Hook, Line and Sinker

 Hook, Line and Sinker is the 3rd Lake of the Ozarks book by Marc Jedel.   I enjoy the aspect of this book that there are 2 narrators who are husband and wife.   It makes for an interesting perspective on the storyline.   This book has an interesting mystery related to the background of 

Hook, Line and Sinker by Marc Jedel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

enjoyable cozy from 2 pov

I like how Marc Jewel writes the series from both the husband and wife’s perspective. It’s also nice to not have the simmering sexual tension hanging over the main character like it is in so many books The mystery is interesting if not a bit loose on its solution. I do enjoy the series

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  90
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  AR 
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge   H
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 12  Book #1
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #82
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #40
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #68
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #57
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #53  Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #4 Title starting with letter "H"
14. Read Around the US   Jul Arkansas

saint x

 I selected Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin because I needed a full-cast audiobook for the month of July for one of my challenges.   Saint X looked like an intriguing read and thus I selected it.  I'm glad I did as it was an engaging suspense novel with some depth in characters.  The motivation behind people's actions and desire to seek the truth is well-plotted and interesting.  While this is a tragic mystery behind the death of Alison, while on vacation in Saint X the book feels more about the discovery of who her sister is, who Clive is, and what really happened on that day of Jan in the 1990s.  

The book does jump around time frames so if you don't like that style this is not a book for you.   I really enjoyed the narration and think it contributed to my decision to give this book 4 stars.  If you are looking for a suspense novel with minimal graphic descriptions this is a good choice. 

Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an intriguing novel with suspense throughout. But in a nice balance, there was plenty of character depth. I listened to the audio and it was a great read with a full cast doing the narration. The story moves between different time periods quite well. There were fluid shifts with the story starting out focusing on the past (1990s) and then current day. In the present time the narrators reflected back on their past this connecting the 2 periods of time plus Clive’s childhood. This book built the suspense well and had a very surprising ending

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  89
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  73 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 16
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  X
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #81
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #63
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #67
8. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
9. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #2. 2023 ADAPTATION
10. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #20 A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2023
11. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 8 Made Into A Series Or Movie
12. Beyond the Bookends  June- Listen to a full-cast audiobook

Unicorns have Bad Manners

 I picked this book because I needed a book about unicorns and dinosaurs and this fit the bill twice over.  It was a cute book with lots of fun illustrations.

Unicorns Have Bad Manners by Rachel Halpern
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Cute kids book with great illustrations. Teaches kids about looking at things from other’s perspectives

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  70
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  58 
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  U
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #63
5. What an Animal Book #24
6. Bookworm #59 Read a book involving Dinosaurs
7. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #2 about dragons or robots
8. Pick your Poison  # 101 Natural History: A book with dinosaurs in it
9. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 14 Unicorns

Invitation to Murder

Invitation to Murder written by Elizabeth Bright combines 2 of my favorite things.   Cozy mystery stories with cardmaking.  I selected this book to meet a challenge prompt of a book written using a pseudonym of the opposite gender as this is by the author Tim Myers.   I have previously read his books written as Cris Cavender which are a pizza parlor theme series.  So far he's 2 for 2 of the underlying setting of the series.  I enjoyed how the cardmaking techniques were blended into the story without too much distraction from the plot but still let me learn something about a craft I already do.  If you are interested in paper crafting at all I would highly recommend this series.

Invitation to Murder by Elizabeth Bright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a nice mix of character development and relationships along with a good mystery. The clues were present and made sense. I also felt there was a nice balance incorporating the craft of card making into the story. The descriptions of the techniques made sense in the plot and didn’t overwhelm the story

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  62
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   50
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  I
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #55
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #46
8. Cruisin thru Cozies Craft #1
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #48
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #42
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #21  Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #5 Title starting with letter "I"
14. Bookworm #9 Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction)
15. Pick your Poison  # 64 A book written by an author using a psuedonym of the opposite gender
16. Beyond the Bookends  May  Detective

A Friend in Knead

 I selected this book from my Kindle library in order to meet the monthly keyword challenge;  friend was a word to select from in March.  I ended up enjoying A Friend in Knead by Judith Jackson and found the characters to be fun.   I especially liked the dog with tutus and eye patches.  The parrot that belongs to the cafe's cook is a riot as well.  The mystery was well constructed with clues being dropped but not being obvious.  The guilty party was an interesting outcome.  I look forward to reading more in the series in the future.

