Paperback

Carrot Cake Murder (Hannah Swenson #10) by Joanne Fluke

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carrot

Pages: 343 (Paperback)

Publisher: Kensington Mystery

Published: March 2008 (original publish date)

Rating: 3.5/4 stars out of 5

First, I want to start off that if you read some previous reviews before starting the book you will probably be turned off from this series. Second, even if I do not like a book I am not going to bash the author and other reviewers for liking a book I did not. Reading is to be fun and everyone likes different styles and wants to get something different from what they read. Let’s be nice to the author’s who work hard at what they craft and the readers who enjoy the results. Now, onto my review.

I enjoy this series as my “fun” reads. Does Hannah Swenson try to solve world peace? No. Does Hannah have issues in choosing the perfect man in her life? Yes, but didn’t (doesn’t) most of us. Consider yourself lucky if you found Mr. Perfect on your first try.

In the tenth Hannah Swenson mystery, Hannah is helping her business partner Lisa with her large week long family reunion out at Lake Eden. Lisa’s long lost Uncle Gus makes an appearance at the family reunion but it is not all hugs and love. It appears Uncle Gus was quite the ladies man and moocher. Hannah is sent on a mission to find Uncle Gus for the family photo and instead finds him belly up next to her infamous carrot cake. Who wanted Uncle Gus dead and why?

Carrot Cake Murder did not have the sense of danger around every corner as some of the other books in the series did and it did not keep me on the edge of my seat. But, I still had a hard time figuring out the killer until close to the end.

I admit I have not read the two books before I read this one so I am curious about a couple of items mentioned as to what occurred previously. It might make more sense as to what I have read about what happens in a later book regarding Hannah and her choosing a particular man as her husband.

Of course there are plenty of yummy recipes scattered throughout the book. A few I want to try salmon cakes, cocoa fudge cake, Mexican hotdish and funeral hotdish..

Premeditated Peppermint (Amish Candy Shop #3) by Amanda Flower

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peppermint

Pages: 352 (eBook)

Publisher: Kensington

Published: September 25, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

It’s Christmas time in Harvest, Ohio and Bailey is excited to be sharing a small town Christmas with her Amish grandmother making treats for the shop and the Christmas Market on the Square. Her happiness soon fades when her ex-boyfriend walks in the shop with a TV crew wanting to film a reunion of their love and to showcase a real Amish Christmas. As Bailey tries to navigate her feelings for the local sheriff deputy with her ex standing nearby she finds the body of the executive producer of the show. Will Bailey help her ex clear his name or will she find out he really is a scoundrel only thinking of himself?

One can never go wrong reading a book written by Amanda Flower. My favorites are her Amish cozy mysteries.

The town of Harvest is a wonderful little town that will have you longing to visit. You will be hoping to run into Bailey, her grandmother and of course Jethro, the town’s polka dotted pig.

Premediated Peppermint will have you longing for Christmas and craving everything peppermint. There is a recipe for Peppermint Bark at the end that sounds divine and does not seem too hard to make.

I enjoyed the book and was riveted until the end. The ending is a swoon worthy ending that has me longing for the next book in the series, Toxic Toffee. I am on the edge of my seat to see how the relationship between Bailey and Aiden blossoms.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Town in a Sweet Pickle (Candy Holliday #6) by B. B. Haywood

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pickle

Pages: 338 (Paperback)

Publisher: Berkley

Published: February 3, 2015

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In book six, Candy Holliday finds herself questioning the balance between working as interim editor of the newspaper and working the blueberry farm with her dad. Candy and her arch nemesis and co-worker Wanda have organized an event for the local amateur cooks to show off their talent. They were even able to snag a popular cookbook author to be a guest judge. As Wanda goes around helping collect the goodies for the event she finds herself on the wrong end of a tasting. As she recovers, Candy is left to handle the event on her own. Things turn worse when a local favorite drops dead at the event consuming a pickle. Is someone targeting the event or all of Cape Willington?

I continue to enjoy this series the more I read it. Candy is so down to earth that you cannot help but like her. Her love for her dad and the farm is a beautiful addition to the story. Family plays a great role in cozies and this series highlights that wonderfully. The blueberry farm has very little role in this book and I did miss it.

