Sconed to Death by Betty Hechtman

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Sconed to Death” the 2nd instalment in A Crochet and Crumpets Mystery series by Betty Hechtman set in the small Indiana town of Franklin. I love this series and cant wait for book 3!

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A brand-new series from the queen of culinary cozies. Full to the brim with crochet, crumpets, and crime!

The perfect ingredients for murder . . .

Annie Hart has transformed the yarn shop she inherited into a thriving business and tea shop. Now she needs to sell it so she can move back to LA. She just has to ensure that young Toby Swanson is kept on as the supplier of their famous scones.

Annie decides to secretly enter Toby in a new reality TV cooking show. But his application video takes a deadly twist when Annie and her business partner, Gray, discover a body on the beach while filming. Even worse, it looks like the young woman had been enjoying Toby’s cherry scones and the shop’s rose tea before her death.

With the help of her misfit group of local yarn artists, can Annie find a killer and save her reputation?

Readers who love super cozy culinary mysteries will eat up this new charming cozy mystery series.

I really enjoyed this story, the mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters.  I loved how Annie and Gray were doing everything to help sell the tea house and yarn shop but really wanted to help out Toby who makes the scones and crumpets.  I like the growth in Gray's character as well, as she becomes more independent.

I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.   

Now I want to pick up crocheting again, I love these kind of cozy mysteries.

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Severn House  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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The Diva Hosts a Murderer by Krista Davis

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “ The Diva Hosts a Murderer” the 19th instalment in the Domestic Diva Mystery series by Krista Davis.

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Old Town Virginia’s entertaining guru and occasional sleuth Sophie Winston – a young Martha Stewart in the making – juggles Fourth of July fireworks, a houseful of guests, and homicide in the latest Domestic Diva culinary mystery from New York Times bestselling author Krista Davis.

With a big crowd descending on her Northern Virginia home, it’s a good thing event planner Sophie Winston is an expert at entertaining. Whipping up patriotic pastries is as easy as pie for her, though meeting the man her widowed Aunt Melly just impulsively married in Las Vegas is a little more awkward. Especially when Melly’s longtime, now-heartbroken secret admirer is there too, which could lead to some fireworks.

But the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father. Will DNA really incriminate her dad? And what’s the real story with her new uncle-by-marriage and the mysterious pal he’s brought along with him? Some of the secrets Sophie’s discovering are raising flags—and while the police department casts suspicion on her father, she has to declare her independence as a detective to find the real culprit, and serve justice along with her red, white, and blue cupcakes . . .

Includes delicious recipes, fabulous decorating tips, and easy entertaining hacks!

I really enjoy this series! This time we have Sofie's family visiting for the 4th of July, but the house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father.   I really like Sophie, she is relatable, interesting and I love her relationship with her BFF Nina and her ex Mars as well as several other residents of Old Town. I liked how the characters were there for each other, no matter what was happening.

The mystery itself was interesting, full of twists and turns, red herrings all of which completely drew me into the story.   I didn’t want to put the book down and read it till the wee hours.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy mystery loving friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

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

Hugs,

The Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “ The Chowder House Murder” by Lee Hollis the first instalment in A Downeast Maine Mystery series.

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The first in a brand new, multi-generational cozy mystery series introduces three generations of strong, no-nonsense women who head the Holbrook family seafood dynasty in Downeast Maine…and a murder the Holbrook matriarch and her granddaughter must solve, even as it entangles them in a web of small-town secrets, and a Hatfields and McCoys-level chowder rivalry.

Ever since Halibut Cove’s popular eatery, The Chowder House, started serving matriarch Maggie Holbrook’s famous clam chowder it’s been in high demand. Cooked up at the restaurant by Maggie’s ambitious 19-year-old granddaughter, Audrey, the dish even has a regular nightly customer, retiree Chips Hogan. . . . Until one fateful Sunday night.

