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triviareads · 1 year

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Releases May 23rd

Summary:

Cecile Trembley is a French markswoman who makes her living running a circus. She and Guy Darlington used to be lovers, but when Guy wanted to set her up as his mistress, she broke off their relationship and all contact. Now Guy has returned, sans fianceé, sans title, and he wants Cecile back too. And he's willing to do anything to win her over again.

Some background:

I came into this book with high expectations because I am a fan of Minerva Spencer's (and a bigger fan of her pseudonym she uses for erotica, S.M. LaViolette). Her plots are always excellent, the sex is usually pretty great too, and there's always something a little subversive about them. Reading the blurb for The Dueling Duchess convinced me it would be along the same vein, so I was excited to start.

My review:

I knew it was a good sign when I read that the heroine was thirty-six, (the hero was four years younger). More mature heroines is definitely something of a pattern I'm seeing in historical romances (recently in The Portrait of a Duchess by Scarlett Peckham and The Countess by Sophie Jordan), and I personally really enjoy it because it usually means the heroine is more level-headed in her approach to intimacy and sex because they have experience.

The plot can be summed up by "Titled Man joins circus to find a friend's relative during the Hundred Days, has affair with markswoman, they part ways unhappily, but now he's back because he needs a job". It's a little convoluted but also, I've long since stopped caring about how improbable a story is since this is historical romance and all I need to be sold on is the romance of it all (and I ABSOLUTELY was). The structure goes back and forth: a "present" section, then a "past" section where we see how Guy and Cecile first met, and another "present" section where most of the plot occurs, and we see what happened after the fallout of Cecile and Guy's affair, and what happens why Guy is rehired as a stagehand (which does involve getting shot at by his ex-lover.... multiple times a day) in the circus just so he can win back Cecile. Honestly, I respect that level of desperation.

SPEAKING of desperation, I appreciate that this was pretty much a book-long grovel. As far as the egregiousness of Guy's actions, it was pretty standard aristocratic fare ("I can't marry you because Money so will you be my mistress?" *cue slap in the face), but Cecile's feelings matter too, right? So when the tables have turned, you really can't fault Cecile for taking advantage. And hey, he consents to the menial labor and whatnot.

Something else I also appreciated was that Cecile does, in fact, have a lover during the time Guy is trying to "woo" her back while working for her. It's very "how the turns tables" of Minerva when it comes to genre conventions. It's not like Cecile is with Guy at the time, right? She has the right to do as she pleases, and if that means aggressively making out with this other man in front of Guy even after rejecting other man's marriage proposal, then so be it.

The sex:

Fabulous. Fantastic. Well-written. Hot. The give-and-take they have going on during sex is great. She's a little imperious and a little bratty at once. He's a little unhinged but also definitely likes being ordered around. There's roughness and there's tenderness where it fits (and "good girl". There is many a "good girl"). It was the best I've read in a long while.

Overall:

I adored this book and would strongly recommend it for anyone looking to read a regency romance set outside the ballroom. It's a book that definitely keeps you on toes all the way. Apart from the romance (which I loved loved loved), I also like how Minerva interwove feminism and the very real trials of being a woman, in this case a female business owner, in that era. There's also a significant found family vibe (the circus is pretty much one big family, plus Guy and Cecile take in a street urchin) in this book, and Minerva did a great job of setting up her next book The Cutthroat Countess, which I'm very excited to read next.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #minerva spencer #historical romance #kensington books #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #romance novels

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fredhandbag · 2 years

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Moved some paperbacks and nonfiction hardcovers onto some bookcases in one of the closets. Top row is the Jonathan Grave series from John Gilstrap - new one coming this week. How do you sort nonfiction? #lethalgame #johngilstrap #jonathangraveseries #kensingtonbooks #shelfie #sundayshelfie #bradshelfie #bookstagram #bookshelves #booknerd #readinglife #bookwormlife #sodacityreads #readersofig #suspensebook #bookhaul #literarycrimefiction #homelibrary #thrillerbooks #domesticthriller #crimefiction #thriller #characterdrivenbooks #mysterythriller #bookrecs #actionsuspense #nonfictionbooks #gameofthrones #thegrayman #markgreaney https://www.instagram.com/p/CfRJFPRg89M/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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doodlesink · 21 days

