Review: Petals and Poison: A Flower House Mystery

Petals and Poison: A Flower House Mystery by Jess Dylan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An intriguing and complex mystery is the backdrop to this cozy set in a TN flower shop. Additionally the MC and supporting characters are all involved in budding relationships. It’s a sweet set of characters intermingled with a rather complex crime.

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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  #   25

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #    25

TBR 25 in 25  # 29

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  27

Audiobook  #2024AudiobookChallenge #  7

 Literary Escapes  (Destination) TN

Read Around the US   TN Mar

Alphabet Soup #AlphabetSoupChallenge   P

Finishing the Series  #FinishingTheSeries2025    y

Finishing the Series travel theme  #FinishingTheSeries2025     y

Genre Specific

What an Animal     #13 

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #7

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #  22    

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   17

Medical Examiner Challenge-  2 Toe Tags

Marathon Challenge- 320

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  18. A frame-worthy design

 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 

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠  

Review: Strangled Eggs and Ham

Strangled Eggs and Ham by Maddie Day
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This next installment in the series gives us a glimpse at more of the supporting characters than in the previous books. The book has an interesting take on the impact of development in an area. It presents both perspectives quite well. It also highlights some of the difficulties of running a small business quite effectively

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General Tracking Challenges

Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023 #   4

TBR 25 in 25  #28

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  26

Audiobook  #2024AudiobookChallenge #  

Finishing the Series  #FinishingTheSeries2025    y

Finishing the Series travel theme  #FinishingTheSeries2025     y

Genre Specific

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #6

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #  20    

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   16

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 4

Medical Examiner Challenge-   1 Toe Tags

Marathon Challenge- 295

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  43. Something you might find in a child's bedroom (teddy bear, nightlight, crib, etc.)

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  5. A book with a weird or intriguing title

Board Game Prompts   #  11. Checkers Black and white or black and red cover

Bookworm    #  12 Free Space! Pick any book

HP Professions   #7  Pitch. Set outdoors 

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  5 Green on cover:

Pick your Poison    #  44 A book you take on vacation

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  24  Book you've owned longer than one year:

Creative Tracking Challenges

Picture Bingo    Row # 4 Column #4  16. A Roman helmet

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb 

Monthly Criteria

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  

Review: Run, Rose, Run

Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the pace of this book. I found myself wanting to read more each time I picked it up. The ending was a bit abrupt in some ways after all the build up and suspense. I did enjoy how the ending scene wrapped up lots of the unknown ut was done in a creative manner true to Annie's character.

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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  #   25

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #    25

TBR 25 in 25  #28

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  26

Audiobook  #2024AudiobookChallenge #  6

 Literary Escapes  (Destination) AR

Alphabet Soup #AlphabetSoupChallenge   R

Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  P

Genre Specific

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #  20    

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 2

Medical Examiner Challenge- 4  Toe Tags

Marathon Challenge- 439

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  25. the name of and/or a depiction of a famous person 

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  31)  Audiobook has multiple narrators

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  46. A book related to one of the traditional full moon names

Board Game Prompts   #  45. Stratego Character is in the military

Bookworm    #  36 Free Space! Pick any book

BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenchallenge25 #  32 Audiobook with multiple narrators

Beat the Backlist  #BeatTheBacklist   # 46 title includes a type of flower

HP Professions   # 23  Sorcerers stone. A shade of red in the title

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  35 Multiple perspectives:

PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge    #  12 About a road trip

Pick your Poison    #47  A book by an author known for their philanthropy

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  22 Multiple POVs:

Unabridged Podcast    #  12 Audiobook read by a new-to-you narrator:

Creative Tracking Challenges

My Reading Journey Bingo   Row #  Column #

My Reading Journey Genre Bingo    Row #  Column # 

Picture Bingo    Row #4  Column #4 4. An archery target with three arrows in it

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb 

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠  

Review: On Thin Icing

On Thin Icing by Ellie Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another good mystery. This one was rife with the tension of a love triangle though. I found it a bit annoying at times but it does play into the overall progression of revealing Jules personality and back story. The mystery was well constructed and even when the why was speculated the whole was quite a bit later in forming. Looking forward to the next book.

