Who Moved My Goat Cheese

 

This is the first in the farm to fork mystery series by Lynn Cahoon.   I selected it because of the Idaho locale.  I ended up thoroughly enjoying the book.  There are 2 strong female leads, Angie and Felicity.  They are business owners who show strength and intelligence.  It is fun to watch their back and forth banter as long time friends and they way they can readily see through the other's white lies/evasive behaviors.   In top of this good characters and the well written mystery there are 3 adorable animals in the book.  What's not to love about a St. Bernard, a chicken and a baby goat.  If you are a foodie at heart you will love the recipes that are discussed throughout the book.  

I look forward to reading more in the series.  

Who Moved My Goat Cheese? by Lynn Cahoon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Great cozy with 2 strong female leads

This is the first in the farm to fork mystery series. It’s perfect if you are a foodie. Cahoon’s descriptions of the dishes Angie creates sound delicious. Her description of the scenery and general Idaho farming area are wonderful without being too drawn out. It’s enjoyable to read about 2 females who are smart and determined business women. You cannot help but want to hang out with Angie and Felicia in their restaurant 
Looking forward to more of the series 

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Literary Escapes-  ID
2. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book # 91
3. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice 35
4. Medical Examiner-  1 Toe Tag 
5. Six Shooter- new target

Rum Raisin Revenge

 This is the second book in the series by Becca Bloom (Jennifer Joy).   The story leads us back to Ecuador and Jess' mishap adventures.  We find ourselves immersed in the nature and culture of Ecuador even more in this book.  It is hard not to imagine yourself riding the Swing at the End of the World with Jess. I decided to do a little research on this death defying ride and thought I'd share it.  

 Here's a bit more information on the Casa de Arbol and the swing. 

 https://www.ecuadorhop.com/swing-at-the-end-of-the-world-banos/

The book is a great read besides the adventures in the jungle that Jess and her hosts explore.  The character development and family interactions are wonderful in this book all set against a backdrop of a mystery that Jess inadvertently gets involved in again.  
My favorite part of the book though is the wonderful ending and how perfectly and seamlessly it sets up the future installment of the book.

I can highly recommend this series if you want a clean humorous cozy that includes lots of wonderful descriptions.

Rum Raisin Revenge by Jennifer Joy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Tourist becomes detective in Ecuador

This second book in the series was a good balance between plot and descriptive prose. 
Jess finds herself mixed up in a mysterious death through a case of bad timing. Even as she tried to stay out of the investigation she gets drawn in. The mystery is full of speculation of who's guilty with several misdirects but in the end the story is wrapped up well and Bloom does a great job of clarifying the motive and how the crime was committed.
The murder mystery is only a small portion of what makes this book so enjoyable. Bloom does a masterful job of creating truly likeable and believable characters. The humor and family banter is well written. Even when they are annoying you feel the emotions and interactions between the characters. It is easy to envision being there in Ecuador with Jess.
The other aspect of the story is the descriptions of Ecuador and the scenery and culture there. It is definitely an armchair tourist book.
Even with all that I must say that my favorite part of the story was.how Bloom ended the book. She puts a wonderful twist that is a perfect and heartwarming setup for the continuation of the series. It is well done and absolutely fits the storyline

Don't miss this book and the series!


View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book # 84
2. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice 29
3. Medical Examiner-  1 Toe Tag 
4. Six Shooter- 2nd shot

Duplicity at the Dive Shack

Another fun adventure in the Philippines.  Donna Amis Davis continues to capture the charm of the islands and the people of the Philippines in this next installment of the Dive Shack series.  I enjoy reading these so much that I fly through them in a day, most of it in a single sitting.

I finder her characters to be realistic and you can really feel the emotions they are feeling during the story.  Much of what they experience is normal everyday things most of us go through as well.  Apart from Shelby's knack to stumble onto crimes, I think many of us can relate to the things she and her friends experience.  

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series as soon as I read my book club book for the month.   

Duplicity at the Dive Shack by Donna Amis Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Another great installment in series

This book is the second in the series set in Palawan in the Philippines. You do not need to read the first one to enjoy this cozy mystery. The story continues to develop the relationships between Shelby and her new friends. Several mysteries surround them and one of the unique things about this story is The Who did it isn’t necessarily the center of the story, but rather the why and details are much of the story development. It is easy to relate to Shelby and her curiosity and actions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series 

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book  77
2. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice 26
3. Medical Examiner-  2 Toe Tag 
4. Six Shooter- 2nd shot 

Rescued by a Kiss

 This is a fun and quirky book by Colleen Mooney that is the first in a series called New Orleans Go Cup.  It is part mystery, part romance and funny all around.  There are plenty of dog loving moments and you cannot help but smile at Brandy's love for Schnauzers.  There are some pretty funny laugh out loud moments and even the drama/crime piece of the story is down played.  The heart of the story is the characters and their interactions.  They feel like real people with real life relationships and the ups and downs that go with them.   I really enjoyed them and cannot wait to read more in the series. 

