anticipated releases

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

~ megs14malloy

The Paris ApartmentThe Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars**

After getting herself in a bit of a sticky situation at work, Jess does what any young woman would do and flees the country.

Luckily, she has a brother, Ben, who lives in Paris. Although they have never been close, when she calls him to see if she can stay with him for a bit, he doesn’t necessarily say no.

On the night she is set to arrive in Paris, Jess even has a couple of interactions with Ben via text. This is great, he’s definitely not going to turn her away.

When she arrives at the beautiful apartment house, however, she discovers you have to be rung in. She’s unable to reach Ben at that time.

After some tense moments, she is finally able to secure access without his help, but once inside, he is still no where to be found.

Ben is supposed to be there. She just heard from him. It’s late at night, where could he have gone to and why wouldn’t he tell her?

Ben’s absence isn’t the only thing confusing Jess. What is with this apartment house? It is absolutely stunning. How can Ben afford this?

Jess settles in and decides to wait it out. Ben will come back in his own time. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen and things in this house are starting to creep her out.

All the other residents are odd AF and seem to be hiding something from her, but what?

As Jess digs deeper in, she realizes she needs to be afraid. Something is not right here and now she may be next on the chopping block. If that doesn’t leave you intrigued, I don’t know what will.

Y’all, this book was so much fun!! I listened to the audiobook and as it is a multiple-POV story, there are various narrators for the different roles; making it a freaking blast to listen to!

With her signature style, Lucy Foley delivers a fast-paced, multi-layered Parisian Mystery here. The twists just keep on coming. My jaw was on the floor for half the book.

I would say for me, there were certain perspectives that I did find more interesting than others, which caused this to lag a wee bit sometimes.

Overall though, a super fun read. I love the way Foley always brings a sort of classic-format to very modern mysteries. It’s so appealing to me.

Personally, I hope Foley just keeps doing what she’s doing. This is her lane. It works so well. She is absolutely freaking fantastic at whipping up a high velocity, tense, atmospheric, drama-infused mystery and I am so here for it!

I’m already highly anticipating her next release. Whatever it may be. I want it.

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Review: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

~ megs14malloy

The House Across the LakeThe House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Casey Fletcher is a NYC-based actress, who having grown up in the industry, is used to a lot of drama.

Unfortunately for Casey, after suffering a personal tragedy, she makes a mistake many people have made before her. She turns to the bottle to numb her pain.

Initially, she’s still able to function somewhat, but she’s spiraling fast, head-first into the NYC pavement. Luckily, the paparazzi is there to capture her descent for the whole world to see. ((read with heavy sarcasm))

Casey’s mother, in an ill-advised effort to help her daughter, ships her off to their Vermont lake house, because we all know being secluded in the middle of nowhere on a lake will make you quit drinking.

Frankly, Casey could use a break from the city anyway, so she doesn’t put up much of a fight. Her mother thinks since Casey doesn’t have a car there, she won’t be able to get alcohol, but the friendly neighbor who is making her grocery runs keeps her fully stocked.

At the lake house, Casey struggles just as much as in the city. It is the last place she was with her husband and the root of her misery.

Drinking her days away, Casey is obviously not in a good head space. She struggles to concentrate on anything, or remain focused, that is until she begins to utilize the family binoculars.

Across the lake is a massive modern home recently purchased by an uber-wealthy couple, Tom and Katherine Royce. Tom, a successful businessman and Katherine, a stunning former model, give Casey plenty to focus on.

After a shocking encounter on the lake brings Casey and Katherine together, the two women begin a tentative friendship. The more the women chat and get to know one another, the more clear it becomes to Casey that all is not well in the Royce household.

Not long after, Katherine suddenly vanishes. Casey, having witnessed some very suspicious behaviors from the couple before, thinks violence may have been involved. She doesn’t believe Katherine just up and left of her own volition.

Casey becomes obsessed with revealing the truth, but at what cost?

Y’all know, I have been itching to get my hands on this release and it did not disappoint. With his signature-style, Riley Sager has spun another web of intrigue so delicious even Alfred Hitchcock would be giving it two thumbs up!