After serving Chips his chowder, Audrey rushes off to Maggie’s hilltop home for the weekly family dinner with the rest of the Holbrooks—her three uncles, and her mom, Jill. But before the meal’s end, Jill, a police chief, gets an alarming call. Chips has been found in the street—dead. Jill races out to investigate . . . and is shocked to learn Chips’ chowder was poisoned.

When a Chowder House server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley that same evening, he becomes a suspect. And when it’s uncovered that Waldo bitterly believed the Holbrooks stole the lucrative chowder recipe from the Duggans in the 1930’s, he’s only further implicated . . .

Despite everything, Maggie can’t believe Waldo would murder anyone. For fair-minded Maggie, to keep an innocent man out of jail, and to ease Audrey’s guilt over serving the chowder, there’s no choice but to team-up to crime solve. Soon grandmother and granddaughter are immersed in a stew of rivalries, long held feuds, and looming threats. Because beneath the surface, even a pretty town has its ugly side . 

What a great start to a new series from one of my favorite authors. The stories always catch my attention and pull me in right away.  This instalment was no different I read over a five hours period.

I found the mystery was well written and paced with lots of twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the end. I can’t wait till the next instalment comes out and finding out. 

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

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy 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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The Body in the Kitchen Garden by Paula Sutton

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "The Body in the Kitchen Garden ” the 2nd instalment in A Hill House Vintage Murder Mystery series by Paula Sutton set in Pudding Corner, a Norfolk hamlet full of quintessentially English charm.   

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Pudding Corner is abuzz: the enigmatic Lord Hugh Darlington has returned to his crumbling ancestral home after years away. With his fiancée, he plans to revive the grand Darlington Hall—and who better to help than antique-hunting Daphne Brewster?

Daphne is enchanted by the estate’s stained-glass windows, regal turrets, and sprawling kitchen garden. But amidst the overgrown greenery, she stumbles upon something far less picturesque: a body. A body that no one can identify.

As the shocking murder rocks the village, Daphne dusts off her sleuthing skills—despite the local PC's warnings to stay out of trouble. When Lord Darlington is attacked and a string of burglaries shakes Pudding Corner, it's clear that no one is safe.

With secrets buried deep and loyalties more tangled than ivy, Daphne must unearth the truth . . . before the killer strikes again.

Wickedly witty and brimming with twists as sharp as a pair of antique shears, The Body in the Kitchen Garden is a cozy crime page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very last clue is uncovered.

I enjoyed this story.  What a great follow up to book one! This time around Daphne is helping Lord Darlington and his fiancée revive the grand Darlington Hall. Daphne is enchanted by the estate’s stained-glass windows, regal turrets, and sprawling kitchen garden. But amidst the overgrown greenery, she stumbles upon something far less picturesque: a body. A body that no one can identify.  With secrets buried deep and loyalties more tangled than ivy, Daphne must unearth the truth . . . before the killer strikes again.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end.  I kept guessing and second-guessing myself but I was right on who the killer was.     

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book two!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an advance readers copy from NetGalley and the publisher.  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,

Ode to the Bones by Carolyn Haines

Hello my cozy friends, 

Today I am reviewing  "Ode to the Bones" by Carolyn Haines the 30th instalment in the "A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery" series which releases on May 26th.   I absolutely love this series!

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The next novel in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.

Private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney returns to her Mississippi Delta roots, hoping that long drives through cotton fields and the companionship of her dogs will ease her restless spirit. Instead, she’s confronted by a ghostly vision of a woman in white on the Tallahatchie Bridge, who disappears before Sarah Booth can investigate further.

When the local bank president hires her to find a missing farmer, Danny Anderson, Sarah Booth is forced to shift her focus back to the land of the—hopefully—still living. Danny is about to lose his family’s generational farm to foreclosure and is rumored to be entangled in a secret affair with a preacher’s wife. As Sarah Booth and her feisty partner Tinkie dig deeper, they uncover a web of gossip, ghost sightings, and a shadowy land buyer snapping up vulnerable farms.

