Book Review - Windswept Way by Irene Hannon

My Review

Ashley Scott comes to Hope Harbor on the coast of Oregon to work at a historic mansion as a wedding and event planner. She befriends the mansion's owner, Rose, who is an elderly recluse.  When she meets the new landscaper, Jon, she feels a connection with him, but he is  a war veteran who has physical scars -- and a great wariness of relationships. Windswept Way explores Ashley's new life in this small town and her tentative friendship with Jon.

I wanted to read this novel because I enjoyed an earlier book in the Hope Harbor series. I love small town fiction, and Hope Harbor is a charming town - complete with friendly business owners, neighbors who care, and two clerics (one Protestant, one Catholic) who are best friends. It is enjoyable to spend time in this little town via this series.

Ashley is a likable protagonist - warm and kind, with great compassion for others.  Her caring helps Rose open up to others and also makes a real difference in Jon's life.  Ashley and Jon's romance is sweet and moving, as he is truly emotionally as well as physically scarred by his experience at war.

I have enjoyed the books I've read in this series and need to go back and read the other books as well.  I also look forward to the next chapter in this series.   I recommend Windswept Way for fans of small town settings, sweet romance, and comforting, life-affirming fiction.

Book Synopsis

One house that deserves a second chance meets two hearts that deserve the same . . .

Buying a haunted house was never in Ashley Scott's plans, but when an intriguing opportunity drops into her lap after a major life setback, she finds herself trekking cross-country to Hope Harbor on the Oregon coast to launch a new life.

Wounded warrior Jonathan Gray isn't sure what to make of the attractive woman on his reclusive older neighbor's isolated property, but her presence is none of his business--until she enlists his help with an ambitious project. When Jonathan finds his interest in the new arrival becoming more personal than professional, however, his defenses go up. There's no room in his life--or his heart--for romance.

Yet as these two hurting souls join forces to restore life, laughter, and love to a historic estate, might they also find healing, hope, and happiness themselves?

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.

Author Bio

Irene Hannon is the bestselling and award-winning author of more than 60 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels. In addition to her many other honors, she is a three-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America. She is also a member of RWA's elite Hall of Fame and has received a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews for her entire body of work. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.

Book Review and Giveaway - Bowled Over Americano by Carolyn Arnold

My Review

Bowled Over Americano is the start of a new cozy series.  Sara Cain is a police detective who works days and nights sleuthing, along with her partner Sean McKinley.  While investigating a case involving a champion bowler who is murdered, Sara ends up adopting the bowler's beagle Magnum, and the dog goes along on a few cases.  

I wanted to read this book because the bowling storyline sounded like fun.  I love cozy mysteries and I also liked that this is the first book in a new series.

This is a great start to a new series with Sara and Sean solving mysteries together.  They are a great pair - detectives and friends, but there is also a sweet romantic storyline.  The mystery aspect of this story is well written.  Sara and Sean have great sleuthing experience because of their work.  There are several possible suspects, and it was fun to tag along with Sara and Sean as they worked to solve the case.

Magnum the beagle was a fun addition to the story!  The author captures the beagle personality perfectly in this book.  I am a lifelong animal lover and especially enjoy mysteries that involve dogs or cats.

I look forward to future books in this series, and recommend Bowled Over Americano to other fans of cozy mysteries.  This is a lively, well written start to a new series!

Book Synopsis

Sara Cain isn’t your typical thirty-two-year-old woman. Murder detective by day, writer and… sleuth by night? Just as long as there’s enough coffee to keep her going…

When her first novel gives her trouble, Sara goes for a walk to clear her writer’s block and ends up stumbling right into a real-life murder mystery. Magnum, an adventurous beagle, comes running off leash toward her in the local park, and she returns him home only to find his master dead on the entry floor. 

