Review: Nutcracker Nightmare

Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

chocolate lovers will drool while trying to solve the mystery

This book is filled with of mysteries to solve, Not just deaths but blackmail too. Set during a small town high school reunion many buried pasts are uncovered and the desire to keep them hidden is strong. Who is prying and who is willing to kill to keep things buried. Plenty of suspects to go around in this book

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Review: Town in a Pumpkin Bash

Town in a Pumpkin Bash by B.B. Haywood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading about Candy and Maggie’s latest escapades. I just found it a bit confusing to keep track of all the supporting characters. All in all it’s enjoyable to read about the town in Maine there’s an underlying thread that is present in all the books so it’s important to read in order.

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Review: Party of Liars

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

great twisty suspenseful read

When you finish the book you appreciate the clues that were there all along. It builds as the party goes and the flashbacks occur. You realize no life is perfect and this party sure reveals that. Get ready for a thoroughly twisting ride and a hopeful ending

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Review: Candy Cane Crime

Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this novella and the narration by Charlotte. The Christmas backdrop to the story is delightful. This book delved into Charlotte’s feelings of being caught between the Amish and English worlds. It touches upon her indecision about baptism into the Amish District and how torn she is. I always enjoy reading about Harvest in this series and the Matchmaker series as well

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Review: The Bletchley Riddle

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a fascinating take on the code breaking work done during WWII. The youthful approach and some of the naïveté that comes with age made for a unique take on the topic. The mystery within the story and the determination of Lizzie to get to the truth was engaging. Even if some of the antics Lizzie pulled were a bit far fetched they still could be believable in a pinch. An enjoyable YA read

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Review: You're Invited

You're Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

wow twists and suspense abound

This book was an intense roller coaster ride. Set in Sri Lanka and involving the upper crust of society. The book centers on a high society wedding and the events leading up to it. The book alternates between wedding events and flashbacks building suspense and unraveling the truth as you read. A page turner that will keep you up at night trying to figure out if anyone is telling the truth or if they are all manipulating each other

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Review: Hounding a Killer

Hounding a Killer by Kallie E. Benjamin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

creative cozy with twists

Lots of victims are piling up in IN in this 2nd book with Bailey and Pris The story unfolds much like a country estate mystery of old. The victims keep appearing and also remove suspects in the process. My only complaint with the book is there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of them all in the first part of the book. As it progressed it became easier to track people

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Review: The Chow Maniac

The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is full of secrets. Some unravel and come to light others remained a secret amongst a few. Lana is caught in a balancing act on who to take in confidence and who to leave out of the know. There is definitely a puppet master but who is it? This is what Lana is trying to find out. Will she and her family be in jeopardy or does her affiliation with Lydia the PI keep her on the fringe of the investigation. Overall the cast of characters is large and many of the past ancillary characters play a role in this book. I hope the series keeps going as the books do a great job of highlighting the balance of multi cultural backgrounds and the struggles it can bring.

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Review: Mystery In Rocky Mountain National Park

Mystery In Rocky Mountain National Park by Aaron Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great book for anyone who loves materiel and the outdoors. The description of the Rocky Mountain National park and the wildlife are very well done. The ciphers and scavenger hunt is engaging and adds a bit of anxious tension. Looking forward to reading more in the series

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Review: A Bánh Mì for Two

A Bánh Mì for Two by Trinity Nguyen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Saigon comes alive in this novel

I have been to Vietnam but not Saigon. The authors descriptions of the city and culture bring it to life. The good descriptions are amazing as well. The relationship that grows between Lan and Vivi is engaging. It is amazing to watch them grow together and as Individuals. The perspective of a Vietnamese and an American Vietnamese on the way and its impact on the nation was enlightening and expanded my knowledge and perpective on the war. Overall im glad I selected this book for my challenge this year

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Review: Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum

Future Boy: Back to the Future and My Journey Through the Space-Time Continuum by Michael J. Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A delightful listen especially if you are a fan of the Back to the Future franchise. This book hits home for me as I remember Family Ties and Back to the Future. It was fun to hear Michael J Fox tell the story of the making of this movie and how it related to his early career. Classic characters of Marty McFly and Alex P Keaton are synonymous with Michael and the 80s. The inside stories and the nostalgia make it a fast and engaging story.

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Review: Boston Scream Murder

Boston Scream Murder by Ginger Bolton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great installment in the deputy donut stories. This had a bit of a surprise ending. I find the development of the relationships amongst the characters to be an intriguing component to the story. The description of the small town Halloween festivities was really authentic feeling and added to the whole comforting vibe of the story.