A Friend In Knead by Judith Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

enjoyable small town Murder mystery

This is the first book in the series and as such the reader is introduced to a lot of characters. Some are quirky and others annoying- as intended. My only real complaint about the book was my inability to keep track off all these characters, really a minor issue. The mystery is well constructed with clues present that make sense and lead to the guilty party. I look forward to reading more about this little cafe In Vermont

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  44
2. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge F
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #12
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 6
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #33
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #17
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #35
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #31
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #  Shot #
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  Friend

Winter Takes All

 Winter Takes All was a fun cozy I found on my kindle when looking for a title with Winter in it for a mini prompt for a challenge.  I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was to read about Crystal and her new found career in outdoor adventures.  It was a nice mix of setting and description mixed with mystery and clues.  I look forward to reading more in the series in the future.  

Winter Takes All by M.L. Erdahl
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I kind of stumbled upon it on my kindle while trying to complete a mini challenge of a book with a season in the title. I really liked the level of description of the time Crystal spends in the outdoors I really felt like I could picture the scene. I also liked the way the storyline would jump back as a reflection of a past scenario when Crystal was telling a story to someone. It made the story a bit more interesting rather than one long week. I look forward to finding more in this series

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #14  
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes   WA
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  W
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 1
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #12
8. Cruisin thru Cozies career #2
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #11
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #9
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 36 Shot #6
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags pushed
13. 23 in 2023 # 5  A book that starts with the letter W
14. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #2 Featuring an Inheritance
15. 52 books in 52 weeks  #6 character vs nature
16. Around the Year in 52 Books #43  A book that involves a murder
17. Bookworm #29 Read a book that has under 1,000 reviews or ratings on a website or app 
18. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #12. You Own But Haven’t Read
19. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #3 takes place primarily in winter or a cold region
20. Cozy Mysteries   #9 Male Author
21. HP Quidditch 23 #13 Quidditch Gloves: Set in winter
22. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #25 Read a book with a person on the cover
23. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #39. AN AUTHOR NEW TO YOU
24. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #44 A book that was self-published
25. Pick your Poison  # 7 A book about a missing person
26. Read with Allison #43 Title Starts With "W"
27. Sci and Nature # 27 About Hiking or Camping
28. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 7
29. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  All
30. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  Jan new beginnings
31. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge Jan Starting Over

Murder at the PTA

 Well, I have been to some contentious PTA meetings in my time but never one that ends up in murder.  Murder at the PTA is the first book in the Maya and Sandra mysteries which I found on Kindle Unlimited.  It is different than most of the cozies I read because it has an MC who is a private investigator.  Normally my books just have amateur sleuths.  This book was alright but wasn't the most engaging of the cozies I have read this year.   I think the characters in this book were a bit too edgy for me.  But, it is perfect for readers who are looking for an MC that isn't the wholesome, girl next door character.  They mystery itself was well written for me it was just about not necessarily liking or warming up to the characters.  I think I prefer Lee Hollis' other series about Hayley Powell who is a private chef. 

Murder at the PTA by Lee Hollis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

great cozy with strong female leads

Unlike many cozies with amateur female detectives this one has 2 strong women who find themselves working together. They support each other in solving the case but also in helping each other weather some trying personal disappointments. Maya and Sandra make an unexpected pair but watching their friendship and partnership develop is as engaging as the actual mystery. I look forward to reading more about their PI cases together

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  6
2. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  M
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book # 6
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book # 5
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #1
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #3
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #3
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 50 Shot #2
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
12. 23 in 2023 # 7 A book with a tricycle or other child-related object on the cover
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #11 A Book about Secrets
14. 52 books in 52 weeks  #7 sleuths
15. Around the Year in 52 Books #2 A book by an author you read in 2022 
16. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #49 Read any book from a series
17. Bookworm #3 Read a book with a female main character
18. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #37. Detective Story
19. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #31 protagonist name starts with “M” 
20. Cozy Mysteries   #10 Main character is different than you 
21. HP Quidditch 23 #11 Nimbus 2001: Set or written after 2001
22. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #49 Read any book from a series
23. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #31 SILVER ON COVER
24. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #31 A book about a family 
25. Pick your Poison  # 77 A book about marriage
26. Read with Allison #41 Multiple POVs
27. Sci and Nature # 35 That was Sustainably Acquired (library, used, borrowed, etc.):
28. Unruly Reader Bingo  #19 Electives
29. Read Around the US   Maine