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Three Fudges and a Baby by Nancy Coco -- Book Review

Happy Wednesday! Three Fudges and a Baby by Nancy Coco has Jenn still awaiting the birth of her baby two weeks past her due date. Check out my review of the twelfth A Candy-Coated Mystery. Happy Reading!

https://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2024/03/three-fudges-and-baby-by-nancy-coco.html

#theavidreader #book review #cozy mystery #the avid reader #threefudgesandababy #kensingtonbooks #kensington #nancy coco #a candy coated mystery

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victoriagleasuredesigns · 1 year

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“I have no expectations, only an overwhelming desire to end the power this monster has had over my life”. - All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato Today’s Into the Evergreen photo challenge by @words.and.whimsy and @theOCnest is Hope is a Powerful Thing: Defiance in the Face of Evil. Molly has been hiding from her past all her life. When her husband is murdered, she is no longer safe. Thank you @kensingtonbooks and Terri Parlato for the ARC. You can see my full book review on Goodreads. The wonderfully spooky quilt featured in this picture is the Owl Flying Over a Snowy Cabin throw quilt! 🌲🦉❄️ #allthedarkplaces #terriparlato #thriller #kensingtonbooks #owlcrate #thenest #words&whimsy #bookstagram #bookish #bookblogger #quiltsandbooks #quilting #bookreview #bookrecommendation #quiltlife #winterreads #januarybookchallenge #cozyquilt #quiltsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CnhuDdaPThZ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#allthedarkplaces #terriparlato #thriller #kensingtonbooks #owlcrate #thenest #words #bookstagram #bookish #bookblogger #quiltsandbooks #quilting #bookreview #bookrecommendation #quiltlife #winterreads #januarybookchallenge #cozyquilt #quiltsofinstagram

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books4us · 1 year

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Let’s go, SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT 2023! We had a great 2022 and now we’re ready to share book thoughts throughout 2023. Always helping readers make decisions about what books to spend time with. And this one qualifies as worthy of your time. My 💭; Impressive. This is adult novel-ing at its finest. Just very well written wrapped in realistic dialogue and adult situations. The story is an enjoyable one with a well paced road trip that is between Frankie and her older Aunt, who she doesn’t really know a lot about, but will find out a great deal about her Mom’s sister on their extended if unintended road trip. Some interesting Los Angeles history surrounding the opening of the first Black hotel in LA and the story moves back and forth between late 1920s LA and ‘68 Chicago. Denny S. Bryce does an an excellent job of building the back stories of Daisy and Frankie. The dilemmas they face are realistic and working through these conflicts puts the reader front and center in an engaging story. Thanks to Edelweiss and Kensington for a DRC. Read and Enjoy👍🏾. #sundayspotlight2023 #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #bookblogger #bookreview #ownvoicesreviews #inthefaceofthesun #dennysbryce #kensingtonbooks #readmorebooks #readologist2023 #blackbibliophile #blackbooksmatter #blackbookveteran #blackbookcentered (at Houston, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnJ-0GkLxvM/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#sundayspotlight2023 #bookpusher #pushingbooksainteasy #bookblogger #bookreview #ownvoicesreviews #inthefaceofthesun #dennysbryce #kensingtonbooks #readmorebooks #readologist2023 #blackbibliophile #blackbooksmatter #blackbookveteran #blackbookcentered

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leannareneehieber · 8 months

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Darlings! I'm SO excited! More Ghosts! This time, with GOTHIC feeling!!!! This goth is happy-dancing through haunted houses.

