Tag: kensington cozies

A Pose Before Dying review

Tari Hann

This is the first book in the brand new Cat Yoga Mysteries (non-affiliate Amazon link there because GR doesn’t have it set up for a series yet) by Alex Erickson, a fellow Ohioan and author of the long-running Bookstore Café Mysteries and the short but fun series,  Furever Pets Mysteries. This series starts with some good, strong characters and some adorable kittens as well. Sierra was an awesome bestie who worked at Snoots. And just how fun is the name of their friendly, Cheers-like hangout, Snoot’s Bar and Grill? I love it!

I really enjoyed this book a lot and can’t wait till the next one comes out. How fun to do yoga with virtual cats (real ones I’d just sneeze and get all itchy with even though I love kitties!). And for the record, I’d probably be better with chair yoga due to one bad knee and one fake one, lol.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #AlexErickson

My Goodreads review:

A Pose Before DyingA Pose Before Dying by Alex Erickson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a fun new idea for a series! I’d definitely prefer cats in the yoga studio over goats which I’ve read about in other cozies. I enjoyed meeting these new characters and by the end I felt like I was definitely getting acquainted and even had some favorites by then.

Edna and Pavan were apartment neighbors to Ash and made me chuckle at how they were always encouraging Ash’s currently non-existent love life. But Ash loved her yoga studio job a lot along owning a business, so maybe it’s best for her to think about growing her new business. It’d be much easier without a pesky murder she was insanely curious to solve not to mention clear her brother’s name.

There was a character I suspected for most of the book because of some well-placed early clues, but I still enjoyed the rabbit hole experience of considering various suspects/motives. The showdown was pretty cool letting Ash use some of her yoga abilities for defense/protect moves. Actually her loyalty to her siblings was overall awesome anyway, so of course she’d defend one of said siblings. After finding out something at the end of this book, I absolutely can’t wait for the next one. And thinking about what’s gonna happen when someone else finds out what was announced then makes me laugh about the possibilities.

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Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone review

Tari Hann

This is the seventh book in the super fun Death by Chocolate Mysteries by Sarah Graves. To me, this one was the most excitement Jake and Ellie ever had. The books always start with some type adventure where they escape from being found out by the skin of their teeth. There were just a lot more times in this book, lol.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #SarahGraves

My Goodreads review:

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone (Death by Chocolate Mystery, #7)Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has got to be Jake and Ellie’s most epic adventure ever! One word: shark. You can use your imagination or better yet, grab this book and read all about it. To me, this is the most exciting installment of this series. I absolutely enjoyed every single minute and couldn’t read fast enough in some places. It just played out like a non-stop adventure, comedy movie that was cozy mystery based. Kinda like Jaws if it was a comedy and not gory, lol.

And knowing it was such a twisting, turning plot with several characters caught in crime, I really appreciated the extensive explanation at the end over my fave thing of food, family, friends and fellowship. I enjoyed the addition of two new characters a lot too. New police chief Lizzie was an absolute hoot! I know she’ll be around for future books, but I hope her boyfriend stays too. They both went above and beyond protecting and serving, so I hope Dylan sticks around as well. Those two kinda complete each other, like Castle and Beckett (if Castle was a cop lol).

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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A Twinkle of Trouble review

Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Fairy Garden Mysteries (this is a non-affiliate Amazon link because GR doesn’t have the fifth book listed as part of the series) by Daryl Wood Gerber, and like the others before it, it was so much fun! Fiona really got her chance to shine while she mentored her younger sister. It was just too cute, and the mystery was a good one, of course.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #DarylWoodGerber

My Goodreads review:

A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 5)A Twinkle of Trouble by Daryl Wood Gerber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was happy that Fiona’s time away was spent off-story because I sure would’ve missed her a lot too, she always cracks me up! I wasn’t sure what to think about her sister at first and wondered if she was planning to get Fiona in trouble with the fairy queen or something. But Eveleen was just being a crazy little younger sister. With so many twists and secrets people had, I was never really sure of whodunit, so I just went along for the ride and let Courtney take the wheel.

