July 2, 2019

July 2, 2019July 2, 2019

Book Review: Honeymoon with Death

Honeymoon with Death: The perfect 1920s cosy crime caper (Murder Will Follow Book 2)

Honeymoon with Death: The perfect 1920s cosy crime caper by Vivian Conroy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a delightful mystery this was! It reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel but written in today’s language, which made it easier to follow the story. But the plot itself was very Christie-esque. A woman on her honeymoon on a Greek island has flashbacks that indicate she has visited the island before, but she has no actual memory. There is a whirlwind romance that led to the honeymoon, a suspicious business partner, enigmatic painter, oh, and a dead body. Add in a retired Scotland Yard inspector on holiday who has to put it all together, and you get a cracking mystery in a beautiful setting. I was excited to see that this is part of a series, so I look forward to reading others involving Inspector Jasper. Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo, and the author for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book.

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July 2, 2019July 2, 2019

Book Review: A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle

A Summer Escape and Strawberry Cake at the Cosy Kettle: A feel good, laugh out loud romantic comedy by Liz Eeles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thought this looked like a cute story, but I didn’t expect it to be as in-depth as it turned out to be. There were many layers to the plot, and the further I read, the more I could see how the author cleverly planned the story. I especially liked how the author potentially paralleled the book itself with a book that features heavily in the plot. I thought that showed forethought and loved the effort. The author also did an excellent job of shedding light on the chauvinistic ways of some men but did so with a wink so that the reader knew that the women were the strong ones (case in point, Alan and Katrina). That was also a nice touch. I was intrigued by the characters and the town in general. I became invested in Flora’s journey and was satisfied with the end. I was also happy to learn that this is part of a series, so I look forward to reading more about the residents of Honeyford. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and the author for a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of this book.

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July 2, 2019July 3, 2019

Blog Tour w/Review: Halton (Vested Interest #6)

Melanie Moreland’s Vested Interest remains one of my all-time favorites. Not only are the men hunky and smart, but they are evenly matched by the women they fall in love with – and who doesn’t love smexy relationships?

Sometimes a series reaches a point where it feels like the author is just rehashing the same plot but with different characters. That is NOT the case with Halton. Ms. Moreland keeps it fresh while expanding the BAM universe.

That’s one of the things I like the most about her books. She touches on the stories that came before, but she lets the focus of each book remain on the couple of the moment. This time around, it’s Halton and Fiona’s story.

I thought that the set up for these two was unique and worked well. It could have been melodramatic and soap opera-ish, but the realness of the characters made it totally realistic.

Another thing that Ms. Moreland does well is creating bad guys are who are easy to loathe due to their simple human failings. Fee’s ex-husband is smarmy and despicable, which makes Halton shine that much brighter.

Honestly, I just enjoy all of the characters in her books. She doesn’t leave anyone behind and there is never anyone superfluous or useless. Every character serves a purpose, which gives her books more depth.

Oh, and Magic Mike ain’t got nothing on Hal.

Halton: Vested Interest #6 by Melanie Moreland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m always excited to see a new book from this author, and her Vested Interest series is one of my favorites. I look forward to each new release, and the sixth book is no exception. The Boys of BAM have all settled down, so she now addresses characters who have had tangent connections to them. This story belongs to Halton (Hal), who has appeared briefly in past books, and Fiona (Fee). As always, the characters pop to life, and important secondary characters are as fleshed out as the two main characters. I absolutely loved Rene. His rapport with Hal was fun to read. Ms. Moreland is the queen of the slow-build romance, and I always enjoy watching the characters come to their realizations in their own time (even though the readers can see it building). I’m not sure who is left in the BAM universe, but I do hope she keeps finding hunky guys and the smart girls who love them to write about! This review was written based on a complimentary pre-release digital ARC of the book.

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