North Harbor, Maine, has been quiet since Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, solved a murder that cleared their friend's name. Sarah is happy giving items a second chance at her store Second Chance. But now there's controversy over developing the waterfront which the residents are all for - except for baker Lily Carter. So when Lily is found murdered in her bakery, everyone thinks it's over the development. But Sarah isn't so sure, and it's up to her and Elvis to find the motive and the murderer. A fun follow-up to the first book, The Whole Cat and Caboodle. Once again we have great characters (I love Elvis!), and a great setting. I love the Second Chance shop and I love that the characters actually still do work there even though they want to solve the murder. The mystery was good. Some things were convenient but I suppose that's how it goes sometimes. I'm looking forward to book #3! 4/5.

Sarah Grayson runs Second Chance - a shop in the oceanfront town of North Harbor, Maine, where she sells items that have been lovingly repurposed and refurbished. Elvis, the stray cat that has chosen Sarah as his companion, charms all the customers that come into the store. And when Sarah's elderly friend Maddie is found with the body of a dead man in her garden, it's up to Elvis and Sarah to clear the old lady's name and to make sure the real murderer doesn't get a second chance to kill again. I have to mention Elvis first.. I love him. He has cattitude, but he's so charming and smart and you can't help but fall in love with him. At first I did have trouble keeping names straight since there are a few old women who hang out together in this story. But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the characters, the setting, the second hand store aptly named Second Chance, the mystery. I especially enjoyed the main character's reluctance to get involved w

Susannah is a young widow and single mother when she marries Max. Max is a charismatic artist and popular speaker whose career has taken their family to a quiet Vermont town. Susannah believes her life is going to be perfect, but instead she finds a note taped to their door - I KNOW WHO YOU ARE. Max thinks it's a prank. But after one of the couples in the neighbourhood comes to dinner, the husband dies in an accident while on a run with Max. Then another note is found on the door - DID YOU GET AWAY WITH IT? Both Susannah and Max are keeping secrets and someone else seems to know about them. I'm sorry to say I ended up hating this book. There are no chapters and it makes for a long, drawn out story. I'm always wondering 'should I stop now?' And I didn't always know who was talking at first as there was no clear indication - I hope this is only in the ARC. It was so boring. None of it held my interest. I didn't like the characters. I was hoping it'd pick u

Sixteen-year-old Lina is spending the summer in Italy only because it was her mother's dying wish that she get to know Howard, a father she's never met. Lina just wants to go home, but once she's given a journal that her mother kept when she lived in Italy all those years ago, she seems to uncover the magical side of the country. But why did her mother write “I made the wrong choice”? Luckily she's not on her own to figure that out - her new (and cute) friend Ren is there with her to help her along the way. A cute cover for a cute story. I inhaled this book. I loved the writing. Of course I loved the setting! Italy is so rich with history and gorgeous old buildings and art, and the food is the best. I found the characters to be real and believable. I can't even imagine being in Lina's shoes. I can't wait to get my hands on Love & Luck which is about Lina's best friend Addie.  5/5.

Daphne Templeton is a pet sitter. She has a soft spot for animals, but she doesn't have a soft spot for arrogant, womanizing Steve Beamus. He's the owner of Blue Ribbon K-9 Academy and Daphne's sister's ex-boyfriend. When she finds him dead on her sister's property while preparing for a dog agility trail, Daphne can think of a long list of people who didn't like Steve. She knows her sister didn't kill him, but the police think otherwise. Daphne, her basset hound sidekick Socrates, and a hyperactive chihuahua named Artie set out to clear her Piper Templeton's name. I've read books two, three and four before reading this one which is the first in the Lucky Paws Petsitting series. While I did remember who was the murderer I thought that the whole mystery was well done to the point that I thought maybe I hadn't remembered correctly. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, but I do recommend starting book one first. I like the character

Jenna Hart loves the holidays. She's decorating the Cookbook Nook for Crystal Cove's festivities when her older sister makes an unexpected visit. But that's not the only thing on Jenna's plate - her father's good friend Jake shows up on her doorstep with news that his friend has been murdered. Jenna believes that Jake was the intended victim, so she makes a list of suspects and gets busy investigating but before she can come to any conclusions Jake is poisoned and nearly dies. Who wants Jake dead and why? I was a little hesitant to read this since it's the 7th in a series even though it can be read as a standalone. But that cute cat in a Santa hat won me over! And I love the title of the book. Of course I would miss out on the depth of these character's stories and relationships but it didn't really bother me, it just made me want to pick up the others in the Cookbook Nook Mystery series. The writing was good, easy to read, never a dull mom

It'll soon be Christmas and Callie Aspen has returned to Heart's Harbor, Maine, where her great aunt runs a vintage tearoom aptly named Book Tea where every treat contains a bookish clue. Preparations are under way for a special tea party at Haywood Hall, the huge house of Heart's Harbor's oldest resident. Dorothea Finster is rich but widowed and has invited her estranged family to hear about her will. Callie's old friend Sheila complicates things by using the tea party to announce her daughter's engagement even though her daughter doesn't want to marry the young man her mother thinks is perfect for her. Everyone has their own agenda but Callie didn't think it would lead to murder. I felt as though I was reading a book. It felt like I was dropped in a few pages after the story began. I didn't get to fully know Callie herself or her story. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters. I wasn't excited to pick the book back up when I set it as

Deanna Daltry grew up in Whisker Jog, New Hampshire, before she became a famous actress. Now that she's older she wants to return home and does so by buying the stone mansion off Cemetery Hill. She has also just adopted two kittens from the High Cliff Shelter for Cats. However not everyone is a fan of the fading star. After being the target of some nasty pranks, Deanna finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation when a body is found on her property. Lara is on the hunt for another killer, with the help of a certain blue-eyed ragdoll. I love the cover. I love cats, I love all animals. I love that Lara and aunt Fran run a shelter, along with their new employee Kayla, that provides the care and love the cats deserve until they can find their perfect home. But these people have their quirks and after reading book three then book one these quirks got on my nerves - the crying!! These people, all of them in the book!, are always crying!! And the abbreviated