Liza has just divorced her husband and has been talked into going on a cruise with one of her best friends. She's looking forward to some time away. She bought new clothes and even splurged on a spacious cabin. But she never makes it on the ship. Her ex-husband, Ledge McAllister, is going to  reclaim what's rightfully his. Liza belongs to him. This book was hard to get into. At the beginning the writing seemed really juvenile, making the characters appear immature. Thankfully the writing gets better further along. The story held my interest, I didn't want to set it down but there's nothing that makes it stand out. I love the title! Thank you to Netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for an ARC. 3/5.

Three couples sublet a glass beach house for a week for some kid-free conversation. Susan has just moved to town and has invited her neighbours to join her and her workaholic husband. Each couple picks up on the other couples frustrations as well as reveal their own. The next morning one of the women is found dead on the private beach. Detective Gabby Watkins has to figure out who the killer is and as she questions everyone staying in the house she learns that every one of them is hiding something that could tie them to the murder. I'll be honest this book didn't grab my attention at first. I set it down for months and months, I'd try every now and then to get into it, but nope. Then one day I picked it up and read over half the book in one day. I couldn't get enough! All the secrets and motives and just when I thought I had it all figured out the author would throw something else into the mix. I wasn't crazy about the detective's parts in the story at first, bu...

Cupcake caterer Emory Gosser Martinez has just seen, with her own eyes, her husband and her best friend Tori together. Several people witness the public altercation that took place outside Tori's house. Not only did Tori break up Emory's marriage, she also posted a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation - a photo that went viral. So when Tori is found murdered, Emory is the prime suspect. It seems to her that the police aren't even looking into anyone else. It's up to Emory to dig into the past of her ex-best friend and find out who wanted her dead. This is a little more gritty than the cozies I've read. It was kinda refreshing. I liked Emory. One thing after another was thrown at her and she persevered. Some of the goodies she baked sounded delicious - there's lots of recipes included! It was interesting to dig up Tori's past. An entertaining read and a good start to a new series. I look forward to reading book number two! Thank you to Netgalley an...

PLAY - Andrew is the manager of Shanamore Cottages. He's watching a guest via a hidden camera when someone kills her and destroys the camera. PAUSE - Natalie's not sure coming to Shanamore was a great idea. It's isolated and the manager of Shanamore Cottages is creepy. But she can't leave until she gets some answers. REWIND - We know what happens, but why did it happen? Who could have done it? You'll have to rewind and play it through to the end. I liked the concept of play, pause, rewind, fast forward. But to me the whole story just seemed to jump around and with that I wasn't as invested as I had hoped, it was just confusing. It was slow going and large chunks of the book seemed to go absolutely nowhere for me. I was interested in the mystery enough to read this the whole way through, but the ending was nothing special. I did like the setting and I liked the fact that Natalie was a big star on Instagram. Thanks to Netgalley and Blackstone Publishing for an ARC...

When Cassidy Pratt was seven she accidentally started a fire that killed her friend. She can't actually remember it happening, but that's what she's been told. Melody Davenport has never let Cassidy live it down because that was her cousin that died. But Melody goes missing, and Cassidy thinks she has information that could help. But she can't go to the cops. It's up to her to figure out what happened. This was a compulsive read for me. The story seemed to flow and it was easy to lose track of time. We get little morsels that kept me flying through the pages. I couldn't wait to discover exactly what happened, not only to Melody but with the fire all those years ago as well. I liked the twists and turns. Great cover! I was not disappointed with this young adult novel! Thank you to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for an ARC. 4/5.

Jenna Quinn has gotten into some trouble in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. Her uncle has reached out and offered her a place to stay in exchange for some help in his antiquarian bookstore. But not long after she arrives in the small town of Hokes Folly, she finds her uncle's body at the bottom of the staircase between his apartment and the bookstore. Jenna learns that she has inherited almost everything her uncle owned - she is now a millionaire. And the police believe that is a good motive for murder. I debated reading this one but the cover won me over. I liked this book more than I thought I would. At the beginning Jenna had a lot of lumps in her throat. But I grew to like Jenna and the old bookstore and the small town of Hokes Folly - I especially enjoyed learning about the history of Hokes Folly. I thought the friendship developed fast between Jenna and her neighbour, Rita, but I can't even complain about that - I really like their friendship and may even be a ...

