Come Rain or Shine by Sarah Bennett

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Come Rain or Shine" by Sarah Bennett.  What can I say other than I loved it and read in one day.  Who doesn’t want to escape to an estate in the country. I hadn’t read the previous two books but had no trouble following along.  I have since bought the previous books.

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There are worse fates than growing up knowing that you will one day inherit a vast and magnificent Cotswolds country estate, but for Rhys Travers it has always felt like a huge responsibility.

Juniper Meadows is home to much of his extended family, not to mention the many local businesses that operate on the estate, so there’s no time to sit back and enjoy the view. Juniper Meadows is a full-time job, and that doesn’t leave much time for romance…

Tasha Blake’s career leaves no time for romance either – much to her mother’s chagrin. Tasha’s sister Danni has kindly provided two grandchildren, but Victoria Blake is keen for more! When her job takes her to Juniper Meadows for an extended project, the slower pace of life, the beauty of the countryside and the warmth of the Travers family, soon has Tasha in its thrall, and the future Lord of the Manor Rhys Travers is rather easy on the eye too.

As the busyness of life on the estate sweeps Tasha and Rhys along, they are both able to ignore the secrets and silences that are growing between them. But when the future of Juniper Meadows hangs in the balance, loyalties and love are tested to breaking point. When the chips are down, can Rhys and Tasha see a future together, come rain or shine…

Sarah Bennett is back with her signature blend of warmth and joy, plot and pace. A Sarah Bennett book is a ray of sunshine and a huge hug, guaranteed to brighten any day, perfect for all fans of Cathy Bramley, Katie Fforde and Phillipa Ashley.

The setting of  Juniper Meadows sounded breathtaking, I could picture it especially as I have visited small villages in England.  It had everything you could want in a story love, family, community and second chances.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. There were multiple sub-plots of family dynamics Tasha’s as well as Rhys that had you interested in the outcome. I must admit I choked up a bit at the end, and was glad this is a series and I'll get to meet the characters again because I wanted to know more and what would happen next. I can’t wait to go back and read the previous books and hope there’s a book four. 

I will definitely read other books by this author.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Boldwood Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!

I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs, 

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Revved Up 4 Murder by J. C. Eaton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Revved Up 4 Murder" the 12th instalment in the Sophie Kimball Mystery series by J.C. Eaton.  I love this series, it always has me laughing at Streetman’s antics.

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When a corpse is discovered under a car at the local auto restoration garage, Sophie “Phee” Kimball gears up to  investigate a crime that puts a whole new twist on the term “body shop” . . . 

The seniors of Sun City West are celebrating again, this time over the news that Wayne from the pinochle club finally has a chance to restore his classic car. Phee goes along for the ride, but her thoughts are on her agency’s latest case—a priceless artifact that’s missing from the local museum. It’s an antique doll supposedly filled with treasure—but also carrying a curse for whoever possesses it. Then a dead body is found under Wayne’s car, along with signs of foul play, and Phee is coaxed into helping get him off the hook. 

It’s clear to Phee that the victim was killed by sabotaged machinery, but the garage attracts so much foot traffic that narrowing down a list of suspects will be nearly impossible. Harder still will be keeping her mother’s gaggle of friends from meddling in the case, especially after they throw a wrench into the works by trying to locate the missing doll. Soon Phee and the whole group are careening toward a head-on collision with a thief, a killer, and a cursed doll, and she can only hope they don’t drive her insane—or worse—make her the next victim . . .   

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading it in almost one day. I love the characters which are well developed. There is plenty of humour, especially with Paul and his fish… and we can’t forget Streetman the chiweenie!  But the rest of her crew from the Sun City Retirement Community aren’t to be outdone in this instalment, what a hoot!

The mystery is interesting, well plotted as well as full of twists and turns.  Always an entertaining, fun read. This is one of my favourite series and I always buy in Paperback as I know I will read again.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends. 

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

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A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Smoking Bun" the 18th instalment in the A Bakeshop Mystery series by Ellie Alexander. 

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Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!

The mountains are calling in Ashland, Oregon, where pastry chef turned amateur sleuth, Jules Capshaw, is baking up a bevy of spiced curry buns and chai cookies for a moonlit snowshoe tour. Ramiro’s family is visiting from Spain and Jules can’t wait to take them up to her beloved Mount A with its charming and rustic lodge, backcountry trails, and star-filled skies that stretch for miles. Their winter wonderland adventure is nothing short of magical and the merry party opts to return to the slope the next day for the Downhill Dummy.

The annual competition is a favorite amongst snow lovers. Contestants strap makeshift dummies to skis and send them hurling down a death-defying ski jump in hopes of catching big air. The team at Torte is in the mix this year with their own replica of a tiered cake and a baker who closely resembles their fearless leader. It’s a fun and festive atmosphere as dummies sail past the crowd to huge cheers and applause. Until one of the dummies takes a deadly detour and lands atop Fitz Baskin.

Fitz is a guide on the mountain and his icy dealings have made for frosty relationships with everyone he encounters. Suddenly there are more suspects than snowdrifts as Jules dives into the investigation. She unearths a web of secrets and motives that threaten to shake the rustic mountain lodge to its core. Can she catch the killer before they strike again, or will the truth be buried forever under fluffy layers of fresh snow?

I really enjoyed this story, seeing Ramiro’s family in Ashland and how much his mom and Jules respect and like each other.  Visiting Torte and Ashland is like coming home to old friends and family lots of fun with a bit of chaos thrown in for good measure.  

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and there were just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Needless to say I cant wait for the next book. 

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my little blog!
I always love reading comments and getting to know my fellow cozy lovers.

Hugs,

Follow my blog with Bloglovin