Cliff Cunningham was a championship bowler with a mean streak and a temper, and police are pegging his Golden Pin bowling trophy as the murder weapon. While any number of people could have clocked a strike by knocking him on the noggin, the prime suspect is a friend of Sara’s mother—and she expects Sara to prove the woman’s innocence. A tall order, as the case isn’t officially hers and belongs to a rival detective.

But a promise is a promise, and Sara soon finds herself sleuthing undercover—and off the clock—in a world of polyester shirts and rental shoes. It’s not all bad, though, as she’s taking her friend and partner Sean McKinley along for the ride. They are better together than they’ve ever been split, and they’re not amateurs at finding killers. Despite being up against small-town hijinks and colorful characters who threaten to roll their efforts into the gutter, they are having fun. That is, until they get close to the killer and a dangerous twist puts their lives at risk.  

A completely addictive caper full of twists that offers up a serving of murder, a dollop of romance, and a dash of humor. This perfect blend of robust and sweet is bound to hit the spot with readers who are fans of Verity Bright, Tonya Kappes, and Agatha Frost.

Author Bio

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers readers police procedurals, hard-boiled and cozy mysteries, thrillers, and action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™. 

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower. 

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

Author Links

Website https://carolynarnold.net/

Blog https://carolynarnold.net/blog-posts/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold/

Twitter https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/authorcarolynarnold/

GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4893460.Carolyn_Arnold

Purchase Links – Amazon – iTunes – B&N – Kobo – Google – Smashwords

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Book Review - The Vanishing at Castle Moreau by Jaime Jo Wright

My Review

The Vanishing at Castle Moreau is a Gothic novel told in three timelines.  In present day, Cleo Clemmons agrees to do a big job for cash payment because she is on the run.  She goes to Castle Moreau, an American castle in Wisconsin, to help a celebrity's grandmother declutter the items she has hoarded for many years. In 1870 Daisy Francois goes to work at Castle Moreau, but becomes concerned about all the rumors of women disappearing from the castle.  There are also flashbacks to 1801 when a young girl is living a rather frightening life at the castle, haunted by a woman with a crooked hand.

I wanted to read this novel because I love the Gothic tradition of novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca.  I enjoy historical fiction and don't encounter a lot of new Gothic historical novels, so I was curious!

The author, Jaime Jo Wright, did a wonderful job with the atmospheric setting and mystery elements of this novel.  This evocative description is a good example of the storytelling in this book:

"The castle cast its hypnotic pull over any passerby who happened along to find it, tucked deep in the woods in a place where no one would build a castle, let alone live in one. It served no purpose there. No strategy of war, no boast of wealth, no respite for a tired soul. Instead, it simply existed. Tugging. Coercing. Entrapping. Its two turrets mimicked bookends, and if removed, one would fear the entire castle would collapse like a row of standing volumes. Windows covered the façade above a stone archway, which drew her eyes to the heavy wooden door with its iron hinges, the bushes along the foundation, and the stone steps leading to the mouth of the edifice. Beyond it was a small orchard of apple trees, their tiny pink blossoms serving as a delicate backdrop for the magnificent property" (eBook location 38).

I found the present day storyline of Cleo, with the added mystery of why she was on the run, the most compelling in the book.  She is cautious to make connections, but surprisingly finds herself drawn to Deacon, the grandson of the older woman she is helping.  Deacon was one of my favorite characters in the novel.  

The story takes several twists and turns, and I enjoyed the meandering road to the answer to the mystery of Castle Moreau.  I recommend this unique and intriguing novel for fans of historical fiction, and especially for anyone who enjoys Gothic fiction.

Book Synopsis

A haunting legend. An ominous curse. A search for a secret buried deep within the castle walls.  

In 1870, orphaned Daisy François takes a position as housemaid at a Wisconsin castle to escape the horrors of her past life. There she finds a reclusive and eccentric Gothic authoress who hides tales more harrowing than the ones in her novels. As women disappear from the area and the eerie circumstances seem to parallel a local legend, Daisy is thrust into a web that could ultimately steal her sanity, if not her life.

