Cover Reveal: A Match for Emma by Pepper D. Basham

About the Book

Emma Mitchell may enjoy sprinkling romance into the lives of others, but her own plans involve a single first-class ticket to culinary school in Europe.  

When her best friend, Jon Noble, suddenly moves back to Ransom, Emma’s fairly certain her life can’t get any better…until her matchmaking schemes nosedive, her culinary future falls flat, and a life-long friendship begins to teeter on the brink of something unexpected.

With a little inspiration from Jane Austen’s classic and a touch of Blue Ridge charm, will Jon and Emma discover that what they need the most may be the last thing they’re trying to find?

About the Author

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance novels with grace, humor, and culture clashes. She’s a Blue Ridge Mountain native and an anglophile who enjoys combining her two loves to create memorable stories of hope. You can connect with Pepper over at her group blog, The Writer’s Alley, her website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.

Review of Murder Lo Mein

Title:  Murder Lo Mein       

Author: Vivien Chien

Series: A Noodle Shop Mystery book 3

Chapters: 30 Plus epilogue

 

Pages: 301

Genre: Cozy Mystery     

Rating: 4 stars

Murder Lo Mein is the third book in the A Noodle Shop Mystery book series by Vivien Chien. And Lana Lee has finally accepted her role as the manager of her family’s Chinese Restaurant. She’s finally getting her feet back under her.  When the Best Noodle Contest the restaurant is involved in suddenly becomes the scene of a murder.    Even though she promised she wouldn’t get involved in any more murders she’s determined to find the murderer before the contest gets a bad name.

I’ve read culinary mysteries before, but I’ve never read one set in a Chinese Restaurant.    My two favorite characters are Lana’ dog and her grandmother.   The dog always manages to bring a smile to Lana face and adds comic relief to the series.  And I’m guessing her grandma is always yelling at her mom we as the reader just don’t know because her mom does speak English. 

This cozy mystery is perfect for culinary mystery fans who want to branch out a little bit. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. 

I also suggest reading the books in series order. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Review of One Potato, Two Potato Dead

Title:  One Potato, Two Potato Dead

Author: Lynn Cahoon

Series: Farm to Fork Mystery book 3

Pages: 237    

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Restaurant owner Angie Turner finds herself investigating another murder in the third installment of the Farm to Fork mystery series in One Potato, Two Potato, Dead by Lynn Cahoon in which another one of her employees is a suspect.

Angie will have to find the real killer and run her restaurant without becoming the killer’s next target. 

While this series is a culinary cozy it focuses on bringing farm fresh food to the customers of her restaurant trying to plan meals based on what’s in season.  The recipes included at the end is also a nice touch.

I would recommend this one to fans of culinary cozies as well as animal cozies.  I also suggest reading the books in series order. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Blog Tour: Yours Truly, Thomas

Title:  Yours Truly, Thomas

Author: Rachel Fordham

Pages: 322

Genre: Christian Historical fiction

Rating: 4 stars

Can you fall in love with someone through letters?  This was a question that I never really thought about till I read Yours Truly, Thomas.  This new book by Rachel Fordham answered that question and then some.   The dead letter office played a huge part in the story. I knew that the dead letter office was a modern thing I didn't realize that it had been a part of the USPS since almost the beginning. Apparently there have always been lost letters.

Two of the characters are bought together thought a letter that ended up at the dead letter office.  All in all, this book was a sweet read.  I am looking forward future books from this author.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

Reading this week

I read a total of 407 pages this week.

Finished

My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt

Romanov by Nadine Brandies

Reading

Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillan

Daughter of the Siren Queen by Tricia Levenseller

Non-fiction reading

Villains Delightfully Evil by Jen Darcy

A Love Letter life by Jeremy Roloff and Audrey Roloff

Classic

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Audio on the Way to Work

A Love Letter life by Jeremy Roloff and Audrey Roloff

Getting ready to read

Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Warrior of the wild by Tricia Levenseller

Book reading for bookclub at work

The Sunday Philosophy club by Alexander McCall Smith

Reviewing

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk

Devotional reading

Did not Finish

Reviews Posted this week

Something Wed, Something Dead review

No Good Tea goes unpunished

No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker book review

Title:  No Good Tea Goes Unpunished 

Author: Bree Baker

Series: Seaside Café Mystery Book 2

 

Chapters: 24

Pages: 330

Genre: cozy mystery

Rating: 4 stars

In the second book in the Seaside Cafe Mystery series Everly Swan is settling back into life in her hometown and catering a childhood friend’s wedding when the wedding turns in to a funeral.  When the groom is murder and the new bride is the primary and only suspect in the eyes of the law.  Everly in determined to clear her friends name even when it means butting heads with Detective Hays a former US Marshall turned small-town detective.   

After her first murder investigation she had promised to keep her nose out of police business unfortunately when it someone she knows she just can't help but butt in.    Hopefully she can help solve another murder without ending up the killers next target. 

No Good Tea goes Unpunished isn't your typical cozy mystery.  The beach setting with a tea cafe plus it in the culinary cozy. But it reads more modern.  The fictional beach town in North Carolina not far from the outer banks is easy to picture even for someone who hasn't been there because of   the author's descriptions of the town.  Without the magic aspect this book reminds me a bit of the movie Practical Magic. The whole quirky aunts thing and the so called family curse.  As well as the loveable cat and Seagull that have adopted Everly not the other way around. 

This cozy mystery is great for cozy fans that are just looking to branch out while still staying in the cozy genre.  I also suggest reading the books in series order. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

July TBR

TBR Jar Pick: Romanov by Nadine Brandies

Audio Pick: Burning Sky by Lori Benton

Classic Pick: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas

Kindle Pick: Murder in the City of Liberty by Rachel McMillian

Review Books: Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham

          Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk