Pages: 304

Publisher: Kensington

Published: September 29, 2020

Rating: 3.5/4 out of 5 stars

My Review: Although this was not my favorite in the series I still found it a good read which is why I gave it 4 instead of 3 stars. I read cozy mysteries to escape the real world and this one did not let me do that this time around. There was a lot of political views expressed throughout the entire book.

I am excited for the next book as I cannot wait to see how Robbie adapts to her new role with her love.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: As December sweeps through South Lick, Indiana, Robbie’s life seems merry and bright like the string lights glistening around town. But strange happenings signal a bumpy ride into the holidays. First a man raises eyebrows at Pans ‘N Pancakes when he claiming to be the long-lost half-brother of Robbie’s assistant. Then a fire destroys the home of a controversial anesthesiologist, exposing skeletal remains in his attic. Helplessly intrigued, all Robbie wants for Christmas is to stop her winter wonderland from becoming a real nightmare. With a decades-old mystery taking shape, can she run as fast as she can in pursuit of a killer who’s harder to crack than a stale gingerbread man?

Pages: 280

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

Published: November 3, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: A joyous read that lets you feel it is ok to slow down and enjoy the life around you. Evergreen is the small town we all dream of living in during the Christmas season. A much-needed book for the crazy year we have all experienced.

All three books in the Christmas in Evergreen are a treat that is best enjoyed with a hot cup of cocoa piled high with marshmallows and a cozy blanket. Each can be read as a standalone.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: An unexpected encounter…An extraordinary discovery…Welcome back to the town of Evergreen.

Katie, an author struggling to write her second novel, heads to Evergreen, Vermont for a holiday retreat—only to get an assignment to write an article about the town. On the train, she meets Ben, a former big-city reporter who’s now a librarian in Evergreen.

Katie’s initially skeptical about Evergreen’s love of Christmas; the place seems too good to be true. Meanwhile, Ben’s wary of Katie’s intentions. He’s protective of his small town, and he knows all too well how cynical the media can be. Then a hunt for a fifty-year-old time capsule leads to a remarkable discovery. As Katie and Ben get caught up in the community’s past and present, they both begin to envision new possibilities for the future.

This feel-good Christmas romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Cranberry Crostini.

Pages: 288

Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Published: November 1, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: The Blended Quilt lets us revisit with the girls from The Hawaiian Quilt and The Hawaiian Discovery. The story mainly focuses on Sadie, the last of the girls to be single. She finds herself unhappy with her boyfriend and to work through her doubts she creates a quilt that blends the Hawaiian and Amish cultures. During the process, she writes a book on the quilts and the blending of the cultures. Unfortunately, the process creates strife with several loved ones.

The story was fast-paced and interesting. The reason it was not a 5-star read was I found Sadie a tad off-putting. As the story progressed she was more and more greedy and seemed to think everyone else was the problem. She is for sure and certain not one of my favorite Amish characters.

You do not have to read the other books to read The Blended Quilt. Each book is written as a stand-alone. The Blended Quilt is a clean, Christian read with only one trigger warning. There is a scene dealing with miscarriage.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, Inc., through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: Will pursuing Sadie’s dreams mean leaving a romance behind?
 
Sadie Kuhns has a lot happening in her life. She is creating a unique quilt by blending a traditional Amish pattern with a Hawaiian pattern as a tribute to her time spent in the islands, and she is working on a self-published book. But her relationship with Wyman Kauffman has stagnated after six months of courtship. He can’t seem to commit to a profession that would secure a future, and he is jealous of the time Sadie gives to her own pursuits. Is there really any reason to drag this courtship out? Only time will tell in this new novel from New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter, writing with her daughter-in-law Jean Brunstetter.

Pages: 320

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Published: August 11, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review:

I admit I started this series with book 9 and am mad at myself for waiting so long to start the series. It was very easy to start with books 9 and 10 as the author does a fantastic job giving enough background to know who is who and what is what. One of my reading goals for 2021 is to get caught up on this series.

