorney comes across a murder case that brings up the past and 2 different cases that affected her family when he father was in office. The final answers will throw Lu off.

I get so immersed in her books and, yay, I guessed right! Olivia is called back to Lily Rock, because her tenant is discovered dead on the front step. While she researches the mystery around her influencer tenant, she uses the time to resolve matters with Michael and it looks like their romance may take off.

A short story for the Lily Rock mysteries. Every year part of the town tradition is for Meadow to wear an outlandishly decorated floral hat. Many tourists, however, disparage it and this makes the mayor unhappy. When he disappears with the hat, Meadow sends out a search party.

I‘m so glad I read her Lily Rock Holiday Mystery Novellas 1st because they lead up to this mystery, which I couldn‘t put down. Olivia feels she is run off the road when she is heading to visit her best friend in Lily Rock. After being attended to by the local doctor, Olivia is dropped at Marla‘s home. When Marla doesn‘t show up, Olivia is confused because she knows she was expected. Then she finds the body. Olivia stays to find the murderer.

A fun meet cute and a bit spicy, this romance keeps you coming back for more. After being stuck in an elevator Alexa agrees to be Drew‘s plus one at a wedding that weekend. Thus their relationship begins, but, boy, do they have communication problems.

I love her characters and their resilience, although this one stubbornly held onto her “poor me” longer. Katy just lost her power job and on a whim took a job to clean up the station in Cranfield. As she learns of the financial precariousness, she uses her professional skills to suggest and implement new businesses. Ryan lost his position as head chef and is fascinated by Katy. Together they flourish the new businesses.

Due to current circumstances this was a hard read, but an excellent read. Gamash receives hints of something horrible being plotted by the very top of government. It would kill thousands and allow full authority and power. He chases down the rumor until the truth crashes in. A page turner to the end. 5⭐️

A personal nurse disappears from one of the local estates and it doesn‘t sit well with Hamish MacBeth. Shortly after he finds her body a couple other murders are committed. Hamish and Charles try to find the culprit even as they have other issues in their private lives.

I hate that this is the last book in this fun Series. Shayla and Seamus are enjoying pre-wedding activities when their harpist is murdered. Then the family‘s antique harp is stolen. Shayla and Mollie try to figure out what is going on and if the 2 cases are related.

Stayed up late to finish. The castle has been restored from the fire and Shayla is in the finishing stages for its grand opening when Grianne “twists her arm” to allow some friends to stay early. Wealthy Jonas Anderson‘s obnoxious girlfriend is dead by the time Shayla is back to work the next morning. More shocks pile up as she tries to find the murderer before her grand opening.

An enjoyable rom-com, getting to know oneself story. Emma escapes to Amherst for 6 weeks from the demands of her family and seeking happiness. She believes emulating Emily Dickinson will get her there. Her misadventures and meeting Davis help her to discover herself and what she wants out of life.

A lovely Valentines story. Charlotte recently moved again to hide from her stalker. Seth has been nursing an injury. Both head out of their apartments only to find out the stairs have been removed and there‘s no way to get down. New stairs won‘t be showing up until Monday. So what follows is a pleasant weekend of getting to know one another with the hint of romance…then the stalker shows up.

Siobhan discovers a dead man in their cafe below their apartment. Her brother is the primary suspect. She begins to look for the murderer among her close village of friends and neighbors.

A fun enemies to lovers trope. Hazel meets Peter at her best friend‘s wedding. He‘s the grooms best friend. Hazel can‘t stand Peter and the feelings seem mutual. Imagine her dismay months later when her new neighbor turns out to be none other than Peter. Stuck together during a days long blizzard frazels her nerves, but they both seem to get to know each other a little better, but their best friends think there should be more.

A cute, sweet valentine story. Pam and Steve had crushes on each other when they were young; now they are best friends and in the same business. Those close to them think the relationship should be more and begin to plot.

“The phone rang. Again.”
What a great opening line!

Love this series, Lila and her friends are racing each other separately through a maze, when Aleena starts screaming. She‘d stumbled over a dead body and is now the lead suspect. Lila and Eleena do everything in their power to find the real murderer.

Light romance. Paige moved back home after her husband‘s death, only to have her mom pass a few months later. As she picks up the pieces, she finds encouragement through the people in town. When her friend Jerry return, she finds herself smiling again.

Debbie Macomber is an uplifting read. Starting a fresh relationship with Craig, Marie Rose learns that Mark is still alive but seriously injured. She races to the hospital. At the same time Emily and Nick fight through their attraction.

Each book just gets better. Shayla and Seamus have set the date. However, the wedding venue was double booked and yanked out from under them with nothing available for over 6 months. Just a short time later, the winning bride is murdered and Sheila is the lead suspect. The only thing I didn‘t like is we never know the detailed why.