Publisher’s Marketplace Deal Report:

America’s Most Gothic by Leanna Renee Hieber, Andrea Janes

Imprint: @kensingtonbooks

Bram Stoker award finalists and authors of A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN: TRUE STORIES OF AMERICA’S GHOSTS Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes’s AMERICA’S MOST GOTHIC: HAUNTED HISTORY STRANGER THAN FICTION, an examination of America’s most Gothic places and hauntings, featuring the weird and wild trappings of Gothic tradition such as hidden passages, wailing women, family curses, and more, with an emphasis on female spirits and the cultural narratives surrounding their stories, to Elizabeth May at @kensingtonbooks , in an exclusive submission, for publication in 2025, by Chelsea Hensley at KT Literary (world).

Non-fiction: History

August 14, 2023

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dollycas · 4 months

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Cozy Wednesday featuring Murder with Chocolate Tea (A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery) by Karen Rose Smith #Review / #Giveaway @karenrosemith @KensingtonBooks

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! I am delighted to feature and share my thoughts about Murder With Chocolate Tea by Karen Rose Smith!

Murder with Chocolate Tea (A Daisy's Tea Garden Mystery) Cozy Mystery 10th in Series Setting - Pennsylvania Kensington Cozies (November 28, 2023) Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496738489 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496738486 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BZBM7B1T

Daisy Swanson, bride-to-be and owner of Daisy’s Tea Garden in Pennsylvania’s Amish country, may have one or two more murders to solve before she says “ I do . . .” Daisy has a lot to celebrate this summer. She’s supervising a special tea event to help commemorate the 100-year-anniversary of her town’s historic covered bridge. But the main event is her upcoming wedding to her beloved fiancé Jonas. Somehow Willow Creek’s busiest brewer of specialty teas and amateur sleuth still finds time to be a guest on local journalist Trevor Lundquist’s crime podcast to discuss the last murder she solved. After the podcast, Trevor receives an anonymous tip from a caller who claims a travel chest that’s about to be auctioned holds a clue to a twenty-year-old unsolved murder. Is it a hoax or a genuine lead? When a body turns up in Willow Creek, Trevor suspects a connection between this current homicide and the cold case. Has the murderer killed again to cover their tracks? Now Daisy has another mystery steeping and Trevor may just have his next podcast . . . Dollycas's Thoughts Life sure is busy from Daisy Swanson. She works at her tea garden every day where she holds many special events too. She is finalizing all the plans for her upcoming wedding. Her daughter Jazzi is preparing to leave for college and her son-in-law Foster seems to be burning the candle at both ends to provide for what he thinks his family needs. With all that on her plate, she takes time to be a guest on Trevor Lundquist’s crime podcast to talk about the last murder she solved. After the program, an anonymous tip comes in telling Trevor a chest is soon to be auctioned off and that it contains a clue that could solve a cold murder case. Then the police have a new homicide to deal with, but podcaster Trevor thinks it is connected to the 20-year-old murder and he is going to prove it. When the police ask Daisy for help with the deceased wife, she can't say no. Soon after Daisy is investigating too and running interference between Trevor and Detective Morris Rappaport. Can she solve another murder and make it to her wedding on time? The author continues to breathe life into her true-to-life genuine characters. Daisy has such a big heart, she will always help everyone in any way she can, even with her own wedding quickly approaching. Her journey to find the perfect dress, making sure fiancé Jonas is part of every decision and his building the perfect place to have the ceremony just warmed my heart. Witnessing their relationship grow throughout several books and evolve so naturally is a true credit to the author. She has shown us how relationships have their ebbs and flows too. Vi and Foster's life had a bumpy start but with help from family and friends, they too have moved forward realistically. They have some rough times in this story but again family is right there for them. Jazzi has had an interesting life too. Daisy's support of her finding her birth mother, Portia, and including the woman in family events like her wedding is more evidence of Daisy's huge heart. Ms. Smith has created a remarkable cast of supporting characters as well. I have enjoyed all the time I have spent peeking into these character's lives. The mystery was complicated and took some research and true investigation before the clues started to come together in a way that made sense but evidence to pin down the killer may have been lost forever. It may end up being another cold case. But Trevor wasn't letting the case go and Daisy may not make it to her wedding. This book is so well-plotted and written. Each twist and turn pulled me deeper into the story and kept me guessing. An interesting visit to Daisy did push me toward a certain character but I still had several questions. Happily, when all was revealed they were all answered. I am very sad that this appears to be the last book in this series as the author begins a new spinoff series featuring Daisy's daughter Jazzi. I am intrigued to see her in a different way and seeing things from her point of view as the lead character. I do hope her family visits her often though. They are all characters I have become invested in after 10 books. I am holding out hope though that we will return to Willow Creek and Daisy's Tea Garden someday. It is such a great fictional setting. Murder with Chocolate Tea is a wonderful addition to this series. Wonderful characters, a stirring mystery, set in a charming place where Amish and Englishers come together, along with a lot of chocolate tea make this a must-read for cozy mystery lovers. I have enjoyed every book in this series and highly recommend them all.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author Karen Rose Smith is the author of the Daisy’s Tea Garden Mysteries and the Caprice De Luca home-staging mysteries. Married to her college sweetheart, Karen has convinced her husband that felines can make purr-fect housemates. They share their home in the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania with their three rescued cats. You can find her on Facebook at KarenRoseSmithBooks and on Twitter @karenrosemith. Find out more about her mysteries at https://www.karenrosesmithmysteries.com.

