Murder Made To Order by Lena Gregory Great Escapes Tour Book Review

 

About the book 

To save her cozy Florida diner, Gia Morelli must choke down a heaping helping of murder . . .

New York native Gia Morelli is just getting used to life in Florida when she gets word that the town government wants to shut down her pride and joy: the charming little diner known as the All-Day Breakfast Café. A forgotten zoning regulation means that the café was opened illegally, and hardboiled council president Marcia Steers refuses to budge. Gia is considering hanging up her apron and going back to New York, but before she gives up on her dream, she discovers something shocking in the local swamp: Marcia Steers, dead in the water. There’s a secret buried in the books at town hall, and someone killed to keep it hidden. To save her café and bring a killer to justice, Gia and her friends will have to figure outpi a killer’s recipe for murder . . .

And others are saying

Murder Made to Order is easy to read and has a steady pace throughout . . . I like the small-town atmosphere of Boggy Creek.
~The Avid Reader

This is a fast-paced mystery with a wide array of characters. Gia and her friends began to feel like old friends.
~Socrates’ Book Reviews…

I do believe I enjoyed this book even more than I enjoyed the first! The story again is fast-paced and lively and characters that make you feel like you have known them for, forever.
~The Montana Bookaholic

Gregory constructs a riveting mystery that is much more layered than it first appears and keeps you fully engaged.
~Reading is My SuperPower

Author Lena Gregory sure didn’t disappoint. She cooked up tale so tasty I devoured it!
~Lisa Ks Book Reviews

The story is well written and I loved the twists the author puts in to keep readers on their toes.
~Texas Book-aholic

Lena has done it again with another incredible installment is this cozy mystery series . . . A must-read for fans of the genre.
~Books a Plenty Book Reviews

This was a great story. Fun characters with a fantastic whodunit made this cozy mystery top-notch. It checked all my cozy boxes!
~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. It allowed me to live the lives of the characters, letting me know what they were thinking and feeling.
~MJB Reviewers

Character Guest Post

Hi, I’m Savannah Mills, and I am so excited! My best friend, Gia Morelli, recently moved to my hometown of Boggy Creek, Florida. She was having a bit of trouble, thanks to her no-good, cheating, lying, scheming ex-husband, a man I never wanted her to marry in the first place, but what are you gonna do? She made her mistakes, just like we all do, and now it’s time to move on. Thankfully, she came to her senses.

So, Gia opened an All-Day Breakfast café. She bought a beautiful historic building right on Main Street, just down the road from the park. She could only fly down for an occasional weekend, thanks to the mess her ex made up in New York, so I helped her out.

After she ordered tables for the café dining room, my brother, Joey, and I set them up. I spread navy blue cloths over them and made matching covers for the seat cushions. I even found a gorgeous, hand-painted wooden open/closed sign for the front window and picked up some paintings of local scenery at the street fair last weekend.

She was thrilled with how cozy and homey everything looked. Now, glass cake dishes line the counter. I can’t wait for a piece of the breakfast pies that fills them. Gia makes an amazing breakfast! I can smell the bacon cooking already, and her home fries. Mmmm…out of this world.

Oops, now my stomach’s growling. I probably shouldn’t have thought of the home fries.

I do have to admit, though, I was a nervous wreck. Gia loved the building that houses the café, but she hadn’t yet seen her house when she moved down. Don’t get me wrong, it’s adorable, but it’s a little out of the way. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much money left after buying the café, so I had to do my best.

The development is beautiful, acre after acre of woods, filled with thickly wooded, huge pine trees that brush the clouds. And I’m pretty sure she’ll get used to the abundance of critters that roam the development that sits right on the edge of the Ocala National Forest. I saw a couple of bear cubs playing in an open field last time I was out there, and I pulled over just to sit and watch them. But the drive to the café takes about twenty-five minutes, and, well, Gia’s from Manhattan, where you can find almost anything you need, any time of the day or night, without traveling twenty-five minutes.

That was one of the things I loved about the five years I lived with Gia in New York. One of the hardest things for me to get used to was the lack of trees. I’d look up, and instead of trees dripping with moss, I’d find buildings that pierced the clouds and sometimes seemed like they were about to fall over on me.