I loved the modern-Rear Window vibes and the setting was fantastic. Having Casey being on her own, in the house that literally haunted her just by being there, it felt so claustrophobic and unsettling.

It can be tough sometimes being on your own, but Casey being alone at that house was taking it to a whole new level of isolation. Sager paced out the reveals of the before perfectly, in my opinion. It kept me so interested.

I also really enjoyed, not just Casey as a main character, but all her interactions and musings involving the Royces. They certainly kept her mind occupied, at least for a little while.

There were additional side characters, two men in particular, that added a lot to the story as well. They were also residing on the lake at the time that Casey was there and I felt they both added in their own way to the drama unfolding. One was a solid presence, who it felt good to have around, the other, I wasn’t so sure about.

The ending of this is completely over-the-top and caught me by surprise. It’s definitely one of his more memorable conclusions. Trust me when I say, it’s a wild ride.

We started in one direction and ended in another. It was jolting and f*ing enjoyable as heck!!

I really had a phenomenal time reading this. I know that not every Reader is going to love Casey as a protagonist as much as I did, but I found her relatable and even charming in her own clunky way.

This was my most anticipated release of the year and I’m so happy that I was given the opportunity to get to it a little early. Thank you so much to the publisher, Dutton, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

The House Across the Lake is releasing on Tuesday, June 21, 2022. Preorder now, as you won’t want to miss this!!

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Review: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James

~ megs14malloy

The Book of Cold CasesThe Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

In 1977, in the small town of Claire Lake, Oregon, two men were brutally murdered. The events seemed to be random attacks. The men chosen simply because of convenience.

Both murders took place roadside, like the men had stopped to help a driver in distress and received the surprise of their lives. At both crime scenes, a taunting note was left behind, similar to the Son of Sam, or the Zodiac Killer.

Local heiress, Beth Greer, is reportedly spotted fleeing one of the scenes. She’s subsequently brought in for questioning and charged.

The feisty and eccentric 23-year old is ultimately acquitted and returns to the seclusion of her mansion.

In 2017, Shea is a doctor’s office receptionist by day, but at night she spends her time running a popular true crime website, Book of Cold Cases.

Shea, the survivor of childhood abduction, knows first hand the absolute horror of violent crime. It’s now her passion. It’s the monkey on her back. Her childhood trauma has shaped who she is as an adult. She’s built up a lot of walls. Honestly, it affects her day-to-day.

When Beth shows up at the doctor’s office for an appointment, Shea can hardly believe her eyes. The infamous Beth Greer, in the flesh.

It doesn’t take a true crime aficionado to recognize Beth. Everyone in the area is familiar with the Lady Killer case that shook Claire Lake in 1977.

This is Shea’s chance. She can possibly be the one to get the answers everyone wants. Was Beth rightfully acquitted, or did a heartless killer go free?

Shea is shocked when Beth agrees to an interview. She hasn’t spoken to anyone on the issue for years, why Shea? Why now?

Over the course of multiple interviews, Shea unlocks doors to dark family secrets, long-buried memories and the truth behind the Lady Killer crimes.

Y’all, I had so much fun with The Book Of Cold Cases. It’s told with St. James’s deeply engrossing style, alternating between past and present timelines in order to build out the larger picture.

I really enjoyed learning about both Shea and Beth. The women were similar in a lot of ways, both having survived traumatic childhoods that ultimately shaped their lifestyles as adults.

I also enjoyed the Greer family mansion as the backdrop to a lot of the story. If these walls could talk, am I right!?

From the second Shea sets foot into Beth’s home, it’s like stepping back in time. Beth has essentially kept it as a time capsule from the 1970s, but why would such a wealthy woman choose to live that way?

Additionally, extremely mysterious and disturbing things occur there. Is this place legit haunted?

For me, the highlight was the relationship between Beth and Shea. In a way, it was like through their, I won’t call it friendship, but acquaintance, Beth was able to free Shea.

This might not make sense until you read it, but for me, that was the heart of this story. It was actually quite beautiful, even though their respective traumas were so dark.

