Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi

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Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi  was published on March 11, 2025 by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam. It opens with Claire finding out that her fiancé, Noah, isn't working where he said he was and is now ghosting her. Claire must find out why. Book Review: Claire, Darling by Callie Kazumi Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Bantam for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Claire Darling by Callie Kazumi for free in exchange for my honest review. I was absolutely thrilled when my request for a copy was approved because the synopsis was so good. From the beginning, I absolutely loved the main character of Claire and her work friend named Sukhi. Throughout the novel, we learn about Claire's past and how terrible her mother was towards her. I kept hoping that somehow we would learn who Claire's father was and would eventually connect with him. It's really no wonder Claire had no self confidence as an ad...
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Book Review: Murder By The Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew

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Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew takes place in Oceanside, California.
Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew takes place in Oceanside, California.  It opens with Scarlett Gardner having a hard day at work because everything has gone wrong.  She partly blames Connor, her ex-boyfriend, because he dumped her and took off to greener pastures for a start up company when they were supposed to be running the bookstore she opened together.  Taking a walk on the nearby beach, Scarlett stumbles over a dead body, which turns out to be that of Lorelei Knight . . . the last customer who frequented her store the night before.  Now, Scarlett is the prime suspect and needs to clear her name.

First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew.  When I read the synopsis of this book, it sounded like it was right up my alley.  I received a copy of this cozy mystery for free in exchange for my honest review.

The beginning of the story started off a bit slow, but it quickly picked up pace.  I found myself falling in love with most of the characters . . . and the storyline, of course.  The few characters I didn't care for were Connor, Detective Maxwell, Autumn, and Martin.  However, Martin did redeem himself a bit later in the book.  You'll have to read the book to find out how!

There were plenty of twists and red herrings.  My first suspect was Evelyn Maxwell, who happened to be married to Police Detective Maxwell and work for Scarlett.  She acted very strange in my opinion.  Other people I suspected were Connor, Autumn, and Lucia.  I was glad to see that the person I finally decided upon as the culprit was in fact the murderer.  However, I never did figure out the connection between Lorelei and Scarlett.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery quite a bit because it's well written and held my attention.  I can't wait to find out what happens next in this series.  Four out of five stars is what I gave Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop Mystery, #1) by Samara Yew.

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