Coming March 26, 2024

Also written by this Author

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#chocolate #cozymystery #KarenRoseSmith #Kensington #NetGalley #Pennsylvania #tea

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bargainsleuthbooks · 9 months

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#ARCReview #MurderataCapeBookstore #MaddieDay #Cozycapersbookgroupmystery #BookReview #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #KindleDeals

I just love a good #cozymystery and the #cozycapersbookgroup #mysteryseries is a good one. The forthcoming book #Murderatacapebookstore, had me guessing. #Maddieday #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #arcreview #bookreview #arc #kindledeals #capecod #Doorcounty

Everyone loves a festival, though Mac has a few concerns about the Spring equinox event organized by the new Chamber of Commerce director, Wagner Lavoie. After all, March weather is unpredictable. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy, between flower-shaped candies at Salty Taffy’s, spring rolls at the Rusty Anchor, and a parade of decorated bicycles. But the festivities soon take a stormy turn . .…

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#ARC #ARC Review #August 2023 Books #Book Review #Cape Cod #Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #Cozy Mystery #Door County #Kensington Books #Kindle Deal #Maddie Day #Murder at a Cape Bookstore #Mystery #NetGalley #New Books

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sidlaw7 · 20 hours

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https://www.escapewithdollycas.com/2024/04/17/cozy-wednesday-featuring-murder-marks-the-page-a-tomes-tea-mystery-series-by-karen-rose-smith-review-giveaway-karenrosemith-kensingtonbooks/

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fictionophile · 19 days

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"No Strangers Here" by Carlene O'Connor - Book Review @KensingtonBooks #NoStrangersHere #ReadingIrelandMonth24 #IrishFiction #CarleneOConnor #CountyKerryMysteries

“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.” – William Butler Yeats County Kerry Mystery #1 Dimpna Wilde was one of the most unique and enchanting characters I’ve encountered in some time. She is diminutive in size, colossal in heart, has been dealt many crushing blows in her life, yet she remains positive and funny. She works as a veterinarian and loves all animals without…

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#Backlist #Ireland #police procedurals #recommended reading #veterinarians

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triviareads · 7 months

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ARC Review of The Cutthroat Countess by Minerva Spencer

Summary:

Josephine Brown, a spy known onstage at an all-female circus for her knife-throwing act as "Jo Blade" has always found it difficult to open her heart to friends and lovers alike. But during a covert mission, she finds herself falling for Elliot Wingate, a spy for the Home Office. For his part, Elliot is immediately smitten with Jo, but knows he has to be careful, particularly as Jo's old family secrets come to light, endangering the both of them...