Anyway, after all of that, all I wanted was a vacation, so I decided to drag Gia down to the Keys with me for a few days. And what do you think happens? Well, you’ll have to read Murder Made to Order to find out, but I will say she messed up royally! 

And I thought

This was a fun cozy read.  This is my first chance to meet 

Gia and her friends and 'family' in her small town in Florida. 

Although Murder Made To Order is book 2 in the series it is written as a stand alone. 

Gia's cafe in this installment is being threatened.  She along with her friends and patrons want to save the cafe. 

But before they get before the city council the President of the Council is murdered and guess who stumbles upon the body?

None other than Gia. 

 In a refreshing note Gia is not considered a suspect.  And actually none of her friends are either.  Which tends to be a typical scenario in so many Cozy's.  Thank you Lena Gregory for giving us something a little different. 

I enjoyed Gia and her close friends and the diner patrons.  

There is a great cast of folks that end up making Gia feel like 

part of the community.

  Savannah who is a friend from college and is the one that got Gia to move to Florida after her divorce.   Savannah is a good southern girl.  But she has some issues of her own.   One being her fear of commitment.  She is in a relationship with Leo one of the town police officers who is another character who plays a big part in the story.  

And then there is the handsome detective Quinn that Amy is seeing.  Except lately he's acting a little more aloof than usual so she begins to question if there is a relationship.    

There were a lot of interesting characters including Willow the 

waitress at the cafe.  Harley the homeless man,  Cole and Earl older gentlemen patrons that watch Gia's back and end up helping out at the cafe.  

And then of course there was Thor Amy's puppy.  He's a big 'ole sweet dog that saves the day a few times. 

Murder Made To Order was a great cozy read.  I am looking forward to more in the series.  

I might have enjoyed even more if recipes were included!   

If you like a good 'clean' read with a little mystery, some great characters you'll enjoy the All-Day Cafe Mystery series.

I received a complimentary copy. 

My review will appear on retail sites, Good Reads  & Net Galley.

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Whispers at Seaside by Addison Cole-Beck Valley Tours

About the book 

In Whispers at SEASIDE… 

Having a mad crush on her boss’s son, Matt Lacroux—an intriguing mix of proper gentleman and flirtatious bad boy—is probably not the smartest idea for single mother Mira Savage. Especially when the company, and her job, is already on shaky ground. But as a Princeton professor, Matt’s life is hours away from Mira’s home on Cape Cod, keeping him safely in the fantasy-only zone. And as a single mother to six-year-old Hagen, with a floundering company to save, fantasies are all she has time for.

With hopes of becoming dean off the table, and too many months of longing for a woman who lived too far away to pursue, Matt’s publishing contract couldn’t have come at a better time. He heads home to Cape Cod on a brief sabbatical, intent on starting his book, and finally getting his arms around sweet, beautiful Mira.

A surprise encounter leads to midnight confessions. The more time Matt and Mira spend together, the deeper their relationship grows, and the love and attention Matt showers on Hagen is more than she has ever dreamed of. But Matt’s sabbatical is only temporary, and Mira’s not saving his father’s company so she can leave it behind. Will their whispers of love be enough for one of them to change their life forever?

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And I thought

Another great sweet romance.  It is easy to dig into these plots. 

The characters in this series are well developed and sweep you into their individual stories. 

Matt is just the kind of guy a girl like Mira needs.  Not only is 

he the perfect 'guy' but he seems to be dad material which is what 

Mira's son needs. 

This story got to me.  The plot of the single mom needing a good man that accepts and wants her son is near and dear to me. 

It is good to read this kind of sweet story. 

A 'Happy Ending' for Matt and Mira and some of their friends makes this one just a good read. 

I enjoyed Whispers at Seaside at look forward to much more from this series. 

I received a complimentary.

This review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads. 

The  series 

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Giveaway

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Ending on Sunday 1st July at 11.59pm EST

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Sons of Charlotte-Goddess Fish Promo Book Blast/Giveaway

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I have not read this book 

About the book (provided by Goddess Fish Promotions)

How many secrets can the Queen City conceal? 

Charlotte, NC - 1966 

After a head injury on the basketball court, Tony Malone, a firefighter, confides in his best friend and captain, Steve, about a strange dream he had while unconscious. It was as if he were living a different life. Steve brushes it off as related to his injury, but Tony begins to experience more phenomena with these new memories, unbeknownst to his wife, Lana. Tony struggles to live with his secret until a fire opens up a whole new world. 

