Review: The True Love Bookshop (Somerset Lake #3) by Annie Rains

Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of Annie Rains. But then when I looked her up on Goodreads, I found that I did recognize some of her book covers! They all look like Hallmark holiday movie covers and I am totally here for it! After recognizing her covers I was even more excited to read this book, considering I had in fact picked up one of her holiday books in line at the grocery store this year to check out while waiting to check out!

So what made me say yes to reading this one? Well, when it came across my desk for review, I couldn’t wait to pick up something light hearted and happy! I am almost always game for something light and happy especially at the holiday season. But the last few months I have been on a full tilt murder mystery kick and I needed this light and happy book now more than ever! So I wholeheartedly agreed to review this one in an instant! I am so glad that I did too!

This book came at the perfect time for me, and even though it’s part of a series, I didn’t feel lost or anything in this one. It had it’s own unique storyline and characters and honestly how could I pass on a book about finding love in a bookshop?! The answer is—-I couldn’t! What I didn’t count on was the unexpected mystery contained in this story. It was the perfect book to segue from all the intense thrillers I’ve been reading—a book with a bit of a mystery to satisfy my mystery craving, but also a HEA with romance and books!

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Special Feature/Excerpt: The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz

It’s been a long time since I have read a book set in the 1700s. Most of the historical fiction books I read are usually in the Victorian or late Regency era—not that there is any shortage of 1700s era historical fiction books, but in general I tend to gravitate toward the Victorian or Regency era novels when I pick them up. Seeing that this one was set in the 1700s was actually what grabbed me, it was different than my comfort era go to books!

For me the Jacobite era is very complicated and in the past I have hard a hard time keeping some of the issues straight but this book sounds like it’s going to be filled with historical details but in a user friendly presentation since the focus of the book will be on the Scottish romance and some other intriguing plot lines. I am super excited to check this author out. I haven’t read anything by Laura Frantz before but this book sounds like it have some fun history mixed with a good old fashion, wholesome, romance!

I was sad that I couldn’t fit this one in on my review calendar for January but I am excited to bring this lovely excerpt to you guys today! I know there are others on this tour who were able to review this book so you might want to check out some of the other stops on the tour if you want to read a full review, but if you are looking for a sneak peak, keep reading here and you will see that this book promises all kinds of exciting things in this except!

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Review: Far Gone by Laura Griffin

I picked up this standalone after I read Last Seen Alone, another standalone by Laura Griffin fully ready to devour another outstanding thriller. I have loved all of Griffin’s books even if some were better than others, overall I can say her books are all well research, fast paced, complex, with will developed characters. Sometimes the romance is better in some than others and sometimes I like other characters better independently, but I never finish one of her books feeling like the mystery was wanting in any way. She always does an outstanding job with her mysteries!

I feel like I have said this a million times but I will say it again incase you are new around here—all of Griffin’s books can be read as standalones, even the series. This book is actually a standalone book but if you are worried about what book to pick up, you should know that any book can be picked up at any time and you will be getting a unique mystery, character and story so don’t feel like you need to read her books in order etc.

While I look on all of Griffin’s book fondly, this one was my least favorite character wise. I didn’t like the main character, Andrea. I found her frustrating and her dedication to her brother was way too over the top for me and I had a really hard time relating to her, but I did love the plot in this one and I was really excited to see how it all came about and resolved. If you are looking for a solid well written thriller, Laura Griffin is it all around. Even if I didn’t love the main character, I did love the plot and couldn’t wait to see how it resolved.

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Review: Last Seen Alone by Laura Griffin

After finishing the Tracers series and a short segue into the Wolfe Security series, I had a moment where I thought about switching to something else, but I just couldn’t bring myself to look for something else to read so I decided to stick with something I knew would be good and that is basically any book by Laura Griffin! I picked up this standalone book and was eager to dive back into another murder mystery that I knew would be solid and well researched.

All of Laura Griffin’s books can be read as standalone book, even in the series even with a few appearances of other fringe characters from other books. Everything is bluring together now but I feel like this book might have Fiona Glass in it and she was in the Wolfe Security Series and the Tracer books as well as having her own series. I love getting to explore characters with in Griffin’s various worlds. It makes it feel connected and realistic like these people and events could be happening in real life.

Griffin does such a great job creating realistic plots, stories, and characters. All of her research and vast knowledge of police procedures, law, and forensics is staggering and I am always in awe of her ability to write so knowledgeably about so many different topics. This book had a little bit of everything and definitely had a more modern plot and had an interesting take on attorney client privilege.

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Review: Her Deadly Secrets (Wolfe Security #2) by Laura Griffin

When I was first introduced to the Wolfe Security team, Jeremy was the one I was interested in. I always like a strong silent type and I thought that Jeremy fit the bill. I also liked the hint of a romance for him in one of the Tracers books—even if it didn’t go anywhere in the book. I was really excited to see he got his own story in this book but I was surprised that his wasn’t the first one of the series since we met him in other books in the Tracer series. That’s probably why I accidentally read this book first!

The Wolfe Security books can be read out of order, I know because that’s what I did! But to be fair, all of Griffin’s books can be read out of order as well. Characters are introduced from other series but almost always have no impact on the larger narrative. For example, we might meet police sketch artist Fiona Glass in various books throughout the Wolfe Security and Tracers books but we never actually interact with her more than in passing, though she does end up with her own book series later on. Griffin always does a fantastic job at introducing new and old characters without confusing readers or muddling the plot from previous books etc.

When I picked this one up, I was eager to get to know Jeremy more—-that was my only motivation, though I have to say the idea of a bodyguard romance appealed to me ever since the first time we meet the Wolfe Security team in one of the Tracer books. It was the romance troupe I didn’t know I needed. I love the intimacy and connection that bodyguard and client must have. Even if it isn’t necessarily romantic, I am sure there is a level of trust and intimacy that they must have in order to have a successful partnership—-and leave it to Griffin to add the romantic layer though!

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