St. James is such a compelling writer. She has an absolute gift for setting a scene and keeping you intrigued. I was captivated throughout my entire read.

The one, very minor, issue I had was that I wish it would have been more suspenseful for longer into the story. I don’t want to give anything away, so it is a little hard to describe exactly what I mean by this, but I’ll give it a shot.

I feel like certain aspects were revealed a little early, which sucked a bit of the mystery out. It does make sense that St. James chose to tell it that way though, as she is able to build other aspects of the Greer family lore/history only after the reveal is made.

Overall, I loved this. It’s intriguing start to finish, nuanced, with beautifully fleshed out main characters. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who has enjoyed any of St. James’ previous works.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2022 and it definitely met my expectations!!

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Review: As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson

~ megs14malloy

As Good As Dead (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #3)As Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

As Good As Dead is the third, and they claim, the final book in Holly Jackson’s popular A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series.

Personally, I feel like Jackson may not be done with Pip. There’s so much more story that could be told. I’m hoping she pulls a Maureen Johnson, a la The Box in the Woods.

By this point in the series, y’all know, Pip has been through it. This isn’t a cozy YA Mystery series. Pip has faced very real dangers and she hasn’t come out unscathed.

Particularly after solving her last case, she’s left with PTSD surrounding those events. Her emotional state of mind is fairly dark. She’s struggling for real.

Adding to her stress, because like all she’s been through isn’t enough, someone is harassing her.

While Pip is used to trolls, any person with a public presence on the net is, she begins to take special notice when one particular troll asks her the same question over and over: who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

The harassment quickly escalates and Pip begins noticing things popping up around her house that indicate this person may be close by, watching her. Before long, there’s no question, she has a stalker.

As Pip starts to look into who this person might be, she discovers connections that may link her stalker to a local serial killer case purportedly solved six years ago. Is the wrong man in jail? Is the killer still on the loose? Will Pip be his next victim?

When the police refuse to act on her behalf, Pip does the thing she is best at, she investigates herself. Is she finally in over her head?

It’s no secret that I absolutely love this series. Pip is one of my favorite characters in the literary world, but this novel finds her in a totally different headspace.

Gone is our sparkling baby girl with all the optimism of a newborn pup. The world has beaten it out of her. She’s seen the dark side of humanity in a way many people never do.

I actually really appreciated that aspect of Pip’s mental health being showcased. So many times in books, the protagonists go through incredibly horrific things and just seem to get over it. They bounce back in a way us regular peeps could never even dream of.

The fact that Pip really struggles with recovering from her experiences made her feel that much more real to me. You can really empathize with her character.

The tone of this entire story is much darker than the previous two and I feel like some people may not like it as much because of that. For me, it felt like the natural progression of Pip’s story.

As always, Pip is completely focused on the task at hand, even to the detriment of some of her relationships. I was concerned for a while about her relationship with Ravi; he’s just such a gem.

This one didn’t turn out quite like I was expecting it to. There’s one point where you think the story could be over, but then a huge twists sends it spinning off in a whole new direction.

After this, I wouldn’t say I was crazy about a lot of Pip’s choices, but who am I to judge.

As mentioned above, I would be super stoked if this weren’t really the end. If it is though, I respect Jackson’s decision and think she did an incredible job with this series.

I would definitely reread all of these book again someday. I think it would be really fun to binge them back-to-back. If you haven’t read this series yet, you better get cracking. You don’t want to miss out!!

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Review: Devil House by John Darnielle

~ megs14malloy

Devil HouseDevil House by John Darnielle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ahhhh, Devil House, Devil House, Devil House. I have put off reviewing this one for a while.

Y’all, I preordered the heck out of this book. From this cover, and even from the synopsis, I was getting The Amityville Horror vibes, mixed with a little Sinister, the 2012-supernatural Horror film starring Mr. Ethan Hawke.

That wasn’t what I got at all. I’m not mad about it, but if I said I wasn’t disappointed, I’d be lying.

I won’t even go about a weak attempt to summarize this story. I honestly don’t think that I can.

The book was broken into different parts and to me, each part felt like it’s own short story. Because of this, it felt extremely disjointed. There were entire sections where I was unclear as to who the narrator was.