That was some wild showdown worthy of a tennis match and was just another reason why I love Fiona’s character so much! Some main characters have dogs or cats that help but who else can say they’ve got a fairy running defense on their side, right? The food, fellowship, fairies and fun party at the end was awesome. It was somewhat bittersweet for Fiona, but as a mentor she knew it’d been coming. Now I’d just love for Brady to finally see the sweet fairy that lives at Hideaway Café, maybe next time!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Patchwork Quilt Murder review

Tari Hann

This is the thirtieth book in the very long-running Lucy Stone Mysteries by Leslie Meier. Can you believe it’s been around since 1993? Miss Tilley has to be at least 110 or more if she was in her 80s when it started, lol. She’s from strong New England stock so it’s not surprising, right?

Some parts of the book were a little bit sad, but I’m not gonna tell why. You’ll have to read that yourself. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the ending almost read like this could be the last book. If anyone’s heard differently, I’d love to know. I know it’s not too unusual for one of these books to span several months.

My Goodreads review:

Patchwork Quilt Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery, #30)Patchwork Quilt Murder by Leslie Meier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very twisty, winding case with a bizarre outcome, meaning bizarre for happening in a cozy mystery. But with Lucy on the case as a writer, no criminal’s ever gonna get away, especially when she teams up with the police for an epic sting operation. That was my favorite part! I definitely hadn’t guessed who the killer was, but they were definitely getting sent away for a long time. Lucy, you go, girl! The side story about Pam and Ted’s son was heartbreaking in some ways but did have a happy conclusion.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Three Fudges and a Baby review

Tari Hann

This is the twelfth book in the Candy-Coated Mysteries by Nancy CoCo and I was happy to see that it’s finally leading to what I’ve hoped would happen since the first book, which is gonna be in the next book. This and another cozy series inspired my love of Mackinac Island and a visit there in 2018.

Meanwhile, besties usually get married and have their babies before main characters, so that’s what Jenn was gearing up for in this installment, a baby. And Allie was juggling about a million things including an unexpected visit from her mom and Allie’s old high school boyfriend along with trying to prove Jenn’s doula’s innocence. Never a dull day at the McMurphy Hotel and Fudge Shop! 

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #NancyCoco

My Goodreads review:

 Three Fudges and a Baby (Candy-Coated, #12)Three Fudges and a Baby by Nancy CoCo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be one of Allie’s craziest cases yet but hey, at least she didn’t end up stuck in a tunnel or a basement far but near, lol. I actually figured out the killer fairly early on and stuck with my guess while still enjoying the red herrings presented. Glad I stuck by my first choice because I was right. I liked the short and effective showdown, and to yay Allie for getting the evidence she needed as well. After twelve books, she’s getting really good at that!

I absolutely love what happened with Allie and Rex! They’ve been through so much in this series and it really came as no surprise. Carol and her senior book club ladies helped out again, but I believe Carol was happy to stay on the researching end instead of the action end! I always love how there’s a preview chapter for the next book included at the end, so of course I always devour that. I can’t wait for the next book now!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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The Witless Protection Program review

Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Catering Hall Mysteries by Maria DiRico, better known as Ellen Byron to cozy mystery fans. I’ve absolutely loved every book in this series so far. They’re fun, hilarious and sometimes even cause a little eye leakage, mostly the happy kind like you might get when reading this book.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #MariaDiRico #EllenByron

My Goodreads review:

The Witless Protection Program (A Catering Hall Mystery)The Witless Protection Program by Maria DiRico
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this installment! It was kinda the pulling together of everything and a sorta reunion of some of the past characters Mia had met up with. Something just made me think it’s sounding like it’s the end of the series but I haven’t heard anything official. If it’s the end, everyone went out with a great ending well, maybe not everyone but the key players all seemed happy.

And only Mia Carina could have all this craziness happen before and even at her wedding, lol. Tons of fun, suspense and even more hilarity to be had, so definitely don’t miss out on this book. I totally recommend reading the series from the start to get the complete character experience.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Death Unfiltered review

Tari Hann

This is the fourth book in the really fun Ground Rules Mysteries by Emmaline Duncan. I’ve enjoyed this series since the first book and hope there’ll be more to enjoy. It did end with a little question of maybe what we can expect in the next book. The main mystery/murder’s always solved in this series though.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #EmmalineDuncan

My Goodreads review:

Death Unfiltered (A Ground Rules Mystery #4)Death Unfiltered by Emmeline Duncan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was great catching up with Sage, her family and friends in this new installment. She finally had the actual shop she’d always wanted but one of the shop neighbors was a royal pain. I remembered her all too well from when Sage was set up at the music festival and couldn’t help being glad about what happened with her.