In the present day, Cleo Clemmons is hired by the grandson of an American aristocratic family to help his grandmother face her hoarding in the dilapidated Castle Moreau. But when Cleo uncovers more than just the woman's stash of collectibles, a century-old mystery and the dust of the old castle's curse threaten to rise again . . . this time to leave no one alive to tell the sordid tale.

Award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright seamlessly weaves a dual-time tale of two women who must do all they can to seek the light amid the darkness shrouding Castle Moreau.

PURCHASE LINKS

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSHOP | GOODREADS

Author Bio

Jaime Jo Wright is the author of eight novels, including Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill and Carol Award winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She's also the Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of two novellas. Jaime lives in Wisconsin with her cat named Foo; her husband, Cap'n Hook; and their two mini-adults, Peter Pan and CoCo.

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKBUB 

 | GOODREADS

 

 

 

Book Review and Giveaway - The Little Shop of Murders (Collected Cozy Mysteries) By Millie Ravensworth, ACF Bookens, Geraldine Byrne, Rachel McLean, Diane Kelly, Nikki Knight, London Lovett, Lise McClendon, Flora McGowan, Kathryn Mykel, J. New, Eryn Scott, Debbie Young, Victoria Tait, Carlene O’Connor

My Review

The Little Shop of Murders is a delightful short story collection. All the stories are short cozy mysteries and they take place in shops in small towns. There are 15  short stories included in the book with a great variety of settings and storytelling styles.

I wanted to read this book because I love cozy mysteries, have worked in little bookshops, and love small town settings.

This was a delightful, quick read.  I enjoyed all the stories.  A few things I particularly liked about this collection:

"Don't Toy With Me" - very clever mystery, and I liked the toy shop setting.

"A Man With No Imagination" - a creative quilt becomes part of a mystery.

"The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery" - I enjoyed the antique details and antique shop setting.

"Always and Furever" - a mystery set in a bookstore and involving cats in the plot!

'Nightly Nuisance" - a charming mystery set in a quilt shop; this one has a surprising fantasy element.

"The Gift of Dragons" - a lovely mystery involving a very rare old book.

I recommend The Little Shop of Murders for fans of cozy mysteries. The stories would be great for reading on a trip, a subway commute, or in any setting where the reader has little bits of time for reading. I think other cozy fans will find this a charming read.

Book Synopsis

Book shops, boutiques and small businesses are the lifeblood of small towns but what secrets lie behind those pretty display windows and in the alleyways behind these charming streets? Step inside for a personal retail experience like no other! ‘The Little Shop of Murders’ collects together fifteen superb cozy mysteries written by some of the finest authors in the genre. All author and publisher profits from the sale of this book go to children’s charities, helping those most in need.

Stories include:

Don’t Toy with Me by Diane Kelly
A Man With No Imagination by Millie Ravensworth
The Forget-Me-Not Antiques Mystery by Victoria Tait
It Was Our Song by Nikki Knight
Always and Furever by Eryn Scott
Wild Irish Dreams by Lise McClendon
Architect of a Murder by Carlene O’Connor
Blooms and Blackmail by London Lovett
Secondhand Murder by J. New
The Lady of the House by Flora McGowan
Requiem for a Violin by Geraldine Byrne
Nightly Nuisance by Kathryn Mykel
The Gift of Dragons by ACF Bookens
Nowhere to Hide by Debbie Young
Murder in the Bookshop by Rachel McLean

Author Bios

Victoria Tait

Victoria Tait was born and raised in Yorkshire, UK, and never expected to travel the world.  She’s drawn on her experiences following her military husband to write cozy murder mystery books with vivid and evocative settings.  Her determined female sleuths are joined by colourful but realistic teams of helpers, and you’ll experience surprises, humour and sometimes, a tug on your heartstrings.