Also, there was one part in particular, part four, I believe, that I have no freaking idea why it was included at all.

Leading up to that point, I was into it. I was finding the different sections enjoyable, but that one…dang. It kicked me out of the entire story and then it was very hard for me to start to care again.

There were glimmers of gold throughout this book, don’t get me wrong. I loved what it had to say about story telling, particularly true crime story telling. I also loved the details of Devil House itself; it’s sordid history and final chapters.

Overall, this just didn’t fit my tastes. I’m not sure if it was just too cerebral for me. I do enjoy when an author has a message, but this one would require way to much time and analysis for me to get the point, I believe.

Darnielle’s writing is quite pleasing, however, and obviously he has an incredible imagination. I would definitely be interested in picking up more from him in the future.

Finally, I will be keeping this one my shelves. I may even choose to revisit it one day.

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Review: Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead (Finlay Donovan #2) by Elle Cosimano

~ megs14malloy

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (Finlay Donovan, #2)Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead is the second book in Elle Cosimano’s ultra-modern and uber-witty Finlay Donovan Cozy Mystery series.

I fell in love with Finlay and her best friend/nanny, Vero, when I read Finlay Donovan Is Killing It last year.

The humor was spot on for me and the storyline entertaining from beginning-to-end. Going into this installment, I didn’t even read the synopsis.

Frankly, I didn’t care what they were up to, I just wanted to be back with these characters.

Unsurprisingly, I found this second book to be just as fun as the first. I also feel even more attached to Finlay and Vero now. We’ve been through so much together.

After the contract killer fiasco of book one, you would think that horrendous and dangerous chapter in Finlay’s life would be ancient history. Alas, it is not.

Now she fears someone may have put a hit out on her ex-husband, Steven. Granted, he’s pretty terrible, but her children are with him a lot and they love him. She needs to keep him safe.

As if that weren’t stressful enough, she also has her literary agent breathing down her neck wanting her next book, as well as two handsome, eligible-men circling her like sharks.

Finlay’s life is non-stop chaos and I’m telling you, it is so much fun to go along for the ride!

Reading through Finlay’s perspective is hilarious. She has such a dry, matter of fact way of relaying what’s on her mind. You can tell she is a Mom who is juggling a lot. She doesn’t have time to beat around the bush.

I love her relationship with Vero. Even though they were sort of thrust together, they’re committed to one another and I love that type of unconditional friendship.

I have no idea how many books are currently slated to be in this series, but you better believe I will be picking up every single one.

I am personally hoping for maybe ten or twenty…

Thank you so much to the publisher, Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I love this series with my whole heart. If you haven’t picked the first book up yet, now is the time to do so. Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead releases this Tuesday, February 2nd!!

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Review: A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox

~ megs14malloy

A Lullaby for WitchesA Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hester Fox is back and she’s bringing her signature gothic atmosphere with her, but this time with a twist!

Fox’s previous works are all set in historic New England and this book is no exception, however, this time, we have a present day perspective as well.

I was pleasantly surprised by this change of pace and loved the alternating perspectives between past and present.

Augusta Podos grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and as our story begins, she finds herself leading tours through the old jail there. While working in a museum is her dream, this isn’t exactly what she had in mind.

When she happens upon a job listing at Harlowe House in nearby Tynemouth, she jumps at the opportunity. Augusta can’t believe her luck when the position is offered to her. She is finally going to have the museum job of her dreams.

From the moment she sets foot at Harlowe House, Augusta feels a connection with the property. In particular, she is drawn to a portrait of a young woman that hangs in the dining room.

The portrait is said to be the mysterious, Margaret Harlowe, whose life has been lost to the sands of time. Nothing much is known about Margaret and many question if she actually existed at all. There’s no true record of her.

Augusta takes it upon herself to learn all she can about Margaret. She wants to honor her memory and keep it alive.

The past perspective follows Margaret Harlowe as she lives at Harlowe House with her family. Margaret was different and not really accepted in the town of Tynemouth. There were whisperings that she was a witch; a dangerous rumor.