Not a Valentines‘s Day story, but still a romance. At 1st I had a hard time with the patois, but I do realize I‘m not the target audience. Valentine and Jaelen (Kiss) meet in 6th grade and become best friends. In their teens Jaelen acknowledges they‘re falling in love but are not ready for it, so he heads to England for college and to start his career, allowing the relationship to take wrong turns. Told by what goes on in their heads.

I couldn‘t help it…1 more holiday book. Issy and Austin have a problem. His career is now in New York and her cafe in London. Luckily their friends and family are smarter than them and push them to find a solution. Love most of the characters. My favorite scene is at the ice skating rink!

This was an absolute delight, a keeper. Harriet‘s business has failed, leaving her in debt. She heads to her inherited home in Canfield to lick her wounds and sell the cottage to get out of debt. Instead, she discovers that her beloved lavender fields are to be sold out from under her. While a romance, this is a story of courage and a woman finding her strengths.

I‘m not partial to using prayer as a form of preaching; however, otherwise a decent read about a 4year old who runs off on his personal adventure and the adults trying to find him. Some personal growth for the adults looking at their own poor actions.

Wow! Sonali Dev takes us right into the lives and emotions of her characters again! Mira is feeling trapped trying to meet the “needs” of all the loves in her life, not even seeing how they abuse her willingness to satisfy them. After her fiancé cancels their New York trip for the 3rd time, she decides to go on her own. Finding a lost ring, determined to find the owner, sends her on a journey that changes her and her life.

A cute short story about women and friends. Ellie begins to wonder why her friends stopped showing up at her exercise class. She quickly learns there is a new competitor in town and suspects her friends are now going there, making her heartbroken…til a few strangers come.

Loving this series. A qyuick, enjoyable read, with interesting characters. Rylie, Shayla‘s best friend from the US is visiting. After they enjoy a horseback ride, they discover the body of the vet in the horse stall with Grainne‘s prize race horse. At 1st it looks like an accident, but Shayla and Rylie are convinced there‘s been a murder.

To be released in February. I was immediately pulled into the realm of Effluvium and the Battle of Bria and Brent (good) vs. Ningursu (self-proclaimed god of death and the world) (evil). Ningursu controls all magic and many people long distance, so you not always sure if someone is on the good side or under Ningursu‘s control/in disguise. Truth is starting to win and the ending battles leave you with hope that the tides may be turning.

The author pushed too much on trying to feel like a gothic mystery. Too much repetition and vague references to dark history, without giving any given. 3.5⭐️. Vivian, her cousin Ellie, and friend Milo are digging deep into the town‘s dark history due to a vague letter from her now deceased aunt. Most of these records just happen to be in secret rooms of the ancient mansion Vivian inherited from her aunt.

Fun holiday cozy mystery. Mae, Violet‘s friend from Normal, is visiting and they discover a dead body in the miniature village. With the sheriff‘s permission, they are in full sleuth mode. At the same time, Violet‘s romance is picking up.

A sweet story and perfect to end my Christmas reads (because I have some New Year ones and an ARC I promised to read). Mirren‘s great aunt (Violet) is dying and asked for a rare book she had when she was a child. Mirren hunts high and low in England and Scotland for this rare edition with little success and running into unsavory characters. However, she finds something better.

Emily is trying to find her position in life now that Charlie won the Mayor seat; Sophie is fighting her family for the right to stay home; Justin and Zoey are finding each other and Charlie is trying to learn the ropes as new Mayor. Then a bad freeze storm hits Cape Light and the town works together to keep everyone safe. All this and trying to celebrate Christmas.

I‘m not sure if the title it‘s under is an old one. But mine was “Mistletoe & Memories” and is more appropriate. I liked this one. The mystery is who Connie‘s Secret Santa might be, and while I was able to guess, this was a festive short story.

At first I was hesitant to read this because I‘d seen some bad reviews. I think they were just unhappy that it wasn‘t a “mystery”. Instead, this was a perfect read for Christmas, touching on how things can influence our attitude towards the holiday. Yes, I figured out the conundrum, but I expected to…a nice, feel good short story.

Izzy has inherited a castle in Scotland. The only way she can keep it is to run it as a hotel, but her mother keeps taking over as if it‘s her own and spending money they don‘t have. How does this turn into their best Christmas?

This novella/cozy mystery did not disappoint. A couple weeks before Christmas Baubles the clown is found dead leaning against one of his ponies. It seems like the entire town is stumbling over clues and as they turn them over to Janz, their only police force, she begins to see hoe everything ties in.

Workaholic Evie has a crush on her neighbor directly upstairs and someone is leaving home made gifts/ornaments on her door. She figures the Christmas party themed Only Santas in the Building is the perfect chance to attract Daniel‘s attention and figure out who has been acting as a secret Santa. Soft pick. Spicy.