Lara Caphart's best friend is getting married. Sherry and her fiancé, David, are going to get married in Sherry's family's coffee shop. Lara couldn't be happier for them, but she can't help but wonder when her boyfriend, Gideon, will pop the question. It's business as usual at High Cliff Shelter for Cats. Lara and her aunt Fran take in and look after cats in their old Folk Victorian until they find loving homes for them. As if Lara didn't have enough going on, Gideon's ex, Megan, has just showed up, and to make matters worse for Lara, Gideon has never mentioned her before. When Megan's ex-boss is found dead, suspicion falls on Megan. But thanks to Lara's spirit cat, a cat named Blue that only she can see, she knows it couldn't have been Megan and she knows she has to help. I didn't find this one as enjoyable as the others. I thought it was a bit juvenile. Lara's always worrying about her boyfriend, and wondering if it's over a...

Sara Cutler loves her job as head librarian of the public library. But it's set to be torn down and the dead body she discovers in the rare books section probably won't help Sara as she tries to save the library from demolition. She's determined to find the killer. But she didn't expect Jason Rees, the big city developer who wants to get rid of her place of employment, to help her. My only complaint about this book is that there are a lot of exclamation points. Everything else was great. Three-dimensional characters. I loved the setting with the old library and the history that surrounds it and Sara's determination to save it from demolition. I thought the mystery was well-done. I felt like I was involved in the story. This was an Amazon freebie and it was actually good! I'm pleasantly surprised. I look forward to reading about these characters and what's going on in their picturesque little town. 5/5.

Emma's marriage has just fallen apart and she finds herself and her daughter moving into the headmaster's former cottage on the grounds of the school she attended long ago. It's in this cottage she finds an explicit photograph of Tessa - a former student who fell to her death twenty-five years ago. Emma had long suspected that Dr. Brownley, now headmaster, had been involved with Tessa. When Emma starts to question what really happened all those years ago, all involved must deal with the consequences of their actions. I thought this would be more of a mystery than a chick-lit, but I was wrong. With that being said, I enjoyed the book a whole lot more than I thought I would. Everyone has their own story, something they remember differently from everyone else and each story is tied into the whole big picture nicely. I liked the characters. There's lots of drama and secrets. A very solid and entertaining read for me. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an...

First off I would like to thank Dutton for my hardcover copy. I won this book through a Goodreads giveaway. I hate to say this, but I hated absolutely everything about this book.   1/5.

Kate McKay can't say no to the assistant movie director who desperately wants to shoot a scene at  Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe. Kate's going to get big bucks and all she has to do is tolerate a film crew for a few hours and provide an important prop - a scoop of ice cream. But up-and-coming actress Savannah Crane drops dead after a taste of some chocolate almond fudge. She was poisoned and the blame is on Kate. Kate is determined to clear her name and get the crime scene tape off her shoppe. I love the cover! I like reading the ice cream facts at the beginning of each chapter, I think it's a nice touch. There's nothing different I can say from the second book in the series - great characters, great setting, great mystery. I felt like I was part of and not just reading a book. Lots of creativity in that ice cream shoppe! I look forward to reading more. 4/5.

Kate McKay is back in the quaint little village of Wolfert's Roost, where she grew up, to help care for her grandmother. She decides to make her dream of opening an ice cream shop a reality, but things don't turn out the way she thought they would when her childhood frenemy, Ashley, starts selling frozen treats in the bakery directly across the street. But before Ashley can kill Kate's new business, someone kills Ashley. To make matters worse for Kate the murder occurred after a crowd of people saw the two having a heated argument. Kate is determined to clear her name. I love the cover! I loved the setting. Lots of good stuff happening here - descriptive writing, three-dimensional characters, great mystery, delicious ice cream flavours! Including recipes is always a nice touch. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more in this new series! 4/5.

It has only been six weeks since the grand opening of Lickety Splits Ice Cream Shoppe and owner Kate McKay is ecstatic that she has been enlisted to cater a gala at world-famous fashion designer Omar DeVane's home. But things go sour pretty quickly when Omar's body is found. The murder is keeping customer's away from Lickety Splits, so Kate decides to crash high-profile photo shoots and mingle with fashion's biggest stars to find clues that will lead her to the killer. This is the second book in the series but it was the first one I read. I had no problem following along. I loved the idea of an ice cream shoppe with creative flavours - some of them sounded really good! I felt like I was included in the story. Great characters, great setting, great mystery, great cover. I will definitely read that first book and look for the others in the future! Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for an ARC. 4/5.