Charlotte, NC - 1996 

Chuck Thomas began his ascent to greatness at a graphic design firm headed by Elizabeth Wheaton, the battle-ax of the Queen City corporate scene. A series of Chuck’s immoral decisions leaves the very powerful Wheaton with a raging vendetta. The playboy eventually meets Valerie Meyers, a shy girl with a complicated past, and the two marry. Their idyllic life is halted by a suspicious brush with death leaving Valerie once again picking up the pieces. 

Two Souls, Too Many Questions 

Literally torn between two worlds, Valerie must once again deal with the loss of her husband and come to terms with what happened to Chuck Thomas and who Tony Malone really was.

Read an excerpt

Brushing just a few final strokes of gold wisps across the cheekbones of her heart-shaped face, Tony sat back on his stool and stared at his work.  Her periwinkle eyes almost hauntingly seemed to pop off the canvas and pierce through him. A sense of panic rushed through his veins.  He dropped the paintbrush in the old coffee can at his feet and stood up looking at the face staring back at him.

I must be going insane, he thought to himself. He grabbed the canvas off the easel and made his way into the kitchen. After rummaging under the kitchen sink, he found a large black trash bag and dumped the painting into the bag.  Throwing it over his shoulder, he made his way down to the apartment incinerator.  Sweat was creeping up his neck as he realized Lana would be back from the store soon. He threw his masterpiece into the incinerator and hobbled back upstairs.

The effects of the stroke left Tony restless and bored, especially when the boys were in school. Lana had encouraged him to find a hobby to occupy his time and keep him out of her hair.  After several failed attempts at common “manly” hobbies, he was drawn to painting and sketching and surprised his family with his talent, even selling a few at a local corner shop. He surprised himself with what he had just painted and pitched down the incinerator.

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Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis- Book Review

About the book 

Sometimes the best thing in life is finding that one person who knows all your mistakes and weaknesses and still thinks you’re completely amazing.

Six months after Lanie Jacobs’ husband’s death, it’s hard to imagine anything could deepen her sense of pain and loss. But then Lanie discovers she isn’t the only one grieving his sudden passing. A serial adulterer, he left behind several other women who, like Lanie, each believe she was his legally wedded wife.

Rocked by the infidelity, Lanie is left to grapple with searing questions. How could she be so wrong about a man she thought she knew better than anyone? Will she ever be able to trust another person? Can she even trust herself?

Desperate to make a fresh start, Lanie impulsively takes a job at the family-run Capriotti Winery. At first, she feels like an outsider among the boisterous Capriottis. With no real family of her own, she’s bewildered by how quickly they all take her under their wing and make her feel like she belongs. Especially Mark Capriotti, a gruffly handsome Air Force veteran turned deputy sheriff who manages to wind his way into Lanie’s cold, broken heart—along with the rest of the clan.

Everything is finally going well for her, but the arrival of River Brown changes all that. The fresh-faced twenty-one-year old seems as sweet as they come…until her dark secrets come to light—secrets that could destroy the new life Lanie’s only just begun to build.

And I thought

 I adored Rainy Day Friends although I didn't really ever 'get' what exactly the title had to do with the story/plot. 

But that is A o.k. because everything else was just spot on.

Rainy Day Friends was/is the perfect clean romance story that 

I think could be great for any audience.  

Mama would love it.  Grandma would love it.  And I think I would even allow my teenager to read. 

The characters all of them are endearing. 

Some of the Capriotti's are quirky.   Actually most of them are quirky.  

Except for Mark he's just hot and the perfect husband material!

Lanie tries and tries to ignore that fact!

Not only are the quirky Capriotti's endearing they are a loving accepting family.  They accept not only stray animals but stray 

people.  Like River and their maintenance man.   They are a wonderful accepting family and draw everyone in.  

Even though some are reluctant like Lanie and River.  Each or their own reasons they won't allow themselves to 'care' about the family.

But who can help but love them? 

All the characters are developed and really snatch your heart. 

Especially Mark's twin daughters!  

There's a little bit of drama that causes Lanie more heart break and I don't want to give it away.  