In book 10 we visit Key West the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Hayley’s mother-in-law comes to visit and excitement seems to have followed her down. The mother-in-law was a little snooty for my tastes. Her comments on food/eating were bothersome. Why make your new daughter-in-law question her food choices and eating habits? First, she just met Hayley, and second, it is Hayley’s job to enjoy food. I hope the mother-in-law softens up her hard edges before visiting again.

There are plenty of yummy recipes included and not all revolve around Key Lime. I also liked that the book quotes at the beginning of each chapter. I have found some new authors to try.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: National bestselling author Lucy Burdette’s tenth Key West Food Critic mystery is piping hot with pie-enthusiasts and murder suspects.

When a fierce rivalry between key lime pie bakers leads to a pastry chef’s murder, food critic Hayley Snow is fit to be pied.

During the week between Christmas and New Year’s, the year-round population of Key West, Florida, faces a tsunami of tourists and snowbirds. It doesn’t help that outrageously wealthy key lime pie aficionado David Sloan has persuaded the city to host his pie-baking contest. Every pie purveyor on the island is out to win the coveted Key Lime Key to the City and Key Zest food critic Hayley Snow is on the scene to report it.

Meanwhile, Hayley’s home life is turning more tart than sweet. Hayley’s new hubby, police detective Nathan Bransford, announces that her intimidating mother-in-law is bearing down on the island for a surprise visit. Hayley offers to escort Nathan’s crusty mom on the iconic Conch Train Tour of the island’s holiday lights, but it becomes a recipe for disaster when they find a corpse among the glittering palm trees and fantastic flamingos. The victim–Au Citron Vert’s controversial new pastry chef–was a frontrunner in Sloan’s contest.

It’s bad enough that Hayley’s too-curious mother-in-law is cooking up trouble. Now, the murderer is out to take a slice out of Hayley. Can she handle the heat of a killer’s kitchen?

Pages: 264

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Published: September 8, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: A great start to a new series. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing up to the revealing of the murderer.

I liked the fact that the amateur sleuth has a questionable past. I am hoping we have a future book where she solves what really happened in Charlotte.

I only have two not really complaints but wish it was different. I did not like her being so weak in her relationship in Charlotte. Her boyfriend/fiance was a JERK! Good riddance. Her new romance was very quick. Too quick for my liking.

I am ready for book two and have high hopes this will become a “must-read” series for me.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: In this cozy series debut from Laura Gail Black, Jenna Quinn finds her uncle murdered in his antique bookstore, and Jenna–his primary beneficiary–becomes the prime suspect.

Trouble follows Jenna Quinn wherever she goes. Fleeing some unsavory doings in her hometown of Charlotte, Jenna accepts her uncle’s gracious invitation to stay with him in small-town Hokes Folly, NC. In exchange, she’ll help him out in his antiquarian bookstore. But soon after she arrives, Jenna finds her uncle’s body crumpled at the base of the staircase between his apartment and the bookstore.

Before the tragedy even sinks in, Jenna learns that she’s inherited almost everything her uncle owned: the store and apartment, as well as his not-so-meager savings and the payout from a life insurance policy…which adds up to more than a million dollars. This is all news to Jenna–bad news, once the police get wind of her windfall. An ill wind, indeed, as a second murder cements Jenna’s status as the prime suspect in both deaths.

Jenna can hit the road again, taking her chances that she can elude trouble along the way. Or she can stick it out in Hokes Folly, take over the bookstore, and try to sleuth out her uncle’s killer. On the one hand, she’s made some wonderful new friends, and she feels she can thrive in the genial small-town environment. On the other hand, trouble knows her address–and so does the killer, who is determined to write the final page of Jenna’s story.

Pages: 280

Publisher: Hallmark Publishing

Published: October 6, 2020

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

My Review: A fun, sweet, feel-good read that leaves you warm and fuzzy ready for Christmas.