It was true that Margaret dappled in herbalism and healing. In fact, many of the women who shunned her in the streets during the day would visit her under the cover of darkness, seeking help for their problems.

Margaret also had a secret relationship with a young man, Jack, that seemed doomed to end tragically. You can see it a mile away, but Margaret was blinded by love.

As Augusta digs deeper into Margaret’s story she begins to have disturbingly vivid hallucinations. Could Margaret be trying to communicate with her?

Augusta begins to lose control and as past and present come crashing together, it seems some history really should be left well enough alone. Along with her new friend, Leo, will Augusta be able to make it out of Harlowe House unscathed!?

I really enjoyed my time reading A Lullaby for Witches. It was fun to have both the present and the past timelines in this one. Learning about the two women, 150-years apart, but nonetheless connected.

Fox’s ability to bring historical settings to life is so strong. She seems to have a real passion for history; it is evident in the care with which she writes historical perspectives.

There were some subtle nods to Fox’s earlier works, family names and places, that were fun little Easter Eggs for me to discover along the way.

It was also fun to go along with Augusta on her investigation into the past. I appreciated how much Augusta grew over the course of the story. She starts out a little timid, but in the end I was so proud of her new found strength.

Overall, this is a fun and engaging historical mystery with a paranormal twist. I definitely recommend this to Readers who enjoy a lush Gothic atmosphere and New England-based stories.

I am such a fan of Hester Fox. I have read all of her novels and this one did not disappoint. In rankings, it may actually be my second favorite, just behind The Witch of Willow Hall.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Graydon House, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I was really looking forward to this one and had a blast with it.

A Lullaby for Witches releases this Tuesday, February 1st!!

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Review: You’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

~ megs14malloy

You'll Be the Death of MeYou’ll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

After high-strung teenager, Ivy, loses the student council election at Carlton High to the class clown, Boney Mahoney, she’s horrified. How could this happen?!

The following day, Boney is supposed to be giving a speech addressing the school, thanking them for his victory.

Ughhhh, Ivy can’t face that.

Luckily, that morning she runs into her two estranged best friends, Cal and Mateo, in the parking lot before class and the three decide to skip school together and head into Boston for the day.

In a way, they are hoping to recreate the ‘best day ever’, a day they skipped school together and went into the city that happened to coincide with a celebration parade after the Red Sox had won the World Series.

But in truth, they’re all just hoping for an escape. A way to avoid facing all the things that are bringing them down.

When they get into the city though, Ivy spies Boney! What is he doing skipping out on his speech?

She sees red and decides to follow him, with the hopes of an epic confrontation. However, what she gets instead is the honor of stumbling upon a crime scene with a newly murdered body.

From that point forward, their potential best day ever turns into the craziest day ever as the trio attempt to avoid the cops, the media, the killer and suspicion. Oh yeah, they’re also hoping to solve the crime.

Taking place over the course of a single-day, this is a fun story, but I gotta say, probably my least favorite out of all of McManus’ prior works.

I can’t really put my finger on what it was about this one that didn’t vibe with me. Perhaps I just built it up so much in my head, anticipating it for so long, that it was destined to disappoint.

If I had to point to any one thing, I think the mystery just wasn’t compelling for me. I didn’t feel invested in it at all.

I did enjoy Ivy, Mateo and Cal; learning about their friendship, what drove them apart and their current woes. I found them to be interesting, just not the crime itself.

Regardless, the ending did have McManus’ signature final twist, which I always appreciate and because of that, I was leaning toward rounding this up to 4-stars, but have decided that just wasn’t enough.

With all of this being said, this is still a fun book. I think it will work for a ton of Readers and would be a great introduction to the YA Mystery genre. If you’ve read all of McManus’ other books, however, this one could seem lackluster in comparison.

Overall, McManus is an autobuy author for me and I will continue to pick up everything she writes.

Even though this isn’t my favorite of hers, I will still proudly display it on my shelves!!!

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Review: All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman

~ megs14malloy

All of Us Villains (All of Us Villains #1)All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Once every generation, in the city of Ilvernath, seven families must choose a champion who will represent them in a tournament where the contestants fight to the death.