I was saddened by the death of a particular character. I won’t mention who but if you have kept up with the series you will be saddened as well. There is a funeral in this book that will have you laughing and wondering do such things really happen?

Several recipes are included at the end of the book and I cannot wait to bake the Harvest Cookies for my hubby.

Geared for the Grave (A Cycle Path Mystery #1) by Duffy Brown

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geared.jpg

Pages: 288 (Paperback)

Publisher: Berkley

Published: December 2, 2014

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Welcome to Mackinac Island, the land of a slower lifestyle with no cars allowed and bicycles are the way to get around. Evie has volunteered to help her boss in Chicago by coming to Mackinac Island and assist Rudy, her boss’ father, in his bicycle shop. Rudy has broken leg and it is the height of the summer season. Evie walks in to the shop and witnesses an argument between Rudy and Bunny, a wealthy resident who would love for his shop to be shut down. Unfortunately during a delivery Evie finds Bunny as dead as road kill on the side of a Chicago highway. Can Evie solve the murder before having to call her boss to come get her father out of the slammer?

Oh my goodness, I have never laughed so much and so hard reading a book before. It seemed like I was constantly stopping and reading a snippet to my hubby. Evie is a pure delight. The entire book was a delight. You have a Detroit cop volunteering his time on the island, a Chicago girl who is used to creature comforts, and the mob. Can a cozy can any better? I enjoyed it so much I have already ordered the second book and am on pins and needles for it to get here.

My one complaint: there are only TWO books in the series so far. I haven’t researched yet but I really hope the author continues the series.

 

The Christmas Prayer by Wanda Brunstetter

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christmas prayer.jpg

Pages: 176 (eBook)

Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc. (Shiloh Run Press)

Published: September 1, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In the wake of the Donner party, three wagons of strangers meet in Independence, MO to head to the land of gold, California. Eight months later December arrives and they have just reached the Sierra Nevada Mountains and have encountered a blizzard that could mean the end of the trip and themselves.

Cynthia is traveling with her fiancé and mother. As the trip has progressed she finds herself questioning if he is the man she thought he was, especially as she finds herself spending more time with the children on the trip. Christmas is approaching and the travelers are finding themselves getting bleaker and bleaker but will Santa come save them and show Cynthia the way to love?

I know whenever I pick up a Wanda Brunstetter book or novella whether Amish or not I am in for the perfect feel good read. Although I know the ending will be a happy one and love will always win the story to get to the ending is always beautiful. This is the perfect story to get you ready for the colder months and Christmas. Pick this book up for the romance reader in your life or yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

I received a copy of this story from Barbour Publishing Inc. through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

 

Dim Sum of all Fears (A Noodle Shop Mystery #2) by Vivien Chien

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dim

Pages: 320 (eBook)

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Published: August 28, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Lana is still working in her parents Chinese restaurant in Downtown Cleveland even though she would rather be working as a manager in the corporate world. Just as she thinks she has found the break she has been looking for her parents must fly to Taiwan to take care of her grandmother and have left her in charge of the restaurant with the Chinese New Year right around the corner. Everything is running smoothly until one morning she finds the owners of the shop next door brutally murdered. Can Lana leave the investigation to the police or will she find herself facing the murderer on her own?

This book was very enjoyable. I have already bought the first book in the series to take with me this weekend to read while traveling. Lana, amateur sleuth, is the reason we have cozies. Even though she lives in Cleveland, her community is Asia Village. A small village of Asian stores, restaurants and businesses. She may wish to work in corporate America but she is the force that keeps this little village alive. Her relationship with local law enforcement officer Adam is hilarious but serious at the same time. He wants her to stay safe and she just can’t help herself getting into trouble. I get this picture in my head of him just shaking his head in defeat but smiling at the same time out of love. I can’t wait to learn more about him as the series progresses.

This is the perfect series to begin if you are looking for a culinary cozy mystery series in a different setting. Be prepared to be craving everything Chinese as you are reading. I had to keep myself from drooling as I was reading.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

The Mending by Susan Lantz Simpson

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mending

Pages: 288 (eBook)

Publisher: Kensington

Published: August 28, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Malinda is happy to be out of the hospital in Ohio and heading back home to Maryland. As she settles back in the swing of home life she wonders if she will ever share the joy her friend Phoebe has with her boyfriend soon to be fiancé. Malinda has Chron’s disease and feels she is a burden to everyone around her, especially her family.