Link to My Dotty Sayers series:– https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TMJFL7L

Carlene O’Connor

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of The Irish Village Mysteries, Home to Ireland Mysteries, and the new County Kerry Mystery series. Her mysteries have been translated into German, Estonia, and UK markets thus far and the Irish Village Mysteries have been optioned for television. Readers are encouraged to get in touch via Facebook, Goodreads, Book Bub, or through the contact form on CarleneOConnor.net. An admitted wanderer, Carlene spends as much time in Ireland as possible while currently residing in California and Chicago. She is always up for joining events via Zoom or in person.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Carlene-OConnor/author/B01BJ1KOFY

Eryn Scott

Eryn Scott is the author of heartwarming cozy mysteries. Her Whiskers and Words cozy mystery series features deep friendships, strong families, a tight-knit small town, twisty mysteries, and a whole lot of adorable cats. She and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest with a handful of beloved animals. She enjoys knitting, hiking, skiing, horseback riding, and reading.

Link to my series: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09LTWVPTG?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

Flora McGowan

Flora McGowan is the author of the Carrie and Keith Mysteries, novels and short stories. Her stories combine a mix of mystery with the mystical and supernatural, often with an historical element as well as a touch of humour and a dash of romance. Flora was born in Dorset and has spent most, but not all, of her life there, and many of her stories are based in this locale. Flora enjoys travelling, taking inspiration from the places she visits.  You can catch up with Flora via Goodreads, her blog, Facebook, Instagram or BookBub.

Flora McGowan on Amazon

Nikki Knight

Nikki Knight describes herself as an Author/Anchor/Mom…not in that order. An award-winning weekend anchor at New York City’s top all-news radio station, 1010 WINS, she writes mysteries including LIVE, LOCAL, AND DEAD, a Vermont Radio Mystery from Crooked Lane, and as Kathleen Marple Kalb, the Ella Shane and Old Stuff series. Her short stories appear online and in anthologies, and have been short-listed for Black Orchid Novella and Derringer Awards. She, her husband and son live in a Connecticut house owned by their cat.

Book link:  Live, Local, and Dead (A Vermont Radio Mystery): Knight, Nikki: 9781643859453: Amazon.com: Books

Diane Kelly

Diane Kelly writes funny stories that feature feisty female lead characters and their furry, four-footed friends. Diane is the author of over three dozen novels and novellas, including the Death & Taxes white-collar crime series, the Paw Enforcement K-9 series, the House Flipper cozy mystery series, the Busted female motorcycle cop series, the Southern Homebrew moonshine series, and the Mountain Lodge Mysteries series. Find Diane online at DianeKelly.com, on Twitter and Instagram @DianeKellyBooks, and on Facebook at her Author Diane Kelly page.

Link to the first book in my House Flipper series – Dead as a Door Knocker: https://amzn.to/2oE3Epb

J New

J. New is the author of The Yellow Cottage Vintage Mysteries. Immerse yourself in country house murders, dastardly deeds at English Church fetes, daring escapades in the French Riviera and the secret tunnels under London, in the award-winning series readers call, ‘Miss Marple’ meets ‘The Ghost Whisperer.’ She also writes two contemporary mystery series: Tea & Sympathy featuring Lilly Tweed, former Agony Aunt now purveyor of fine teas and Finch & Fischer with mobile librarian Penny Finch and her rescue dog Fischer at the helm. Jacquie lives in the North of England with her partner and an assortment of rescue animals.

London Lovett

London Lovett is a cozy mystery author and connoisseur of delicious baked goods.

Many readers have called her Port Danby Cozy Mystery series a ‘new favorite’. Port Danby features a small town florist with a powerful sense of smell. Lacey ‘Pink’ Pinkerton uses her impressive nose to help solve crimes as an amateur sleuth alongside her detective boyfriend, James Briggs. Blooms and Blackmail is a Port Danby short story.

