Review: A Very English Christmas (Love at Langley Park Book 3) by Jane Porter

 

She was only the temporary nanny…until love made her want to stay.

When American Catriona Blake agrees to spend December caring for the daughters of renowned London surgeon Dr. Rhys Harmon, she tells herself it’s just a temporary job—one month in a borrowed cottage on the edge of Langley Park, enough money to get home
to Michigan, and no complications.

But nothing about Rhys or his girls is simple. Divorced for four years, he’s rented the centuries-old cottage outside Bakewell to create new traditions and give his daughters new memories. Yet the girls miss their vivacious mother and find it difficult to feel festive without her—which only deepens Rhys’s quiet fear that he’s failing them.

Catriona never expected to fall for her impossible, brilliant employer—or his lovely, complicated family. But one promise to twelve-year-old Jillian changes everything, binding Catriona to a truth she can’t ignore and a vow she can’t break… even if keeping it means breaking her own heart when love comes too soon, and Christmas ends too fast.

 

My Review:

A heartfelt Christmas romance. 

From the moment I started this book, I knew it was something special.  I knew it was going to stick with me long after reading it.  This book is an emotional journey of love between Cat and Rhys.  Set in the beautiful English countryside at Christmas time, Cat takes on a temporary job as a nanny for Rhys’s two daughters.  Once her job is over, Cat plans to go back home to Michigan to start her teaching career.  Though the girls tap into Cat’s heart, it’s their father, Rhys, who really steals it.  But how would their relationship work with one daughter against their union and Cat soon be heading back to America?  This is the perfect book to get lost in.  It is a magical memorable Christmas story. 

 

 

Review: Frosted Misfortunes Mysteries (Books 1-3) by Lisa Siefert

Savor the charm of a small town filled with secrets, sweet treats, and amateur sleuthing.

This boxed set includes the first three full-length novels in the Frosted Misfortunes Cozy Mystery Series — a heartwarming collection of culinary capers, endearing friendships, and a sprinkle of romance from bestselling author Lisa Siefert.

Cupcakes and Chaos
Ava Decker longs to fulfill her lifelong dream of owning her own bakery. Ready for a fresh start, the former forensic accountant turned pastry chef is excited to turn life’s lemons into sugary success. But her hopes crumble when her mean boss turns up dead in the back of the delivery truck Ava was driving.

Arrested as the prime suspect, things get worse when the police discover the victim left Ava the shop and her house in her will. And with only an adorable kitten who thinks he’s a dog and an exasperated best friend as the voice of reason, the newly bequeathed owner must turn super-sleuth to clear her name.

Can Ava solve the crime before she’s baking behind bars?

Fudge and Felonies

Bakery owner Ava Decker is determined to put being dumped at the altar behind her. But her ambitions turn sour when her chocolaty cupcakes end up beside a beauty pageant contestant’s lifeless body. And when her good friend is accused of the crime, Ava throws herself into the mix to clear both their names.

With a dash of help from her cute kitten sidekick, the pastry-chef-turned-sleuth dives into the beauty queen scene to find out why a weight-loss-fanatic would be found dead next to sugary goodness. But with few clues and her hands messy with a full lineup of suspects, she struggles to follow the trail of crumbs to the real tiara-obsessed killer.

Can Ava crown the culprit before the plate of evidence is wiped clean?

Vanilla and Vendettas

Pastry chef Ava Decker is delighted to prepare a special cupcake for her BFF’s surprise engagement. But after the diamond ring disappears from its sugary hiding place, the empty-handed baker is suddenly suspect number one. So when a witness comes forward to the cops, Ava eagerly tracks him down… only to stumble across his dead body.

With the police insisting she mind her own business and an unhelpful psychic more worried about Ava’s stalled love life than useful clues, the amateur snoop might have bitten off more than she can chew. But when she’s arrested for possession of a poached Aston Martin, she’ll need more than her is-he-or-isn’t-he boyfriend and her impulsive bestie to extract herself from the gooey mess.

Can she turn the tables on a thief-turned-killer before she’s baking cakes behind bars?

 

My Review:  

A great way to pass a cozy afternoon. 

Each of these books are packed full of entertaining and imaginative stories.  They can be read in one sitting, so it’s perfect for an afternoon or lunch break.  The author’s writing pulled me in from the start.  I couldn’t get enough of bakery owner Ava, her cat Lucky, and their sleuthing adventures.  Be warned you might want to have snacks available while reading these books. 

 

Review: The Next Chapter Bookshop (Leafwood Falls Book 1) by Brooke Skie

 

 

A heartwarming cozy romance filled with warmth, community, and a touch of bookshop magic.

When Manhattan attorney Charlie Whitmore inherits her aunt’s century-old bookshop in the small town of Leafwood Falls, she plans to stay just long enough to settle the estate. The Oak & Ink Bookshop has always been beloved by locals for its uncanny habit of placing exactly the right story into a reader’s hands… but Charlie isn’t here for charm or magic. She’s here to get back to her high-powered life.

Except nothing in Leafwood Falls goes to plan.

There’s Hemingway, the opinionated orange cat with impeccable literary taste.
There’s the shop itself, with its creaky floors, shifting shelves, and quiet hints of something more.
And there’s the community, warm, welcoming, and far too easy to fall for.

As Charlie uncovers her aunt’s secrets and settles into the rhythm of small-town life, she finds herself drawn into a world she never expected… and to two very different men. Lawrence, a polished developer who represents the life she’s always known. And Ethan, the steady local contractor whose quiet reliability feels like home.

With her heart opening in ways she never planned, Charlie must choose between the future she built, and the one that’s quietly building itself around her.

 

My Review:

Charming and unforgettable. 

When Charlie inherits her aunts bookshop, she had no idea it would change her life. The store seems to know just what everyone needs, whether it’s a book or in Charlie’s case, helping guide her to a fuller happier future.  This book drew me in for the very start.  It is well written with a great plot and characters. I enjoyed seeing how the story played out and what would happen to Charlie and how she would save The Oak & Ink Bookshop. 

 

Review: Long Lost Winter (A Western Edge Mystery Book 3) by Nicole Helm

A stranger with no name. A family with too much to hide. And a storm that could bury the truth forever.

Private investigator Samantha Price thought winter in Marietta, Montana might slow things down. But with the high-profile trial of Benjamin Bennet dominating headlines, and her agency, Honor’s Edge Investigations, busier than ever, there’s no rest in sight. Especially when a rugged John Doe—who looks alarmingly like Nate Bennet—walks in seeking help to uncover his past.

DNA says he’s family. But there’s no record of who he was before. No name. No past. No trail to follow.

The deeper Sam and Nate dig into the tangled branches of the Bennet family tree, the more disturbing the picture becomes. As long-buried secrets come to light, their search for answers draws unwanted attention—and someone will do anything to keep those answers hidden.

When a dangerous storm descends on the mountains, Marietta is cut off—and so are Sam and Nate. Now, the clock is ticking. Can they uncover the truth in time to give a man back his name…without losing their lives in the process?

 

My Review:

Intriguing and entertaining. 

This book was hard to put down.  I admit I did not read the previous books in this series, so it took me a couple of chapters to really get into it.  I am glad I stuck with it.  The story was well written with interesting characters and a great plot.  I really enjoyed this book and I am ready to go back and read the rest of the series that I missed.