With the help of her resident ghost-turned-spiritual-guide, Jitty, and her own unrelenting instincts, Sarah Booth must unravel the mystery of Danny’s disappearance, confront a town full of half-truths, and decipher the cryptic clues left behind—including those wrapped in lyrics and riverwater. But someone is watching her every move, and if she isn’t careful, she may be the next body swept away by the Tallahatchie’s current.

I always enjoy visiting with Sarah and Tinkie it’s like coming home to old friends.  I always learn something, this time Sarah Booth and Tinkie investigate Danny Andersons disappearance, confront a town full of half-truths, and decipher the cryptic clues left behind—including those wrapped in lyrics and riverwater. But someone is watching her every move, and if she isn’t careful, she may be the next body swept away by the Tallahatchie’s current.

There were plenty of twists and turns and lots to keep you intrigued.  I found this book to be a real page-turner, and reading in one day. 

I’m looking forward to the next instalment 

 
I highly recommend this book and series to all my cozy mystery friends. 

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from St. Martins Press and NetGalley . All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

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

Hugs,

A Gift In Time by Shaen Layle

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "A Gift In Time by Shaen Layle” the first instalment in A Gift Shop Mystery series by Shaen Layle set in the Port Huron.  What a great start to a new series.

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It’s opening day of Sarah Morgan’s gifts and curiosities shop, Heavenly Presents. Not only are her family and friends there to support her new business, but a local television crew is on-site to interview her. Sarah decides her latest acquisition, an antique music box that supposedly belonged to Thomas Edison, is the perfect item to show off on television. They’ve only heard a few notes in the strange melody when an onlooker claims her great-grandmother used to play that same tune on the piano but was secretive about its origins. 

When Sarah discovers a hidden drawer on the box that requires a key to open, she is determined to unlock the box’s secrets. 

Meanwhile, someone in the Port Huron community is also determined…to see Sarah’s business fail. 

Can Sarah find out who is behind the troublemaking, or will she be forced to close the doors on her dream forever?   

This is a new to me author and I will definitely be reading more from her.   A Gift in Time by Shaen Layle is a charming cozy mystery with a pleasant, steady pace. Unlike many cozies, there’s no murder here. Instead, it weaves together a historical mystery with a modern-day one.

The plot centers on Sarah buying a music box that may have belonged to Thomas Edison, and trying to prove its origin. Chapters set in the past help fill in the music box’s backstory.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and liked main character Sarah Morgan as she opens Heavenly Presents in her hometown of Port Huron.

3.5 stars

I requested and received an advance readers copy from NetGalley and the publisher.  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,

Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing "Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place” the 7th instalment in A Grilled Cheese Mystery series by Linda Reilly set in the town of Balsam Dell, Vermont. This is definitely one of my favourite series.

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Restaurant owner Carly Hale Mitchell has to get her husband off the hook when he’s implicated in the suspicious death of a crooked coworker . . .

When the elderly owner of a historic mansion asks Carly to come visit and make one of her famous grilled cheese sandwiches, Carly can hardly say no. She loves spending time inside the fabled home, and she knows her husband will be at the grand old manse too, rewiring the electrical as part of larger renovations. But sparks fly when he gets into a shoving match with the contractor overseeing the project, and that puts him at the top of the suspect list when the contractor later falls to his death from the roof amid signs of foul play.

Desperate to clear her husband’s good name, Carly puts her restaurant work on the back burner while she tries to track down the real culprit. Thinking it must be someone on the renovation crew or an employee at the mansion, she begins grilling the suspects, only to learn that the victim had enemies throughout the community. Then another dead body is discovered at the mansion, and Carly has to approach the case from a whole new angle—just as the killer is angling to make her the next victim on their list . . .

Includes mouthwatering grilled-cheese sandwich recipes!

I really like the characters in this series and they are what have made me fall in love with it. Especially the Protagonist Carly, her bff Gina, and her co-workers Suzanne, Valerie, Nina and Don and now Ari's sister and Quinne.   This time Carly must clear her husband's name after he winds up at the top of the suspect list in a crooked contractor's suspicious death.