Rescued By A Kiss by Colleen Mooney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

I enjoyed reading this first book in the series and plan to read more. There were parts of the story that were a little annoying. Mooney writes the book in a manner that is similar to having a high speed conversation. At times things are bit too staccato and make it difficult to follow the writing. But it is definitely a fast paced story with interesting characters.

I enjoyed the interactions of the characters. Brandy, the main protagonist, her friends, Suzanne and Julia, are all quite entertaining. The whole story of how she meets Jiff and the ensuing chaos and drama is quite crazy but fun to read. The story is part mystery, part romance and just pure fun. Oh yeah there's lots of cute Schnauzers so what's not to love about that. There are some outlandish scenes in some Bourbon St clubs that make for fun reading. I look forward to reading more in the series. 

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:

1. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book  73
2. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice 22
3. Six Shooter- new target #30
4. 52 Books in 52 weeks  #44 recommended by Amazon
5. Monthly Keyword-  #MonthlyKeyWordChallenge-  Kiss

Chocolates with a Side of Murder

I decided to take the time to read one of my Kindle Unlimited books that had been sitting in my TBR list for a long while.   This is the first book in the Daley Buzz  series by Meredith Potts.  I found the writing a bit cumbersome at times but all in all I really enjoyed the book.   A bit too much detail in some parts and not enough in the actual mystery solving at times. 

It features a strong female lead, Sabrina, who dabbles in mystery solving while not working as a barista in her family's coffee shop.  Potts does a wonderful job of setting up the series and leaves the underlying back story as a continuing thread and motivation for the main character.  The supporting characters are a good addition and generally play the role they are designed for quite well. 

I look forward to reading more in the series with Caramels with a Side of Murder up next.




Chocolates with a Side of Murder by Meredith Potts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Creative spin on a cozy

I enjoyed reading this book about Sabrina and her sleuthing. I realize this is the first book in the series and Ms. Potts was setting the storyline up including the back story. That being said it felt a bit jumpy at times. There was a bit too much internal reflection by Sabrina during the times she was questioning suspects. It made the story flow less smoothly. It felt a little info groups how it would be light hearted and about food and then the paragraphs of deep introspection would occur. I did enjoy the story and intend to read more of the series
I appreciated that Sabrina was a strong character and there are layers to her personality. Her relate with the other characters add to the story. Particular the twist that she's dating the detective in charge of the case and how they deal with it. I look forward to seeing how the series progresses and resolves the outstanding questions


View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:

1. Cravings for a Cozy and Cloak and  Dagger #CloakDaggerChal : Book  #71
2. Cruising through cozies -  Free choice 21
3. Medical Examiner-  1 Toe Tag 
4. Six Shooter- New target 28 for Meredith Potts
5. TBR Book #47  #Backlistreader ; #MountTBR2020; #StartOnYourShelfathon

Penny Marshall memoir

I finished reading Penny Marshall's memoir, My Mother was Nuts.   The book is full of hilarious stories and some very poignant moments.   She is a great story teller and enjoys reliving the many moments in her television and movie making career.   Her book relives highlights of  her childhood and her relationships with her family.    If you enjoy reading about Hollywood and a true take on the how movies and TV shows are made then I can highly recommend this book.  It was absolutely enjoyable getting a backstage view of the Laverne and Shirley show as well as many of her movies she made through the years.   She has an amazing group of A list friends and many humorous stories to share about the memories she made with them.   

All in all this is a very good memoir that has you laughing as well as feeling a wide range of emotions.

My Mother Was Nuts by Penny Marshall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This memoir was an amazing combination of comedy and heartfelt honesty. Penny wrote a memoir that reads like a who's who of Hollywood royalty. The memoir was an interesting combination of family memories and the background stories of the movies she has been involved in over the years.
If you don't want to read about Hollywood partying you might want to pass on this book otherwise I can highly recommend this book


View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:

1. TBR Book #40  #Backlistreader ; #MountTBR2020; #StartOnYourShelfathon
2. Memoir   #11 by an actor or comedian