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Book Review: Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop (Beacon Bakeshop, #1) by Darci Hannah

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Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop (Beacon Bakeshop, #1)  by Darci Hannah is the first book in the Beacon Bakeshop book series. It opens with the main character, Lindsey Bakeswell, moving to Michigan to open a bakery after she found her fiance Jeffrey Plank in a compromising position with Mia Wong. When opening day finally arrives, it's all going well until Mia dies from sampling one of Lindsey's products. Can Lindsey prove her innocence and be able to reopen her bakery? I loved reading this book and finding out how this series started. It gave me plenty of backstory on each character and how each of them met. Of course, Lindsey is one of my favorite characters along with her dog Wellington. I especially like the love interest named Rory Campbell. Boy is he h-o-t in every way! I want a man in my life that is as cool, calm, and collected as he is, and not to mention super understanding!! * swoon * Lindsey going from being a big wig on Wall Street to deciding to be a baker and owner o...

Book Review: Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3) by Benjamin Stevenson

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Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3)  by Benjamin Stevenson opens with the main character traveling to a magic show prove his ex-wife's innocence in a murder. It involves ruling out the different people in the show. Will Ernest prove that his ex-wife is innocent without ruining things with his fiancé? First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley for approving me to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The approval for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) came after the book was already published and being busy with the holidays both contributed to the delay of me reading and reviewing the book. The synopsis intrigued me, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this author as I haven't read anything by him before. However, it feels like Benjamin Stevenson is following a step by step guide provided to him in a writing class because the main character keeps mentioning how things should go according to "the norm...

Book Review: Troop Esme by Lourdes Heuer and Marissa Valdez

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Troop Esme  by Lourdes Heuer and Marissa Valdez  is an illustrated chapter book for young children between the ages of three and eight. It opens with Wendall stopping by Esme's apartment to sell boxes of his Badger Troop Cookies to earn a badge. Esme thinks it would be a great idea to start her own troop called Troop Esme so she can help Wendall achieve his goal. I'd like to thank NetGalley for providing me an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Troop Esme  for free in exchange for my honest review. Although I'm not the target audience for this book, I knew I just had to read and review it because my cat that passed away was named Esme. First and foremost, the pacing of the story was fantastic. It keeps the reader engaged and wanting more. Parents, teachers, siblings, etc. won't get bored reading the story for the umpteenth time. The style of writing reminds me of a book called Jellybeans for Breakfast  that I read and loved as a child. Needless to say, I absolutely feel ...

Book Review: Seven-Year Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #2) by Angela M. Sanders

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Seven-Year Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #2)   by Angela M. Sanders   opens with Sam and Fiona Wilfred, along with their son, moving into Big House next door to the town library. The land Sam sold to a couple to build a retreat on is said to be cursed.  The town librarian, Josie Way, is learning how to use her birthright, witchcraft, through letters her grandmother left her. This lesson has to do with curses. When someone is murdered and Fiona goes missing, the town believes it's the work of Sam's cursed land. Will Josie learn her grandmother's lesson in time to break the curse? Taking place approximately six months after the first book ended, the author does a great job at reintroducing all of the characters and the backstory in the series without being redundant. My favorite character is the main character Josie. She seems like she would a great bff if she was a real person. Her grandmother seems like she would be a cool person as well.  I really wish we kn...

Book Review: The House On Tradd Street (Tradd Street, #1) by Karen White

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The House On Tradd Street (Tradd Street #1)  by Karen White is the first book in a series about Melanie, a real estate agent, who lives in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. She recently inherited a home in Charleston that's supposedly haunted by ghosts of the past, and she's in the process of renovating it to sell. When an author requests access to the house to investigate it's history, strange things start happening. I found out about this series when the book club I belong to was reading the first book in a spin off of the Tradd Street series. I enjoyed the spin off so much that I had to give this book a whirl. Boy, was I glad that I did because I absolutely loved The House On Tradd Street . Stories that have a bit of paranormal elements in it have always interested me, and I don't mind a little bit of romance either. This book has both of those elements along with a mystery. It was right up my alley.  The book takes place mainly in Charleston, South Carolina, but it al...

Book Review: Bait and Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #1) by Angela M. Sanders

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Bait and Witch (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #1)  by Angela M. Sanders opens with Josie Way arriving in Wilfred, Oregon to start a new position as the town's librarian, a position she took when she overheard a corruption plan while employed at the Library of Congress and became a target. While working and hiding out on the opposite coast, she hopes she isn't found before the corruption case goes to trial and soon realizes that this small town has a lot of drama surrounding it when she finds a dead body and learns that the library is about to be bulldozed. I first learned of this series when I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Witch Upon A Star (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #4) from NetGalley and then an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Witch is Back (Witch Way Librarian Mysteries, #6)  from NetGalley. Since I loved both of these books, I had to go back to the beginning of the series and read Bait and Witch , and I was not disappointed in the least. I absolutely...

Book Review: The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

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The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia is about two women from Madison who are completely different from one another and are on an airplane bound for Denver, Colorado. Jasmine is a waitress and is escaping an abusive relationship. Stephanie is a news director for a local news station headed to a news conference. Friends and family of both women receive texts that they've met a man named Trent. Then, both women disappear. Panic starts to set in with loved ones. Who is Trent, and what has he done to them? I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) that they sent to me for free in exchange for my honest review. The synopsis of The Business Trip intrigued me, and I was excited to dive into the book. The story hooked me from the very beginning. I was rooting for Jasmine to escape her boyfriend and live happily ever after. I was also rooting for Stephanie to find the happiness she was looking for. Then, the book took a very disturbing turn, and I ended up loathing J...