The mystery was interesting and there are plenty of red herrings, and  twists to keep you wanting to find out what will happen next. 

I read the book in one day, but you will crave a grilled cheese while reading the book, I know I did. Luckily there are recipes at the back.

I cant wait for the 8th instalment to see what happens next.  I highly recommend this to cozy lovers.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Beyond the Page 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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Gimme Shelter by Libby Klein

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing Gimme Shelter by Libby Klein  2nd instalment in A Layla Virtue Mystery series. What a great follow up to book one, I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for book 3!

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This whip-smart, witty series packs an emotional punch within an engaging mystery as Layla Virtue, a 30-something recovering alcoholic and former cop turned party musician, finds a sideline in solving murders from her new home in a Potomac County trailer park…

An unforgettable mystery brimming with hilarity and heart for readers of Margot Douaihy, Jane Pek, and Darynda Jones.

As the song says, you can’t always get what you want. Maybe that’s why, instead of fulfilling her youthful dream of being a rock star, Layla Fortune is living in a trailer park while playing third-rate gigs, including a stint at a ʼ70s Abba brunch. Given everything else she’s been through lately, she’s not complaining (much) about satin ruffles and go-go boots. She has a squad of supportive new BFFs, and she’s reclaimed a relationship with her famous rocker dad. His recent diagnosis has brought them even closer—sharing the trailer park’s lake house, which he’s had remodeled in typically over-the-top style.

Layla’s dad loves his new community and the feeling seems mutual. So, why is one of them blackmailing him? It’s a mystery almost as baffling as the assignment Layla receives from her former Commissioner: look into the brutal murder of a mild-mannered school teacher. Archie Wilkins was bludgeoned with a candelabra, shot up with drugs, and stuffed into a church confessional. Not the kind of outcome expected for a guy reputed to be the world’s nicest.

Perhaps Archie had secrets. Perhaps everyone does, including Layla’s one-time cop colleagues. She’s been blaming herself for a deadly ambush that destroyed her career and her peace of mind, but as her new friends help Layla regain her memories, a different picture emerges, and it’s one that forces her to question so much that she’s taken as truth . . .

It was engaging, really well-written, and set in Potomac, Virginia. This is fast becoming a must read series for me.  I loved the character of Layla with all her faults and insecurities plus her new friends and who can forget Ringo

The mystery had lots of twists and turns with plenty of suspects who wanted the victim dead. I didn’t suspect the killer at all!

I highly recommend this cozy mystery series to all my friends who love a cozy with a strong support system of friends in it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

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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Some Like It Fudgy by Nancy Coco

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “ Some Like it Fudgy” book 15 in the  Candy-Coated Mystery series by Nancy Coco.  I really love this series and visiting Mackinac Island!

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Allie McMurphy lives the sweet life running her world-famous fudge shop on Mackinac Island—but when a killer strikes, she has to turn from creating confections to extracting confessions . . .

TAKING A BITE OUT OF CRIME

As a gesture of goodwill, Allie is bringing a tray of assorted fudge to her new husband’s ex-wife, Melonie. But she finds Melonie’s body on the floor of her photography studio—where a remote-controlled camera keeps snapping picture after picture. In one, she’s alive, and in the next, she’s dead.

While Rowan Giles, another visitor to the shop, chatters nervously—and incessantly—Allie dials the police, though she encourages her husband to leave the case to another officer. Several unidentified people were leaving when she arrived on the scene. Nevertheless, Rowan is the top suspect, thanks to one thing she didn’t talk about: her bitter relationship with Melonie. Was Rowan just stirring the pot with all her gossipy gabbing?

Allie’s not so sure. She’s learning about some dark secrets in Melonie’s past. And identifying an obvious suspect is one thing, but finding the truth is a whole other kettle of fudge . . .

I found myself engrossed in the story and reading in a couple days.   The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.  I liked the new character of Rowan Giles and look forward to reading more about her and her Great Dane Finn.