Hadley James is on her way to check on a cat. But she did not except to find the cat's owner dead. This woman wasn't the nicest but who would want her dead? Hadley's twin brother, Paul, is the deputy sheriff. And Hadley, along with her best friend Suze, can't help but get involved in the case. This is an entertaining and enjoyable start to this series. I like the jam making aspect and the fact that Hadley's twin brother is the deputy sheriff. It's easy to read and everything flowed well. I look forward to reading more! 4/5.

Griffin Tomlin has been found dead and the entire community is in shock. According to everyone he was a good kid, but his neighbour Clara knows different. Clara's sister, Emily, has been charged with murder. She's in prison, awaiting trial, but she says she's innocent. High school reporter, Aniston Hale, befriends Clara because she wants to know the real story. There's some heavy content in here, but it's so well-written. I don't have words to describe this book. Everything feels so real and that's the scary part - stuff like this happens all the time. Lots of emotions and tension, and great character development throughout the book. Thanks to Netgalley and Smith Publicity for an ARC. 5/5.

Leah is a popular and beautiful teenager and she's nervous about starting her first day of school tomorrow. She decides to take a moonlit paddle on the beach of her mother's inn, The Black Dolphin. She disappears without a trace. The police believe it to be death by drowning. Her mother, Emmy, is devastated. In the days that follow, she finds a blog her daughter created as well as pornographic pictures that hint at a secret relationship with an older man. Emmy is suspicious of everyone and she's hellbent on finding out who this monster is. I was drawn in right from the start. Great writing, perfect pacing, nice setting, believable characters and believable situations, suspenseful. I couldn't wait to find out what was going on! I definitely had a lot of different emotions throughout this book. And I absolutely fell in love with the dog, Bo! 4/5.

Jules Larsen's has a new job as an apartment sitter. There's only two rules - no nights spent away from the apartment and no disturbing the other residents. She is now staying at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. There's a girl there named Ingrid who reminds Jules of the sister she lost eight years ago. Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems. Jules doesn't think much of it until the next day when Ingrid disappears. This one was a page-turner. Lots of weird, spooky things are going on in that big, beautiful apartment building. What secrets are within its walls? Where are these girls disappearing to and why is it happening? Oh, the suspense! Loved the gargoyle. Another well-written, engrossing read from Riley Sager. I can't wait for more! Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton for an ARC. 4/5.

It's been twenty years since Amanda Holmes washed up on shore in a rowboat with a gash to her head. She'd been staying at Camp Macaw. Now the MacAllister children are all grown up. Their parents died and they're back at the camp to read the will and to decide what to do with the camp. Everyone has their own opinion and their own secrets. But it's not as simple as voting. They have to unravel the mystery of what happened to Amanda so they can move forward. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed with a Catherine McKenzie book! I really enjoyed the setting. The characters all had their own personality. There's twists and turns. I couldn't wait to find out what happened to poor Amanda all those years ago. Another well-written page-turner from this author. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC. 4/5.

Daphne's sister is getting married and their mother is getting carried away - she wants the top event planner in Sylvan Creek to come in and make the wedding something outrageously special. Daphne's glad she's not involved, she only has to look after the event planner's cat. Tensions rise and tempers flare at the wedding rehearsal dinner, but no one would expect to find the wedding planner strangled by a garter. Now it's up to Daphne is figure out who the murderer is. This is the fifth book in the Lucky Paws Petsitting series and if you've enjoyed the previous four then of course you will enjoy this one too! Will Piper get married? How much trouble will Daphne get herself into this time? The same cast of quirky characters, four-legged included, from that pet-loving town Sylvan Creek. Just like with the previous books I always think I have it figured out and I'm always wrong; I love it when that happens. It's definitely a series I look forward to diving i...

Three years ago Libby's husband left her and their infant son Ethan. She's been struggling to launch her writing career while also taking care of Ethan. But now things are looking up and mother and son are on their way to have some fun on vacation. Although it's not much fun looking over your shoulder every minute. Libby has never told anyone about what happened when Ethan was born, and no one could find her at a faraway resort, right? Wrong. Ethan wanders into an elevator and disappears. CCTV footage shows an adult leading Ethan away by the hand. When then woman and Ethan are found hours later, the woman tells everyone she's Ethan's mother. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, but I know this wasn't it. It starts off intense and gripping. Libby loves her son Ethan and is very attentive, but all it takes is the blink of an eye to lose him. So what's going on?! Who is this woman who has Ethan and how is she his mother?! The book was even...