Teri Wilson is quickly becoming one of my go-to Christmas authors that are a must-read. I love the whole idea of a magic charm bracelet. For me it made the story of boy-girl meet up again after a disastrous breakup into something fun and new. I really hope a movie is in the future.

Is the cover not beautiful??? It drew me in immediately and made me want to dive right in and experience Christmas in Owl Lake.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Hallmark Publishing, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: She never dreamed her holiday would include her hometown, a dog, or a firefighter. But a mysterious charm bracelet predicted it all…

Ashley’s supposed to be having the Christmas of her dreams. After four years of working at an upscale jewelry store in Manhattan, she’s finally going to get a little velvet box of her own—from her boyfriend Jeremy, who’s taking her on a romantic trip to Paris. What could go wrong?

Well, everything.

Ashley heads home to Owl Lake instead, falling asleep on the train ride there…and waking up with a beautiful antique charm bracelet on her wrist. Soon, she realizes that each silver charm predicts an event that happens in real life. What does this mean for her and Jeremy…or her and Aidan, her former high school boyfriend, who’s now a local firefighter? Is there still a chance that she could have the perfect Christmas?

This small town Christmas romance includes a free Hallmark original recipe for Spiced Walnut Crust Cookies with Chocolate Ganache and Sea Salt.

Pages: 242

Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing

Published: October 27, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: I am addicted to this series. Finding a new book in the series is like finding a Christmas present you forgot to open.

In book three we get to learn more about the night Aspen’s parents were killed and how it affected Aspen and her sister. I never expected the killer to be who it was. My mouth dropped to the floor when revealed.

I am very ready for the next book and cannot wait.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Beyond the Page Publishing through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: Agatha Award–winning author Daryl Wood Gerber returns with private investigator Aspen Adams taking on a cold case that has haunted her for years . . .

When her parents were murdered fourteen years ago, Aspen Adams coped as best she could as a college freshman and numbly moved on when the case was never solved. Living since then with almost daily reminders of how the tragedy shaped the lives of her and her sister, she’s always known that someday she would launch an investigation of her own. And now, with her sister in crisis, she draws on all her experience as a private investigator to untangle a case that left the police baffled and her family in ruins.

Interviewing the detectives who worked the case, scouring endless pages of their notes, and even tracking down the original suspects, Aspen discovers aspects of the crime and her parents’ lives she never knew about—and ignites a menacing series of events that threaten to engulf everyone near her. Certain she’s on the trail of the killer and unwilling to be deterred, Aspen faces down her own fears about what she’ll find in her search for answers—and justice—before a killer who scarred her life can resurface to wreak havoc on her family once again . . .

Pages: 84

Publisher: Kensington

Published: October 26, 2020

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

My Review: I know Bailey is the main character but I really think it should be Charlotte. I love her character. This quick novella really highlights Charlotte and shows her character growing. I am already itching to read the next book to continue with Charlotte’s big decision (no spoiler here as the blurb from the publisher mentions she has a decision to make).

Whether you have read the series from the beginning or are thinking about reading it I would hurry and pick up a copy of this novella. It is perfect for a cold night of staying in.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

NetGalley: A candy-striped caper . . .

Christmas is coming all too quickly for Harvest, Ohio’s famous chocolatier, Bailey King. Thanks to her new cable TV show, her shop has more candy orders than she can handle this holiday season. Fortunately, her beloved Cousin Charlotte is happy to take the Candy Cane Exchange off Bailey’s to-do list. After all, Charlotte has come to Harvest from her conservative home district to find her future outside of her family’s influence. What better way than by taking on the Englisch task of pairing the sweet notes everyone is exchanging with a peppermint treat, just in time for Christmas Eve delivery? But when Charlotte discovers some of those delicious missives are for her, suddenly she’s staking out the festive postbox, hoping to catch her secret admirer in his intriguing tracks . . .

