Review: Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #2) by Mia P Manansala

I recognized this cover art almost immediately when the book came across my desk for review! The cover art on the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen books are recognizable and stand out with their bold colors and fun graphics. The first book in the series is Arsenic and Adobo which was a Book of the Month selection last year when it first came out. I snatched it up but then basically forgot about it until this follow up book came across my desk.

The pops of color and the cute done on the front inspired me to pick it up and give it a go……regardless if I had read the first book in the series or not. I decided to just dive right in, in my experience it’s pretty easy to jump into a series with only one book proceeding the latest installment as the author tends to set the stage well for new readers and to refresh fans of the previous book so that everyone is on the same page. So I figured it wouldn’t be too lost picking this one up without having rad the first book.

I love cozy mysteries and if it features food so much the better. This book could easily make me a fan of Filipino cooking, everything sounded so great and I was hungry the entire time I was reading this book! But it wasn’t just the food that was a treat but the story too! This one did have some heavier themes that were a little unexpected in a cozy but over all I though it was a solid read with lots to enjoy and while I played catch up at times, overall I didn’t feel too lost in the story to enjoy it.

Continue reading “Review: Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #2) by Mia P Manansala”

Review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6) by Sherry Thomas

This was one of the few series that I have started and didn’t care for but actually decided to go back and give another chance to because everything about this book series promised to be right up my alley! I was so glad that I decided to give it another go because I have fallen in love with the characters (especially Lord Ingram) and I have loved all the books so far!

Obviously when this one came up, I couldn’t WAIT to see what some of my favorite characters had been up to since the last book plus things are really heating up when it comes to the Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty rivalry. If you have not read this series yet, I highly recommend going back and reading the other books first. This series builds on a lot of back stories and inter personal relationships so if you don’t have that context then it makes it more difficult to appreciate the larger narrative.

This book was a great weekend read and I enjoyed this one, though perhaps not as much as some of the others in the series but it was still what I would consider a solid read and I am really looking forward to the next book in the series as this one left things on a high note and I am eager to see what happens next.

Continue reading “Review: Miss Moriarty, I Presume? (Lady Sherlock #6) by Sherry Thomas”

Special Feature: In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B #1) by Auralee Wallace

It’s the bewitching time of year and what better way to spend the haunting season than with a cozy witchy murder mystery! This is the first in a new series by seasoned author Auralee Wallace and I am so excited to share a bit with you guys about the book today! Wallace is best known for her Otter Lake Mystery series which boasts five books and a devoted fan following.

The thing that attracted me to this new series by Wallace was not only the cover with the sweet black cat, fun witch hat, and classic haunted house but the summary sounded positively charming. Magic, mystery, paranormal, ghosts, and of course witches, sounds like the perfect book for the Halloween season! I love the setting (a charming New England town) and the characters sound colorful and dare I say it—bewitching.

Beyond the characters, setting, and cute cat though, a new series by a seasoned cozy mystery writer sounds like just the thing for me. Lately I have been reading a lot of historical romances and now that October is here, I want to read something that has more of a fall and Halloween feel to it. But I also want to read something that I know will be good. Since Wallace has written another successful series, it makes me want to try out this new one! If you love Halloween books as much as I do then be sure to check this one out! It’s out now and waiting to be read with a bag of candy corn!

Continue reading “Special Feature: In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B #1) by Auralee Wallace”

Review: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Wrexford & Sloane #5) by Andrea Penrose

When I randomly picked up the first book in this series a few years ago, I knew I was reading something special. While not necessarily and earth shattering read or even something ‘new and different’ in the saturated genre of historical mysteries, there is something about Lord Wrexford that just makes me swoon and I just love him!

Charlotte and Wrex have been solving murders and falling in love for the last five books and finally here we are just as they are planning their nuptials and Charlotte’s reentrance into society when another body pops up! This time Charlotte and Wrex don’t really have a reason to investigate this murder but some how they end up getting pulled into the investigation and as expected, readers are treated to another fun filled mystery!

This book is the fifth in the series and while not 100% necessary with some of the books in the series, for this one I recommend reading at least the book before this one as there is some carry over from the previous book. And to be honest, these books are so fun and it would be silly to miss out on all the wonderful sleuthing in this series by starting here so do yourself a favor and go back and read the other books because it will help you to fully appreciate all these characters.

Continue reading “Review: Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens (Wrexford & Sloane #5) by Andrea Penrose”

Special Feature: The Last Mrs Summers (Her Royal Spyness #14) by Rhys Bowen

I absolutely adore Rhys Bowen! I have read many of her series and stand alone novels but the Royal Spyness books are my absolute favorite! I have slowly been making my way through the Spyness books and jumping around here and there but I have to admit, I did have to press pause with my jumping around until I am fully caught up in the series because I love reading them in order. Hence why I just have a feature here. Yes the books can be read out of order to varying degrees but I wanted to get the full experience.

I can’t believe there are 14 books in the series now! Bowen’s books never get old to me and Georgie is such an endearing character and I love watching her solve mysteries. The early books are so funny and charming and the magic has continued well into the series for me which doesn’t always happen with some long standing series. Sure some of the books are better than others but overall I have never tired of Georgie!

This latest book sounds like it’s going to be right up my alley because I LOVE gothic elements in mysteries and this one sounds like it’s going to have a bit of a gothic element to it and I cannot wait! I am going to catch up on this series soon just so I can dive into this one…..hell I might even just read it this fall even if I am not caught up because it sounds so good! If you love cozy historical mysteries this is an outstanding series! Pop on over and grab yourself a copy of this latest release!

Continue reading “Special Feature: The Last Mrs Summers (Her Royal Spyness #14) by Rhys Bowen”