Read and Buried

 Read and Buried is the 2nd Ashton Creek Book Club mystery by Erika Chase.   This is a series full of Southern charm set in AL.  But don't let the gentile setting fool you, there is plenty of murder and underhanded behavior going on.  With a few ex-spies living in the area, and residing in her Aunt's old home now converted to a B&B, Lizzie has her fair share of strange run ins.  I do enjoy the characters and appreciate that they aren't 20 something fitness buffs, but at times it is a bit outlandish in its premise.  The story is a fun one though.   So, if you are looking for a fun distracting book to pass some time, especially if you like stories based around book clubs and have ensemble casts, you will probably enjoy this one.

Read and Buried by Erika Chase
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The mystery in this story was good, although it did feel like it was a bit of a wide net with the possible suspect list and was hard to keep track of at times. I’m sure this is probably rather realistic with real life cases.
I do like the characters in the book club and am enjoying the development of their personalities and relationships in the books. I just didn’t find myself wholly absorbed in the storyline and I’m not sure if that was due to the rest of my life interrupting my reading or a lack of pull by the book. It seems as though Chase is setting up the characters to reveal more about who they are and their backstories in future installments. I will have to see how the next book goes to see if this is an accurate guess

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 7 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 6
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes AL
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge R
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  E
6. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
7. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #7
9. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #6
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Career #1 
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #4
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #4
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 22 Shot #2
14. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
15. 23 in 2023 # 19 A book with shiny details on the cover, or a title containing a shiny synonym 
16. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #49 Books on the Cover 
17. 52 books in 52 weeks  #1 Agatha Christie
18. Around the Year in 52 Books #6 A book where books are important
19. Bookworm #11 Read the next book in a series you haven't read in a while
20. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #13. Animal on the Cover
21. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #48 character is keeping a big secret
22. Cozy Mysteries   #13 A library book
23. HP Quidditch 23 #8 Snitch: A book with a Golden Aspect (edges or cover foiled, etc)
24. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #47 Read a book that has one of your favorite book tropes in it 
25. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #44  FLORA ON COVER
26. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #6 A book about a forbidden romance
27. Pick your Poison  #74 A book with gold writing on the cover
28. RAD Challenge #aradreadingchallenge #3  Animal on the Cover
29. Read with Allison #44 Outdoor Scene on Cover
30. Sci and Nature # 36 Set in Your Favorite Season

Evvie Drake Starts Over

 I've had Evvie Drake Starts Over on my to-read pile for a while now.  I selected it to read in Jan because it fits the motif of new beginnings.   I was pleasantly surprised by the story and enjoyed it thoroughly.  The development of the characters and their relationship was well thought out and made sense;  it was too Hallmark moviesque.   If you are looking for a nice feel-good romance for February I can recommend this one.  

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I feel like I am late to the game reading this book but I’m so glad I finally got to it. It’s a little bit romance a lot of soul searching and broken people. I think anyone who has ever doubted themselves or is a people pleaser will relate to Evvie. There are definitely some humorous moments in the book and there are definitely sad moments. I loved watching her recovery and her growth as an individual. It’s an inspiring story to start off a new year

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 5 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 5
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  ME
4. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  E
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge    H
6. Color Coded #4 Green
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #5
8. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #4
9. 23 in 2023 # 13  A book containing a sport
10. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #26 Has an Epilogue
11. 52 books in 52 weeks  #10 character vs fate
12. Around the Year in 52 Books #8  An author's debut book 
13. Bookworm #46  Read a book by a new author   
14. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #25 Read with Jenna Book Club Pick
15. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #46  plants on the cover
16. HP Quidditch 23 #17 Keeper: Includes a character you fall in love with
17. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #27 Read a book with a happily-ever-after ending
18. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #13 STANDALONE
19. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #41 A book written during NaNoWriMo
20. Pick your Poison  # 69 A book about taking chances
21. Read with Allison #11 Green Cover
22. Sci and Nature # 13 Green Cover
23. Unruly Reader Bingo  #18 Elementary
24. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  New Beginnings
25. Read Around the US   ME
26. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge Jan