My review:

I would recommend reading the first two books in the The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series before reading The Cutthroat Countess. Part I in particular touches on a lot of events that need the context of the first book, specifically when the circus members and their love interests are in France to rescue their friends and family. Part I also feels very separate from the rest of the novel; the only thing that connects it to the rest of the book is Jo and Elliot's burgeoning relationship.

And it doesn't take very long for Jo and Elliot to get together (she kills half a private army in Part I, he IMMEDIATELY goes down on her). They're both spies with a "particular set of skills" (well, Jo more than Elliot), and respect one another's competence, which leads to an immediate attraction. However, because of Jo's scattered upbringing (she was always on the run), it's difficult for her to trust or make friends, so Elliot is the one initially doing a lot of pushing for them to be in even a short-term relationship. I thought it was particularly adorable that both their "pining" came in the form of stalking each other before they finally broke during a ball, had sex on a garden bench, and admitted they wanted to be together. After this, their relationship actually feels very domestic; they come home to each other after long days, they share meals and share pets (good old Angus the raven), and have a lot of very relationship-y sex.

The rest of the novel is split between old espionage secrets related to Jo's family being uncovered, and a bit of a My Fair Lady plot as well. Like I said earlier, I would recommend reading the previous books in this series because the plot of the first two books are actually happening somewhat concurrently. So we see Marianne and Sin's rescue and Marianne's societal debut, as well as Guy and Cecile during Guy's grovel-by-getting-repeatedly-shot-at era. Through the course of the book, Jo also opens up more to her friends at the circus, and I thought this was a good continuation of the overall theme of female friendship in this series.

The sex:

Jo and Elliot are a fan of a quickie, in part because of them having sex in the middle of fraught situations (see: Napoleonic France), and also because Jo is afraid of intimacy due to her past. As they get more comfortable with one another, they settles into having more relaxed, relationship sex (though they still seem to favor minimal foreplay). It's well-written as per Minerva's usual, though I think I'd have been happier if there were longer sex scenes overall. I actually think my favorite moment was at the veeeery end when Jo makes Elliot masturbate in front of her in a place they lovingly refer to as the "torture cottage", an unofficial government residence where.... "interrogations" take place. And they deffo sneak off to have sex at the torture cottage afterwards.

Overall:

I enjoyed reading this book; it's a fun continuation of The Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, full of adventure and mystery. I think Jo and Elliot are a more lowkey couple compared to the first two so don't expect much relationship drama or an intense build-up before they admit their feelings for one another. Like I said about The Dueling Duchess, if you're looking to read a something outside of a ballroom romance that's still set in the Regency era, then this is a great choice for you!

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#arc review #arc #minerva spencer #historical romance #kensington books #netgalley #kensingtonbooks #romance novels

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fredhandbag · 1 year

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Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea is a thriller you'll want to add to your summer reading list. "It's been ten years since Alexandra Quinlan was arrested for killing her family. When evidence pointed to her not being the killer charges were dropped. Alex testified at her highly publicized defamation lawsuit against the police department. With the help of her lawyer, a family friend, she won a large judgement. Alex changes her name and moves away because the True Crime junkies all believe she got away with murder. But Alex never stops looking for the person responsible for killing her family. Now she's an investigator for a law firm and finds similarities with one of her cases to that of her parents. Will she finally have the answers she's looked for?" Donlea grabs you from the very beginning. You are mesmerized by the trial and the events of the evening where Alex's family was gunned down. Donlea eventually jumps to Alex as an investigator while also filling in the background of the story. It all leads to a wild ending. And a twist you feel coming but never believe he'll actually go there. The middle third of the book is slower than the beginning and end but still worth it. I did not want to stop reading this book. Vivienne Leheny does a fabulous performance with the audiobook narration. There are many emotional moments and she nails them. Another great thriller to add to the beach bag this year. Thanks to @macmillan.audio and @kensingtonbooks for the advanced copy. #thoseemptyeyes #charliedonlea #macmillanaudio #kensingtonbooks #vivienneleheny #audiobooks #springthriller #beachreads #bookstagram #bookshelves #booknerd #readinglife #bookphotography #bookcommunity #bookblogger #sodacityreads #suspensebook #bookhaul #literarycrimefiction #homelibrary #thrillerbooks #domesticthriller #crimefiction #thriller #characterdrivenbooks #mysterythriller #bookrecs #vacationreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSqWf8Lt_2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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doodlesink · 2 months