But through it all Lanie grows and learns to accept people and 

circumstances. 

As I read I wondered if Rainy Day Friends was part of a series.

To my delight as I researched for this review I found it definitely is!

The books are written as stand alones so you will not have any 

difficulty picking anyone of them up.  But plan to buy them all because these characters just make you want more. 

I loved Rainy Day Friends and I look forward to spending more 

time reading the Wildstone Series.

Rainy Day Friends was a 5 star read for me! 

I received a complimentary copy. 

This review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads.

.

Poison by Puntuaction by Kelley Kay Great Escapes Tour/Spotlight

I have not read this book 

About the book 

High school teacher Emma Lovett is finally recovering from her first year of teaching when she discovers another dead body. As if that wasn’t bad enough, this time, someone has killed a student, Kisten Hollis.

Emma and her best friend, Leslie, are desperate to solve this murder. But suspects abound. The perpetrator could be a teacher, an administrator, a member of Kisten’s zealous church community, or even another student.

Emma must juggle her teaching responsibilities, her new romance with handsome Hunter Wells, and interest from a hunky second suitor, all while searching for evidence to bring a killer to justice before someone else dies.

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The Spook In The Stacks by Eva Gates Great Escapes Tour-Review/Giveaway

About the book 

Halloween in North Carolina’s Outer Banks becomes seriously tricky when librarian Lucy Richardson stumbles across something extra unusual in the rare books section: a dead body.

Wealthy businessman Jay Ruddle is considering donating his extensive collection of North Carolina historical documents to the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, but the competition for the collection is fierce. Unfortunately, while the library is hosting a lecture on ghostly legends, Jay becomes one of the dearly departed in the rare books section. Now, it’s up to Lucy Richardson and her fellow librarians to bone up on their detective skills and discover who is responsible for this wicked Halloween homicide.

Meanwhile, very strange things are happening at the library―haunted horses are materializing in the marsh, the lights seem to have an eerie life of their own, and the tiny crew of a model ship appears to move around when no one is watching. Is Lucy at her wit’s end? Or can it be that the Bodie Island Lighthouse really is haunted?

With The Legend of Sleepy Hollow on everyone’s minds and ghoulish gossip on everyone’s lips, Lucy will need to separate the clues from the boos if she wants to crack this case without losing her head in The Spook in the Stacks, the delightful fourth in national bestseller Eva Gates’ Lighthouse Library mysteries

And I thought

A goulish read?  Not really just a good 'ole cozy.  Although there might just be a little of Sleepy Hollow type eerieness going in future books.  Not revealing anything though.  

This was a fun and enjoyable read and my first visit to the lighthouse.

As with all good cozy's that are series books most of the books are written as a stand alone The Spook In The Stacks was a fine place to start even though it is book 4 in the series. (You will probably want to read the previous books. I do)

The characters are all charming and fun.  Especially Charles the 

live in library cat.  He tends to hang around and help Lucy decipher good guys from bad guys most of the time. 

When a very rich collector is murdered at a Light House event his 

grand daughter is accused.  The fair Julia whom Theodore one of

Julia's co-worker is smitten with becomes the prime suspect; it is

only logical for Theodore to beg for Julia's help in investigating. 

And clearing Julia's name.  

Even though I haven't read the other books it was easy to gather 

that Julia is a somewhat a reluctant sleuth that happens to have some talent.  As Detective Watson who is doing the official investigation tends to listen to Julia's suppositions.  There is clearly some sort of a working relationship between them. 

All the while the truth is being ferreted out there an election going on.   The mayor who is Julia's sort of boyfriend is running for re-election.  Surprisingly for this reader he wasn't on the suspect list 

which tends to be the norm for most cozy's.  That was refreshing.

The challenger however does have some reasons to be on the list.  

As Julia struggles to keep the light house running smoothly she struggles with her as of yet un-named relationship with said 

Mayor. 

Everythings comes together in the end with the real murderer being discovered as he tries to take out Theodore and Julia.  

I was a little surprised with how things turned out with them and I am wondering if they'll make it into a future installment.  Is Julia 

the heiress going to later become a victim?  Things seem to be set up for some interesting reading in book 5.

I received a complimentary copy. 

This review will appear on retail sites. 

This review will appear on Good Reads and Net Galley.