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Review: Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A. Fun read set in Boston. Jessica and Doc Hazlitt head to Boston for a bit of work and some fun. Unfortunately an unexplained death puts a crimp in the relaxation. This book explores the touristy areas as well as local regions such as Southie. Jessica works with her old friend Harry and the police to clear a Friends name. I prefer the co writer on this book to the previous installment as she does not feel the need to lecture all in all an enjoyable read

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Review: Motorhomes, Maps, & Murder

Motorhomes, Maps, & Murder by Tonya Kappes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

what a twist at the end

Mae West is a great character with an amazing support system. This latest book has her depending on the Laundry Club and all their unique skill sets. The reenactment adds an interesting twist and a bit of history to the cozy mystery. This is a fun series which does not have to be read in order to enjoy them but it does help with the character development

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Review: Dead-End Detective

Dead-End Detective by Amanda Flower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

interesting new series

This cozy feels a little atypical as the MC, Darby Piper, is a PI. This makes it feel a little less like an amateur detective that is so typical of cozy mysteries. I like the tough girl persona that Darby seems to give off. Her relationships are far from perfect and add to the drama of the mystery. There are plenty of surprising twists at the end keeping the reader in suspense til the end

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Review: Death by Windmill

Death by Windmill by Jennifer S. Alderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

enjoyable mystery as reader journeys through Holland

This mystery was quite involved for a cozy. It wrapped up several unknowns by the end of the story. I will say I did figure out the guilty party quite early in the story. Overall I loved reading about the destinations in the travel story as i was just in Amsterdam and visited many of the sites earlier this year. It was the story that much more engaging when i can visualize the locales with great detail.


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Review: Death Overdue

Death Overdue by Allison Brook
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

enjoyable cozy with a supernatural character

I’m usually not that into the paranormal cozies but I thoroughly enjoyed the presence of Evelyn and her assistance
Carrie is definitely a quirky and complex MC and she is realistic in how she stumbles in personal interactions at times and is definitely a vulnerable character. The red herrings pointed the reader in lots of directions and kept me guessing until the reveal. Looking forward to seeing how this series plays out


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Review: The Pint of No Return

The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. The details about brewing and flavors are really engaging. There are plenty of suspects in the death of an unlikeable victim. The suspense built all the way to the solution and was a bit of a surprise. It’s also fun to watch Garrett and Sloan work on building Nitro brewery and expand its offerings

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Review: Robot Revenge

Robot Revenge by J.J. Chow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A quick read that centers around an atypical cozy mystery sleuth. Winston is not your typical sleuth nor is the supporting cast the norm. In this case there are plenty of senior side characters playing a role in the mystery solving. This book is short but full of plot twists and interesting characters. The family dynamics between Winston and Marcy add to the storyline. Looking forward to reading more adventures with Winston.

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Review: The Arctic Fury

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this book was a bit slow to develop once the plot got moving it was quite engaging. The story is a dual timeline but not like many hF books today. This is all set in the 1850s just some in the present day and some reflecting back on the previous year or 2. The details of the book definitely portrayed the harsh wilderness to expedition encountered but it was balanced with interesting characters. Each of the women took a turn telling a bit from their point of view and it made for an intriguing way to hear everyone’s story. All in all I am glad I preserved and completed the book

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Review: Baffled in the British Isles

Baffled in the British Isles by Cheryl Dougan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting cozy mystery based around fraud investigation rather than a murder. I enjoyed the story and especially the 4 main characters. I didn’t care for how often the story talked about previous cruises bc I kept wondering if I’d missed a book in the series. In a strange twist the book references the Arctic disappearance of the Franklin party which is the same subject of the book, The Arctic Fury, that I just completed prior to this book. It’s always fun to have a point of reference about books. Additionally intriguing aspects are the locales that are discussed in the book that I have visited, Dublin and Belfast.
I look forward to the next book in the series where the investigation in the story will continue

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Review: The Arctic Fury

The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While this book was a bit slow to develop once the plot got moving it was quite engaging. The story is a dual timeline but not like many hF books today. This is all set in the 1850s just some in the present day and some reflecting back on the previous year or 2. The details of the book definitely portrayed the harsh wilderness to expedition encountered but it was balanced with interesting characters. Each of the women took a turn telling a bit from their point of view and it made for an intriguing way to hear everyone’s story. All in all I am glad I preserved and completed the book

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Review: Four Charming Spells

Four Charming Spells by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This next book in the series was an interesting read. I enjoy the mix of paranormal that is contained in the series. I did find it difficult to keep track of the characters as there are quite a few of them that are ancillary to the main story line. The series will continue and I look forward to reading what happens to Mia and her friends.

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Review: Tea & Treachery

Tea & Treachery by Vicki Delany
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This first in a series is set in a charming teahouse and B&B on the Cape. For much of the book there isn’t much variation in the locale. Eventually Lily made her way into town of North Augusta and there was more description of the small town. I didn’t realize how much I missed those details until it finally happened. I enjoy the characters of Tose and Bernie and how impulsive they are compared to Lily. There’s the typical flirting relationship with attractive male characters as well it will be interesting to see how the dual couple scenario pans out as the series continues.

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Review: Four Charming Spells

Four Charming Spells by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This next book in the series was an interesting read. I enjoy the mix of paranormal that is contained in the series. I did find it difficult to keep track of the characters as there are quite a few of them that are ancillary to the main story line. The series will continue and I look forward to reading what happens to Mia and her friends.