When Charlotte sees something underhanded going on beneath the merrymaking, she enlists the help of Sheriff Deputy Luke Little to find out if her unknown correspondent is none other than the town’s biggest suspect. And the surprising truth about her suitor’s identity has her contemplating leaving her Amish roots behind forever . . .

Pages: 317

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Published: August 11, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: An enjoyable start to a new series. I liked the twist of the past of Charlotte’s Aunt and the neighbor. Truthfully that is what pulled me into the story.

I am anxious to see if Charlotte warms to the idea of being a B & B owner. A few times I felt a little put off by her backhanded whining and it made her appear a tad ungrateful. Then I would remind myself she has been through a lot of changes and needs time to work them out and find herself again.

Currently, book two is scheduled to be released Summer of 2021 and I will definitely be reading it.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in the above are entirely my own.

NetGalley: A book lover’s B&B in an idyllic waterfront village becomes the scene of a grisly murder–and a ruthless battle between treachery and the truth.

Nestled in the historic waterfront town of Beaufort, North Carolina, Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast is a reader’s paradise. Built in 1770, the newly renovated inn hosts a roster of special events celebrating books, genres, and authors. It’s the perfect literary retreat–until a rare book dealer turns up dead in the carriage house during a celebration of Golden Age mystery author Josephine Tey.

The victim’s daughter points the finger at forty-two-year-old widow and former schoolteacher Charlotte Reed, who inherited the B&B from her great-aunt Isabella. Charlotte is shocked to discover that the book dealer suspected Isabella of being a thief who founded Chapters on her ill-gotten gains. Charlotte has successfully learned the B&B business in a year, but nothing has prepared her to handle a death on the premises.

Armed with intelligence and courage and assisted by her vibrant older neighbor, a visiting author, and members of a local book club, Charlotte is determined to prove her innocence and to clear her great-aunt’s name. But the murderer is still at large, and equally determined to silence anyone who might discover the truth behind the book dealer’s death. Now, Charlotte must outwit an unknown killer–or end up writing her own final chapter.

Pages: 273

Publisher: Kensington

Published: September 29, 2020

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

My Review: A fun read for Christmas and Amish genre readers. I made sure to take my time by reading a story a night.

Fans of @shelley.s.gray ‘s Walnut Creek series will be thrilled with The Christmas Not-Wish as we get to revisit the gang.

New Beginnings by @rachelj.good was a tear-jerker for me.

Two Times Two by @loree_lough was a fun read with the 4 little imps.

NetGalley: In these heartwarming, faith-affirming stories, three Amish families face the joys, and challenges, of the holidays—with fruitful results . . .

THE CHRISTMAS NOT-WISH
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Shelley Shepard Gray
When the foster parents they’ve cautiously grown to love discover they’re expecting, orphaned Roy and Jemima Fisher, ages six and seven, are secretly devastated by the certainty they’ll be given up. With Christmas around the corner, their only wish is for new foster parents as nice as Mr. and Mrs. Kurtz. Meanwhile, the Kurtzes have wishes of their own—and with faith, they all may be gifted with twice the blessings . . .
 
NEW BEGINNINGS * Rachel J. Good
Still grieving the loss of her husband and unborn baby in an accident several months ago, Elizabeth Yoder is oblivious to her neighbor Luke Bontrager’s deepening affection for her. But while she bleakly faces Christmas alone, it’s Luke who reminds her it’s the season for giving. And when Elizabeth donates her handmade baby clothes to New Beginnings, a home for teen moms, she soon finds her gifts repaid beyond measure, with Luke’s love—and new beginnings of their own . . .

TWINS TIMES TWO * Loree Lough
What happens when two secretive, stubborn people find themselves thrown together to help four rascally youngsters—twins times two!—create a Christmas surprise for their parents? Mischief and mayhem, and just maybe . . . love!