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Miracles at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard -- Book Review

Happy Thursday! Miracles at Promise Lodge completes the Promise Lodge series & is Charlotte Hubbard’s final book. Drop by to learn more about this charming Amish tale. Happy Reading!

https://bibliophileandavidreader.blogspot.com/2024/02/miracles-at-promise-lodge-by-charlotte.html

#theavidreader #the avid reader #book review #kensington books #amish fiction #amish romance #christian fiction #miraclesatpromiselodge #promise lodge #charlotte hubbard #berkley publishing #kensington #kensingtonbooks

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pminc · 6 months

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Kensingtonbooks – BookLover Sweepstake https://coffeetimeromance.com/giveaways/kensingtonbooks-booklover-sweepstake/

#CTR #Western

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leannareneehieber · 1 year

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My year in publishing. Essays, short stories, entirely new forays into non-fiction & contemporary Gothic Romance, returning to beloved Spectral City characters in The Spirit Suitor trilogy (exclusively in digital & audiobook w/ me narrating via Scribd), been one hell of a year!

Pictured: THE FEMININE MACABRE, featuring my essay "An Unnamed Sorrow Where Marian Adams Should Be", The Castle of Horror Young Adult Anthology featuring a Glazier's Gap story "The Silhouette Again", A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN, my debut non-fiction with Andrea Janes via @kensingtonbooks exploring the crossroads of women's history and ghost stories, and my contemporary Gothic Romance GHOSTS OF THE FORBIDDEN, with a card noting the titles of my digital/audio Spirit Suitor trilogy, THE SPIRIT SUITOR, ENCHANTING THE EXORCIST, and TO HAUNT AND TO HOLD via Scribd/Bryant Street Publishing

If you haven't read these yet, add them to your 2023 reading list!

Happy Haunting!

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dollycas · 7 months

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Cozy Wednesday featuring Murder in an Italian Village (A Bria Bartolucci Mystery) by Michael Falco #Review / #Giveaway @KensingtonBooks

Welcome to Cozy Wednesday! I am featuring Murder in an Italian Village by Michael Falco today!

Murder in an Italian Village (A Bria Bartolucci Mystery) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting - Amalfi Coast, Italy Kensington Cozies (September 26, 2023) Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 384 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496742133 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496742131 Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BRF2BXJ3