Timothy has been in Malinda’s life for as long as anyone can remember as he is her older brother, Sam’s, best friend. Timothy has waited patiently for years for Malinda to grow up and be ready to accept suitors. Now that the time has come can he convince Melinda that she will never be a burden to him?

What a beautiful love story between Malinda and Timothy. The love and patience he has for Malinda would make any girl swoon, young or old, English or Amish. Both of them have a strong faith in God and the way it is portrayed is great. The author uses real life experiences to show how God is in each of our lives. The author writes with such knowledge that one would think you were reading a true story and not one of fiction.

This is the second book by Susan Lantz Simpson I have read and I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Book through NetGalley and any all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Secret at Pebble Creek (Hope Chest of Dreams #4) by Lisa Jones Baker

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pebble

Pages: 256 (eBook)

Publisher: Kensington

Published: August 28, 2018

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Englisher, Jessica Beachy, has inherited her late great uncle’s Amish farm in Illinois. She makes the journey from St. Louis, MO to sell the property but one thing she did not expect was to fall in love, with the memory of her late great uncle, the property and the handsome Amish carpenter, Eli. As Eli remodels the house for Jessica to sell, he tells Jessica stories of her great uncle and the loves found at Pebble Creek. Will Eli lose his heart to Jessica?

This was my first visit to Pebble Creek and I am absolutely smitten. Lisa Jones Baker does an incredible job in making the reader feel as if Pebble Creek is a real and magical place. I am afraid of heights and would never in my right mind climb a ladder into a hay loft but she made me want to when reading about the view of Pebble Creek from Old Sam’s hayloft.

It was beautiful to read about the witnessing Eli does with Jessica. A non-believer learning about our beautiful God and coming to the realization that Jesus died for you to have eternal life with him in the kingdom of heaven is a miracle. Lisa Jones Baker did just this in a subtle but powerful way.

I would recommend this book to any fan of Christian and/or Amish romance. It is definitely safe for a young teenage girl ready to read clean romance novels. No sex, foul language or violence.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Kensington through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

Murder on Bank Street (A Gaslight Mystery # 10) by Victoria Thompson

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bank

Pages: 324 (paperback)

Publisher: Berkley

Published: June 3, 2008

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Four years ago Sarah lost her husband, Dr. Brandt, to a unnamed father who thought the doctor had taken advantage of his mentally sick daughter. Sarah’s friend, Dectective Malloy has decided to solve the unsolved murder for the woman he has come to love. Will the discovery cause more harm than good?

This was my first visit into the world of Sarah Brandt and I want to stop time and read all the books in the series back to back. I had never read a medical cozy either and was very surprised how much I enjoyed it. Add the fact the book takes place in the late 1800s and it was a recipe for greatness. Even though this is tenth in the series I had no problems just jumping in and understanding all the characters and their importance. I hope when I go back and read the ones before I get the story of Maeve. She is a feisty, strong young woman who compliments Sarah perfectly.

Through the Autumn Air (An Every Amish Season #3) by Kelly Irvin

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through

Pages: 368 (eBook)

Publisher: Zondervan Fiction

Published: August 14, 2018

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Widowed Mary Katherine has found herself fighting her children and the church elders over leaving her home for life in the Dawdi Haas. Her children think her facilities are failing but in truth Mary Katherine lives in a world of stories, whether through books or stories she concocts in her head and writes down later when she has the time. Everyone seems to think they know what is best for her. Instead of being able to follow her dream of opening a bookstore with her best friend who happens to be English she finds herself helping Widower Ezekiel in his restaurant and her friends in the new Amish Combination Store. As things heat up in the mysterious Amish break ins, Mary Katherine and Ezekiel find their friendship heating up as the days cool down. Can Mary Katherine find a solution to make herself happy along with everyone else?

The Every Amish Season books have been a delight to read. Through the Autumn Air has been my favorite of the three published so far. I love just about any book centered around books and reading. Plus I hope I am as spunky as Mary Katherine when I am sixty. I admire how she tries to stay true to her faith but herself as well. Can we truly enjoy life if we don’t stay true to ourselves.

If you are a fan of Amish fiction and are ready to read a story with some spunk hurry and get your copy today.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Zondervan Fiction through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.