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General Tracking Challenges

Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023 #   3

TBR 25 in 25  #26

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  24

 Literary Escapes  (Destination) OR

Finishing the Series  #FinishingTheSeries2025    yes

Finishing the Series travel theme  #FinishingTheSeries2025     yes

Genre Specific

Cruisin thru Cozies  Free Choice #5

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #    19  

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   15

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 3

Medical Examiner Challenge-  1 Toe Tags

Marathon Challenge- 270

Prompt Based Challenges

Cover Lovers   #  47. something that is plaid

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  5) Plot includes a heist

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  2023: A book whose author has published more than 7 books

Board Game 20. Don't Break the Ice Set in a cold climate 

Bookworm    #  4 Read a book with a green cover

BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenchallenge25 #25  Green cover

Beat the Backlist  #BeatTheBacklist   # 7 baker’s dozen

HP Professions   #  17 Bowtruckle. Set in nature

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #44 Quoted by an author you like:  

Pick your Poison    #  52 A book that has a workplace romance

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     #  23 Set at a lake:

Creative Tracking Challenges

My Reading Journey Bingo   Row #  Column #

My Reading Journey Genre Bingo    Row #  Column # 

Picture Bingo    Row #2  Column #2  6. A human skull

Chapter Book Bingo  Jan   Feb 

Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2025   Row # Column #

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  

Monthly Keyword #keywordreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends  

Better World Books    # 

Book Challenge by Erin  1st Quarter

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb  

Diversify your reading #DYRC25  #

Fairytale Retellings    #fairytaleretellingchallenge  

In Case you Missed It    

Monthly Motif #motifreadingchallenge⁠  

Beyond the Bookends 25

Hosted by Beyond the Bookends this is a monthly challenge. The links direct you to lists created by the challenge host.

1. January- Read a Book Being Adapted to the Screen
• Dog Man (Dog Man #1) by Dav Pilkey
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/24/25
2. February- 2nd Chance Story
• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/21/25
3. March- Read a Middle Grade Fantasy
4. April- Set in Hollywood
5. May- Read Young Adult
6. June- Nonlinear Narrative
7. July- Food in the Title
8. August- Epistolary Novel
9. September-High School Novel
10. October- Mythology
11. November- Neuro Divergent Character
12. December- Cozy mystery

 

Review: In the Dog House

In the Dog House by V.M. Burns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy v m burns stories quite a bit. This particular book does a great job of mixing dog facts, about breeds and shows/training, with a well crafted mystery. I found this book to be a bit edgier than many cozy mysteries. It felt a bit more antagonistic and defensive than most. Perhaps that reflects the nature of the accusations against st the protagonist. It felt like she had more to prove than just being nosy. I enjoyed the book and plan to read on in the series.

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General Tracking Challenges

 Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  #   23

Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023  #    23

TBR 25 in 25  #25

Back List Reader  #Backlistreader   #  23

Alphabet Soup #AlphabetSoupChallenge   I

Finishing the Series  #FinishingTheSeries2025    y

Finishing the Series travel theme  #FinishingTheSeries2025     y

Genre Specific

What an Animal     #12

Cruisin thru Cozies  Animal #1

Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal   #      18

Craving for Cozies   #CravingCozies  #   14

Six Shooter Challenge    Shot # 1

Medical Examiner Challenge-  2 Toe Tags

Marathon Challenge- 186

Prompt Based Challenges

Let's Play Cards  #  club

 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2024  #  2)     A character with red hair

Around the Year in 52 Books    #  48. A book with a character dealing with death 

Board Game Prompts   #  11. Checkers Black and white or black and red cover

Bookworm    #  24 Free Space! Pick any book 

HP Professions   #  15 Killing curse. Includes a death 

Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2024 #  26 Spooky or cozy:

PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge    #  6 Fulfills a fav prompt from 2015  -  • A book from an author you love that you haven’t read yet

Pick your Poison    #  54 A book about a group of friends reuniting as adults

Reporters Challenge   #  3 A Main Character who works with animals (K9, trainer, vet, etc.)

Read with Allison  #readwithallison2025     # 36 Genre: Mystery:

Creative Tracking Challenges

Chapter Book Bingo   Feb 

Monthly Criteria

Buzzwords  Mar   Thing

Beyond the Bookends #13  Under 200 Pages – This is a great time to read a classic or find shorter translated literature.

Better World Books   Feb   Close to Home

Connect 5  challenge  Jan  Feb   Feb book 5