Set in beautiful Positano, Italy, the debut of a cozy mystery series featuring a widowed B&B owner who discovers a body in one of her bedrooms before opening day! On the surface, Bria’s Mediterranean life radiates beauty—the kind her late husband, Carlo, dreamed about when he concocted the romantic idea to start a bed and breakfast on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast. With the grand opening of Bella Bella approaching six months after Carlo’s tragic death, Bria and her eight-year-old son Marco brace for a bittersweet new beginning by the sea . . . Before celebratory vino flows on opening day, a stranger appears in an otherwise pristine guest room, lifeless and covered in blood. Bria can’t understand why murder would check into Bella Bella. And police are just as puzzled. As suspicions fall on a B&B employee, what’s certain is that saving her reputation—and surviving—depend on catching the real killer before it’s too late. Flanked by her feisty best friend, Rosalie, and well-traveled sister, Lorenza, Bria vows to prove to everyone in Positano that no one at Bella Bella was involved with the crime. But as the women expose a scandal that stretches across their dazzling tourist village, it will take everything they’ve got to name the murderer and avoid becoming the next target of someone’s deadly vendetta . . . Dollycas's Thoughts Welcome to Positano, Italy right on the Amalfi Coast. Carlos Bartolucci's dream was to open Bella Bella Bed & Breakfast with his wife Bria, their son Marco, along with their dog Bravo. But Carlos died a tragic death six months ago. Now Bria is ready to follow his dream without him. She has hired a handyman, Giovanni, to help with the jobs that would have been Carlos's tasks. Bria, Marco, and Bravo have been welcomed into the community and made many friends. After walking Marco to school just days before the B&B's grand opening Bria returns home to find a stranger lying on a bed in one of the guest rooms dead and covered in blood. She has no idea who he is, how he got there, why he was killed, or who did it. Police are fixated on Giovanni but Bria can't believe he committed the crime. To save the reputation of her business and her handyman Bria teams up with her sister Lorenza and her friend Rosalie to prove to everyone that Giovanni is innocent by exposing the real killer before she becomes the next victim. Bria is an interesting protagonist but I was a little concerned about her actions regarding the opening of the B&B. I would have expected her to be busy getting everything ready for the opening. It was stated several times that guests would be arriving soon but I don't recall her taking one phone call or receiving an email or referring to an online booking site. She talked about trying out breakfast recipes but she doesn't do much baking. Giovanni is fixing a few things but not urgently like the grand opening is happening soon. We read about her taking her son to school every day and the nun there playing with the dog. She is an attentive mother and that's a good thing but I assume she is going to be busy with guests in the mornings once she is open and I didn't see how she was going to address this. Maybe it is just the laid-back Italian way of doing things but it felt strange to me. The character needs more definition and development. I know it is hard to introduce all the core characters and develop them in a worthwhile way when a series is just starting out. I hope we get to know them all better as the series continues. The mystery was intriguing. Who was this man? Why was killed? Why at Bella Bella? The author served up some red herrings but in places the story really dragged. It felt like clues were dropped almost as an afterthought. Bria did have some good sleuthing skills and was able to ferret out some great secrets, which moved the story along and at times made her mother-in-law livid. The reveal was surprising and entertaining. I did enjoy the way everything was explained at the end but something about it just felt off. I loved the beautiful setting of this book. The author helped me escape to the Amalfi Coast with his words. I am on the fence about the snippets of Italian throughout the book because I do not speak the language. I was able to understand the meanings and many times the phrase was followed by the English words but it really messed up the flow of the story. The author does provide a glossary at the end of the book but referring to it constantly would have been even worse. Italian is a beautiful language and I know the author was using it to bring the location to life, but he had done that already with English words. Murder in an Italian Village has some good bones. The setting is idyllic and I enjoyed my virtual visit. But I want to get to know the characters better and feel more engaged by them. The story could use some editing in places to tighten things up and make it flow better. I am curious to see how Bria's life changes when the B & B is open and filled with a variety of guests. It is a familiar theme for a cozy mystery series but the location sets this series apart.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author Michael Falco is a graduate of New York University and has studied at Playwrights Horizons and Gotham Writers Workshop. He currently lives in Secaucus, NJ, where he is working on the next Bria Bartolucci Mystery.

Thanks to the publisher I have 1 ARC copy to give away! The contest is open to anyone over 18 years old with a US or Canadian mailing address. Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited. You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find something you like here and become a follower. Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow. Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Following My Facebook Fan Page. Add this book to your WANT TO READ shelf on GoodReads for 3 Bonus Entries. Follow Kensington Books on Twitter for 2 Bonus Entries! Follow Kensington Publishing on Facebook for 2 Bonus Entries! Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries. If you share the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive 5 Bonus Entries For Each Link. The Contest Will End October 11, 2023, at 11:59 PM CST The Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org The Winner Will Be Notified By Email and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar. Click Here For Entry Form Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” Read the full article

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