You can keep up with London’s books and access some delicious recipes on her website: www.londonlovett.com

Link to Marigolds and Murder: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NB3B54

Debbie Young Debbie Young writes two popular cozy mystery series featuring Sophie Sayers, set in a Cotswold village, and Gemma Lamb, set at a girls’ boarding school. One book in each series was shortlisted for the Bookbrunch Selfies Awards for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. She is founder of the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival, UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors, and a course tutor for Jericho Writers. She writes in the Plotting Shed at the bottom of her cottage garden. Her novels are now published by Boldwood Books and she is represented by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BBQHC2G1

Here’s the Amazon UK link for the whole series (the 8th book is up for preorder and will be published on 15th March):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BGQHG246?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

Here are the links for my website and social media:  www.authordebbieyoung.com

Facebook: @AuthorDebbieYoung

Twitter: @DebbieYoungBN

Instagram: @debbieyoungauthor

ACF Bookens

ACF Bookens lives in Virginia’s Southwestern Mountains with two hound dogs and a very energetic preschooler. When she’s not writing, she enjoys watching shows with teenagers who are way cooler than she ever was and cross-stitch.  You can find her books at acfbookens.com

Link to my first book on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XVQDQ58/

Kathryn Mykel

Kathryn Mykel is the author of the Award-Winning Sewing Suspicion – A Quilting Cozy Mystery. Kathryn is inspired by the laugh-out-loud and fanciful aspects of cozies. Kathryn Mykel aims to write lighthearted, humorous cozies surrounding her passion for the craft of quilting. Born and raised in a small New England town—Kathryn is an avid quilter.

Sewing Suspicion – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HVC4K2N

Lise McCLendon

Lise McClendon is the author of numerous novels of crime and suspense. Her bestselling Bennett Sisters Mysteries continue to charm readers worldwide. Her first mystery series was set in Jackson, Wyoming, featuring art dealer, Alix Thorssen. When not writing about foreign lands and dastardly criminals, Lise lives in Montana with her husband and has recently become a fan of sunny winters in the desert. She enjoys fly fishing, hiking, picking raspberries in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter. She has served on the national boards of directors of Mystery Writers of America and the International Association of Crime Writers/North America, as well as the faculty of the Jackson Hole Writers Conference.

Books: Bennett Sisters Mysteries:  https://amzn.to/3Iyijt8. Alix Thorssen series: https://amzn.to/3W05kmY

Geraldine Byrne

Geraldine Moorkens Byrne is an Irish mystery writer, poet and educator. She lives with her family in Dublin where many of her stories are set, especially The Caroline Jordan series. When not dreaming up modern murder mysteries, she knits, crochets and teaches classes on Irish folk traditions. Until 2021 she owned Ireland’s oldest family owned music shop, the basis for “Requiem for a Violin.” Mrs. O’Brien and friends will return in their own series in 2023, The Music Shop Mysteries. She also writes a magical cosy mystery series, The Old Bat Chronicles under the pen name Nina Hayes.

Geraldine Moorkens Byrne   Author@celebratingwords.com Www.CelebratingWords.com

Millie Ravensworth

Millie Ravensworth has been writing (and sewing!) for years, and it seemed like a natural step to combine the two things in a series of cozy mysteries. She lives in England and has an adorable dog who likes to be at her side when she is sewing / writing, but he’d much rather she played fetch with his favourite toy! Izzy King and Penny Slipper who appear in the story in this collection can also be found in the Cozy Craft Mystery books that are available to read now.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Millie-Ravensworth/e/B0BP2T4SV3/

Rachel McLean

Rachel McLean is an award-winning crime author who writes UK-based police procedurals. She is best known for the Dorset Crime series and the DI Zoe Finch series set in her home city of Birmingham. Book 1 in the Dorset Crime series, The Corfe Castle Murders, won the Kindle Storyteller Award 2021. Her new McBride and Tanner series is set around Loch Lomond in Scotland. Link to Zoe books: https://geni.us/zoefinch

A full bibliography and reading order can be found at rachelmclean.com/bibliography

Purchase Link – Amazon – The Little Shop of Murder

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