The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

A cryptic invitation.

A trip to Mistletoe Manor.

A Christmas snowstorm.

And a puzzling locked room disappearance. 

It's up to Maggie Chase and fellow author, Ethan Wyatt, to solve this mystery.

First line:  It wasn't until the elevator doors were sliding open that Maggie realized she was about to come face-to-face with her three lest favorite things in the world:  Christmas. A party. And Ethan Freaking Wyatt.  

My thoughts:  This entertaining novel is a great combination of mystery and romance. And I loved it. There's fun banter, and lots of action and humor. Maggie is a very engaging character; she's clever and funny, but also vulnerable and alone. I liked how Ethan really saw her, and how he wanted to help her, and protect her. I enjoyed their swoony kisses, too. They made a great team (even though she saw him as her nemesis at the beginning of the book). And the mystery was very Christie-esque. If you want a fun holiday mystery/romance, check this book out. 

My rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Dedicated to the One I Love by Beth K. Vogt

 

Kylie is the best-selling romance writer, Veronica Hollins, but she hasn't been able to write a word on her next novel since her husband died three years ago. And Joe writes military suspense novels as Tate Merrick, but his books aren't selling well enough to get him on the bestseller list, and his publisher thinks he needs to add some romance to them. But Joe doesn't write romance! So his publisher suggests they bring in Kylie to help him rewrite his latest manuscript; and Kylie's agent pushes her to accept the arrangement hoping it will help get her writing again. 

Only no one knows that Kylie and Joe are already online friends; and they don't know that Kylie is Veronica, or that Joe is Tate, until they start collaborating on Joe's book.

My thoughts:  I liked Joe's and Kylie's online friendship. But their first meeting in real life didn't go well. They have some funny push and pull moments, but I thought Kylie was a little too pushy when she started telling Joe how she was going to rewrite his novel to include the romantic story line she'd come up with without even talking to him about it first, or getting his ideas. And I didn't blame Joe for getting upset about it (though all his friends did). I thought Kylie should have been a little more respectful of the fact that it was his novel they were reworking. But Joe was the one who always ended up apologizing for being too stubborn and arguing with her. 

Over time, their interactions did get better, and I liked how they each started to respect the other one, and the other's writing, too. Joe was definitely the more likable character in my opinion. I thought it was cute how he came around to appreciating romance stories and their happy endings. So overall, I enjoyed their friendship and romance. I'd give this one 3.5/5 stars. 

This also counts as my last bookish book of the year for Susan's Bookish Books Reading Challenge. 

Happy Reading!

The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick

 "Not many forty-two-year-old mums, wearing bleach-specked jeans and an ancient Rolling Stone T-shirt, ever appeared in fairy tales."

The plot in brief:  42-year-old Liv Green is a wife and mother who dreams of becoming a writer one day, but right now she cleans houses to help make ends meet. One of her clients is reclusive best-selling author, Essie Starling. Liv loves working for her, but when Essie dies unexpectedly, Liv is surprised to discover that one of Essie's last wishes is for Liv to complete her final Georgia Rory novel. Only Liv can't tell anyone what she's doing, not even her husband; and she only has until November 1st to finish the book. Liv doesn't know if she can write a suitable ending to this beloved series. And as she begins to look into Essie's past for inspiration, she not only discovers several secrets about Essie, but a very startling connection. 

My thoughts: Liv is an interesting character. I liked how zen she was about cleaning, and how she tries to be brave like the fictional Georgia Rory. I disagreed with some of the choices she makes and found her frustrating at times. Her relationship struggles with her husband, Jake, felt very real, but I wasn't sure why she was so focused on investigating all of Essie's past loves. Happily, it all comes together at the end in a satisfying way. This is a quick, light read, with both humor and heart. I'd give it 3.5 stars. (And it's another good one for Susan's Bookish Books Reading Challenge.)

Happy Reading!

Similar read (but one I liked a lot more):

The Audacity of Sara Grayson by Joani Elliott

Another bookish gem...

Title: Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson
First line:  Because the station wagon blew up in the fire, Frank and I took the bus to the hospital.

The Plot:  When reclusive author M. M. Banning runs into financial trouble, she needs to write another book fast. So her New York Editor, Isaac Vargas, sends his young assistant, Alice Whitley, to California to help her out. But what Alice ends up primarily doing is taking care of Banning's nine-year-old son, Frank, and trying to stay out of Mimi's way. Alice soon learns that there are two important rules when it comes to Frank:  Never touch his stuff, and Never touch him. Frank is an exasperating, funny, eccentric, smart, disaster-prone child who does not play well with others. He dresses like an old Hollywood movie star. And while he loves watching old movies, his mother, and their here today, gone tomorrow piano-playing handyman, Xander, he does not love Alice. At least, not at first.

My thoughts:  This is a charming and very entertaining novel. Alice's struggles with both Frank and his mother made me laugh. It was fun to watch her grow up. And I really loved Frank. This bookish gem is essentially a book about families and how sometimes the best ones are made up of people who are completely unrelated to one another. It has both heart and humor, and I liked it a lot.

Happy Reading!

Miss Buncle's Book

"...the only thing I could do was to write a book, and the only kind of book I could write was about people I knew..."

Strapped for money, Barbara Buncle decides to write a book about Silverstream, the little English village where she lives, and the people who live there. She changes all their names. And hers, too. But when her book is published, people in her village soon recognize themselves in its pages. The town busybody. The vicar. The doctor's wife. The retired Colonel. And others. Some are decidedly unhappy about how they've been portrayed. Good thing they don't know that Barbara is the author. But what will happen when they find out the truth?

D.E. Stevenson has written a delightfully humorous novel of English manners reminiscent of Barbara Pym's A Few Green Leaves and Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford. There's not a lot of action, but there is a lot of drama. And a little romance, too. I like character-driven novels, and the characters in this novel are a lot of fun. Especially plain, unremarkable (and slightly frumpy) Barbara Buncle. But my favorite part is how Barbara's little novel changes not only her, but everyone in the entire village of Silverstream. It's a great read! I liked it a lot.

Happy Reading!