I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I did figure out who the villain was shortly before Allie did. 

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends and can’t wait for the next instalment to come out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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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Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers by Sarah Graves

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “ Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers” is the 9th instalment in the "Death By Chocolate" mystery series by Sarah Graves.

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The townsfolk of Eastport, Maine, know the best place to satisfy their sweet tooth is at Jacobia “Jake” Tiptree and Ellie White’s bakery, the Chocolate Moose. But some people living in the island town have more sinister appetites…

As the sun sets on summer in Eastport, local celebrations are in full swing—and Jake and Ellie have their hands full supplying the most decadent of desserts for extended family gatherings, class reunions, and other catered events. The organizers for Eastport High School’s Class of ’86 reunion thought it would be fun for former schoolmates to dress up in costume for a masquerade ball. Unfortunately, masks cannot hide old grudges borne out of teenage angst. So when Cindy Munson’s body is discovered murdered on the night of the dance, suspicion immediately falls upon Eastport High’s one-time notorious school bully, Terry Lawson.

Don attended the dance to apologize to those he harassed, only to be publicly rebuffed by Cindy. With the evidence stacked against him—Cindy’s body was found in his car—and no memory of what happened, Don is arrested. He’s more concerned about his six-year-old daughter going into child services than his own jail time. Remembering her own experiences in foster care, Jake volunteers to look after the little girl while conducting her own investigation into the night of the dance with Ellie.

But someone doesn’t want the amateur sleuths digging up past, humiliating secrets that may point to vengeful present-day motives—even if it means adding Jake and Ellie to a killer’s body count . . .

I enjoy this series set in the village of Eastport, Maine and really like protagonist Jake and her BFF Ellie. Plus I love her family especially Bella.  There was lots of excitement this go around with a high school reunion and masquerade ball…

There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out what will happen next. The book was engaging from start to finish, grabbing your attention from the very start.

 I highly recommend this series to all my cozy friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers copy 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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Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth by Lynn Cahoon

Hello my cozy friends,

Today I am reviewing “Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth” by Lynn Cahoon book 2 in A Bainbridge Island Mystery series. What a great follow up to book one , I found it to be just as enjoyable and entertaining.  Releases April 28th, 2026.

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Bainbridge Island bookseller, aspiring author, and amateur sleuth Meg (no relation to Bill) Gates investigates the murder of a crabby food critic in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s latest Pacific Northwest-set mystery for fans of Kate Carlisle, Lorna Barrett, Jenn McKinlay, and Ellery Adams.

Twenty-something bookseller and sleuth Meg Gates has a confession: solving crimes may be easier than writing. She’s been working on a guide to becoming a detective—but she’s her own worst critic. She needs a how-to in order to write her how-to!

At the Bainbridge Island writers’ group, she meets freelance food critic Lee Anderson, who invites her to join him for dinner at the Local Crab so he won’t be suspected of reviewing the place. Lee is a bit of a crab himself and intends to do a hatchet job on the eatery.

Instead, someone does a job on the critic—he’s found dead by the marina. Now Bainbridge’s culinary elite are on the suspect list.

With help from her beau, Dalton, and the Mystery Crew at Island Books, Meg dons her sleuthing cap to solve the mystery du jour—before another murder is served cold . . .

I love the Pacific Northwest and visiting Bainbridge Island and the mystery crew!  With help from her beau, Dalton, and the Mystery Crew at Island Books, Meg dons her sleuthing cap to solve the mystery du jour—before another murder is served cold . . .

The characters are well-developed and likable, with natural dialogue that makes their relationships feel authentic. Meg's family, including her aunt and uncle (the police chief), add depth and warmth to the story. The Bainbridge Island setting is vividly described, providing a charming backdrop for the mystery.

The plot is engaging, with plenty of twists and suspects to keep readers guessing.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery series to all my friends who love a cozy with a strong support system of friends in it.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Please join the conversation and comment below.  Have you read… If so what did you think/like

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

Hugs,