Sage’s had surprises along the line but nothing like the one that came at the showdown. I kinda hope things work out in that regard, then the very ending led to what I hope is gonna be the next book’s partial theme at least. I’m always eager to read the next in this series.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Mrs. Morris and the Mermaid review

Tari Hann

This is the eighth book in the Salem B&B Mysteries by Traci Wilton, the writing team of Traci Hall and Patrice Wilton. I’ve read it from the beginning and fell in love with Charlene’s B&B ghost, the awesome Dr. Jack Strathmore. In the last few books, he’s been a real help to Charlene during cases since he’s learned the internet really well and became an ace at research. I like that he’s not this sad ghost sitting around playing computer games all day, lol. His character’s really grown a lot since Charlene discovered him too. Can’t wait to see what the next book brings!

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #TraciWilton

My Goodreads review:

Mrs. Morris and the Mermaid (Salem B&B Mystery #8)Mrs. Morris and the Mermaid by Traci Wilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so emotional in some parts and really bittersweet, but I absolutely enjoyed this installment of the series. I’d never guessed whodunit at all, what a surprise and and real nail biter of a showdown as well as some ingenuity on Charlene’s part. I was so happy about a decision that’d really been weighing on Sam and Charlene as well, but now they’re still in a good place and someone else might just benefit from having done a good job too.

It was sweet that Avery was able to come home for a few days, I’m sure she’s really missing her work there but that girl was so interested in justice that she’ll make a great cop or whatever she decides in that field someday. A fun ending to a crazy case was had with food, fellowship and some real barbecue fun.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Gone with the Witch review

Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Witch Way Librarian Mysteries by Angela M. Sanders. I’ve really enjoyed this series so much and hope there’ll be more coming! This book focused on Mrs. Garlington who now wanted everyone to call her Helen. During the earlier books, she was pretty much in the background playing the organ in the library or giving lessons, but she got a much larger part in this adventure. And I loved who Josie’s sleuth buddy was this time–only a witch could make something like that happen!

If you haven’t yet read this series, I’d recommend starting at the beginning for full enjoyment as events happen, relationships grow and Josie discovers her witchy powers which eventually grow too.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #AngelaMSanders

My Goodreads review:

Gone with the Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries #5)Gone with the Witch by Angela M. Sanders
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was so darn good! Lots of secrets were revealed and someone from the past made an appearance, or was it really that person? Was the death really a murder? Josie got the coolest sleuthing buddy ever and the two managed to untangle a really twisted-up mystery and long-buried secrets.

Meanwhile, a mysterious bookseller came to town who seemed to have Lalena extremely interested in getting to know him better. And Josie’s sleuthing partner said there was still something out there she needed to be careful about, so now I’m super eager to read the next book and see what’s up with that. I’ve already got some suspicions.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Five Furry Familiar review

Tari Hann

This is the fifth book in the Kitchen Witch Mysteries by a fave cozy mystery author, Lynn Cahoon. I’ve enjoyed Mia Malone’s adventures since the prequel that started this series. I’d definitely recommend reading this series in order not due to spoilers but just to get the complete enjoyment from seeing Mia and Trent’s relationship grow as well as her interactions with other people in her life and how they started.

#NetGalley #KensingtonCozies #LynnCahoon

My Goodreads review:

Five Furry Familiars (Kitchen Witch Mysteries, #5)Five Furry Familiars by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was another awesome adventure with Mia and her crew that’d really test Christina and Levi’s relationship as well as bring a new little life into the world. The houseful of cats along with a puppy someone gave Trent was pretty funny. Poor Mr. Darcy was probably not sure what to think about the invasion lol.

I knew who I wanted to be guilty but eventually I started putting some clues together and figured out one aspect of it. I liked the nice, offscreen arrest so at least there wasn’t a tense showdown although at a couple places I couldn’t read quick enough to make sure someone wasn’t in danger. Can’t wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

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