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Review: Murder at a Cape Bookstore

Murder at a Cape Bookstore by Maddie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mac finds herself mixed up in yet another death on the Cape. Wagner had plenty of people irritated to him making his death hard to solve. Mac found finds old and new mixed up in the case. It was a mystery that centered around relationships and the info they provide. It’s hard not to smile when reading about her interactions with her niece, Cokey.

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Review: Shofar, So Good

Shofar, So Good by Aliza Levine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable mystery. I love the character growth we see in Ava in this book. She is starting yo grow a backbone. The reader will learn a lot about Jewish traditions surrounding Rosh Hashana. The mystery itself is well written and the guilty party was a bit of a surprise. Looking forward to the next book in the series

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Review: Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers

Stuart Woods' Finders Keepers by Brett Battles
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

another adventure filled Stone Barrington book

In typical Stone fashion he finds himself in the middle of crazy action. This time the mob has him in their sights again but not his fault. The book was enjoyable and full of action. Only isssue I had was keeping track of some of the less central characters

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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  #    58

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #    60

TBR 25 in 25  #67

Alphabet Soup #AlphabetSoupChallenge   F

Finishing the Series  #FinishingTheSeries2025    

Finishing the Series travel theme  #FinishingTheSeries2025     

Genre Specific

Bookish Books challenge   #    

What an Animal     #

Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge #   

Humor   #   

Memoir  #  

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #      

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 

Medical Examiner Challenge-   Toe Tags

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  

Let's Play Cards  #

What's in a Name  #wian2025     # 

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  

Board Game Prompts   #  

Bookworm    #  

BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenchallenge25 #  

Beat the Backlist  #BeatTheBacklist   # 

HP Professions   #  

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  

PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge    #  

Pick your Poison    #  

RAD Challenge  #aradreadingchallenge      #  

Reporters Challenge   #  

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  

TBR Scavenger Hunt #

Unabridged Podcast    #  

Creative Tracking Challenges

My Reading Journey Bingo   Row #  Column #

My Reading Journey Genre Bingo    Row #  Column # 

Picture Bingo    Row #  Column #

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb  Mar

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

52 book club connections challenge 

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May Jun  Jul  Aug

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠  

Review: Sandwich

Sandwich by Catherine Newman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

really hit home

This book really resonated with me. I’m currently adjusting to my only son heading back for sr yr in college. Not really sure where the time went and how to live in the moment. Rocky’s emotions spark a chord and bring back memories of my son’s infancy It also connects much of the feelings and roller coaster emotions I feel going through menopause. Highly recommend this book for anyone who’s in the sandwich stage of life

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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  #    57

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #  60  

TBR 25 in 25  #67

Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  N

Genre Specific

Bookish Books challenge   #    

What an Animal     #

Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge #   

Humor   #   

Memoir  #  

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #      

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 

Medical Examiner Challenge-   Toe Tags

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  

Let's Play Cards  #

What's in a Name  #wian2025     # 

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  

Board Game Prompts   #  

Bookworm    #  

BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenchallenge25 #  

Beat the Backlist  #BeatTheBacklist   # 

HP Professions   #  

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  

PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge    #  

Pick your Poison    #  

RAD Challenge  #aradreadingchallenge      #  

Reporters Challenge   #  

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  

TBR Scavenger Hunt #

Unabridged Podcast    #  

Creative Tracking Challenges

My Reading Journey Bingo   Row #  Column #

My Reading Journey Genre Bingo    Row #  Column # 

Picture Bingo    Row #  Column #

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb  Mar

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

52 book club connections challenge 

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May Jun  Jul  Aug

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠  

Review: Twelve Slays of Christmas

Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this first book in a new to me series. Holly and her family tree farm are a wholesome storyline. Unfortunately Christmas season is not going as planned and someone seems determined to ruin Holly’s homecoming. If you are looking for a charming small town holiday vibe this is a perfect book for you. The mystery is well structured and reveals a well thought out plot. The characters are engaging as nd I look forward to reading more about them in future installments


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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  # 56    

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #   59 

TBR 25 in 25  #66

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  51

Clock Challenge 0/12  #ClockReadingChallenge  12

Genre Specific

Bookish Books challenge   #    

What an Animal     #

Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge #   

Humor   #   

Memoir  #  

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #      

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 

Medical Examiner Challenge-   Toe Tags

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  

Let's Play Cards  #

What's in a Name  #wian2025     # 

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  

Board Game Prompts   #  

Bookworm    #  

BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenchallenge25 #  

Beat the Backlist  #BeatTheBacklist   # 

HP Professions   #  

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  

PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge    #  

Pick your Poison    #  

RAD Challenge  #aradreadingchallenge      #  

Reporters Challenge   #  

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  

TBR Scavenger Hunt #

Unabridged Podcast    #  

Creative Tracking Challenges

My Reading Journey Bingo   Row #  Column #

My Reading Journey Genre Bingo    Row #  Column # 

Picture Bingo    Row #  Column #

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb  Mar

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

52 book club connections challenge 

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  Mar  Apr  May Jun  Jul  Aug

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