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To read more reviews, interviews and guest posts visit the tour.

Click here. 

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Curse Of The Ancients by Hawk Mackinney I Read Tour-Review/Giveaway

 

About the book 

As Craige Ingram climbed the stairs of the derelict building, that peculiar stench of a dead body hit him. It was the same smell no matter where—SpecOps SEAL encounter gone sour, or in a vacant, roach-infested apartment. Inside, his SEAL buddy-turned head of Buckingham Parish Homicide’s Investigative Support Division, Grayson MacGerald, was huddled with the coroner next to a swollen decaying corpse that was days old and hardly more than oozing dead meat.

The PI inside Craige had a gut feeling that there was more to this than a dead body, and Craige’s Grannie always told him, “Trust your feelin’s.” But that was before Mihály Keaulescu set down two of his Black Falcon choppers on Craige’s Moccasin Hollow private airstrip in an uninvited stopover. It got worse. From his airstrip to Israel, to Turkey and a nightmare-dream of one-of-a-kind ancient artifacts that not only threatened the serene life Craige knew and loved at Moccasin Hollow, it would destroy the world.

And I thought

Does the cover 'getcha' and make you wonder what is up?  

Curse Of The Ancients draws  you in from page and does not let you go.  

This is book three in the series and for me was a little different than book 2 ( I have not read book 1)  Better? Maybe?  Not sure but either way each one was great and I look forward to the next one. 

This one was different in we got more backstory and Craiges 

Seal Team activities.  We met more of his team members. 

Each book is written as a stand alone so if you missed the first one don't worry you'll be drawn in anyway. 

It's kind of a guys book/story written by a guy but mine wouldn't be too into it. 

It is a good well written story with some great characters that you just want to hang on for the ride all the way to the end.  

I kind of like Craige  I keep trying to picture him but can't seem to get it right.  He's a little James Bondish, maybe a Sean Connery character he collect stamps keeps his own jet in a barn on his property!   He's good, strong, trustworthy and dependable and gets the job done. 

I enjoyed this installment and look forward to the next one. 

If you like fast paced mystery and a bunch of fast past thrilling adventure you'll enjoy this series. 

The rating is R because some of the scenes are graphic in nature.

I received a complimentary copy.

This review will appear on retail sites and Good Reads.

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Break Your Heart by Tracey Alvarez-Release Day

I have not read this book 

About the book 

Fake girlfriend. Real sizzle. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam Ngata has the talent of creating something out of almost nothing in his successful wood carving business, Kauri Whare. That talent doesn’t extend to producing a serious girlfriend out of nowhere when he implies to a huge overseas investor that he’s a one-woman kind of man. Big on domestic bliss and honesty, the investor is due to arrive in less than ten days time with a deal that’d provide Sam’s family-operated business with invaluable future security. Now Sam just has to find a woman willing to fake it until they make it — the deal, that is — with no strings attached.

Single mum Vee Sullivan needs a man in her life like a flightless kiwi bird needs wings to soar. She has a precocious little girl to provide for and she’s in the middle of expanding her clothing business — with an eye on Kauri Whare’s newest retail space. Unfortunately, it’d take a small miracle for her to afford the lease. So when childhood crush, Sam, offers her a one week only role of pretending to be his ‘serious’ girlfriend in exchange for three months waived lease, Vee is sorely tempted. But saying yes to fake girlfriend means she might not be able to say no to real passion. Someone’s going to get their heart broken

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As The Christmas Cookie Crumbles-Great Escapes Tour-Spotlight/Giveaway

About the book 

Erin is one smart cookie, but can she keep the holiday spirit—and herself—alive till Christmas?

In Jewel Bay, all is merry and bright. At Murphy’s Mercantile, AKA the Merc, manager Erin Murphy is ringing in the holiday season with food, drink, and a new friend: Merrily Thornton. A local girl gone wrong, Merrily has turned her life around. But her parents have publicly shunned her, and they nurse a bitterness that chills Erin.

When Merrily goes missing and her boss discovers he’s been robbed, fingers point to Merrily—until she’s found dead, a string of lights around her neck. The clues and danger snowball from there. Can Erin nab the killer—and keep herself in one piece—in time for a special Christmas Eve?

Includes delicious recipes!

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