The prize is an inexhaustible supply of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world. The family whose champion wins, gains control over that magick for their family until the next tournament.

Obviously, this is extremely important and puts a whole load of pressure on the contestants.

With this tournament in particular, thanks to a recently released tell-all book, the contestants are thrust into the spotlight like never before.

Will the contestants be able to use this difference to their advantage, or will it distract them to the point of death? Can anything ever change the cycle of the Tournament? Does their world have to be this way?

All of Us Villains is basically The Hunger Games if it were fought exclusively by members of Slytherin House.

Well, Slytherin and maybe one Gryffindor.

If you read this statement and you’re thinking, why would I want to read that? I’ve read those stories. I want something new. I will just stress, this is something new!

Even though it channels those vibes. Particularly, the vibe of Knockturn Alley at night in the midst of a thunderstorm, this is its own thing.

I loved how the authors formatted this, with the Reader finding out who the champion of each house would be along with the rest of the citizens of Ilvernath.

Following some of the contestants perspectives, we get to know each one of them and the challenges they face in pursuit of their goals. There’s plotting, scheming, strategizing and like a good season of Survivor, a lot of alliances.

The writing in this story is just beautiful. It’s exceptionally detailed, lush and dramatic.

I could definitely feel both Foody and Herman within these pages; the darkness, monsters, violence, despair, but also highly developed and likable characters, even in all their antihero-ness.

Honestly, these two authors working together is everything I have ever wanted. I feel like they have created something truly memorable here.

You may be wondering after all of my gushing, why I only gave this 4-stars, as opposed to 5. For me, I don’t think I ever truly understood the magic system.

I am not sure if it is because I was so distracted by the characters themselves, that perhaps I missed out on some details, but I feel like there was something missing.

With this being said, I still really enjoyed this story and would love to read it again actually. Most likely, before the next book is released, I will do so.

Basically, this book is the love child of Draco Malfoy and Katniss Everdeen. It’s amazing and feels like a dark fantasy reader’s dreams come true. Yep, that’s right.

Thank you so much to the publishers, Tor Teen and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint. I cannot wait for more collaborative efforts from these authors!!!

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Review: Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #2) by Mia P. Manansala

~ megs14malloy

Homicide and Halo-Halo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #2)Homicide and Halo-Halo by Mia P. Manansala
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Homicide and Halo-Halo is the second installment of Mia P. Manansala’s new Cozy Mystery series, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries.

I really enjoyed the first book, Arsenic and Adobo, so was quite excited to join back up with our feisty protagonist, Lila Macapagal, to solve another case!

Picking up a few months after the conclusion of the first book, Lila is still recovering from the horrifying events that occurred at her aunt’s Filipino restaurant, Tita Rosie’s Kitchen.

She is continuing to work with her best friend to get their new cafe up and running, but Lila is feeling a little blocked with regards to creating new recipes. She hasn’t really been talking about it to anyone, but it’s starting to weigh on her.

She needs to get out of her own head for a while, so when the town officials decide to resurrect the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, it seems like just the distraction she needs.

Lila, who actually won the pageant years ago, is asked to participate this time around as a judge.

Lila has some mixed feelings on the pageant, but she knows it means so much to the girls that participate, so she agrees to help out.

As the pageant kicks into high gear, Lila is forced to work closely with the other judges, pageant contestants and their often overly-involved mothers.

When the head judge ends up dead, Lila’s frenemy-slash-cousin, Bernadette, is considered the number one suspect. As much as Bernadette irritates Lila, she knows Bernie is no killer.

Therefore, Lila must dig deep into another mystery in order to clear her cousin’s name before it’s too late.

I had a ton of fun reading this. I was so happy to be back with these characters; Lila and her large, boisterous family, are a blast to read about.

I liked getting to know Lila more in this one. Her backstory is filled in a bit in regards to her complicated relationship with her mother and I felt like that really added depth to her character. I began to understand more about her insecurities, which helped me to relate to her.

There are still two very eligible bachelors flitting about Lila’s periphery, but I like how that is not a main focus of the book.

Lila has expressed that she isn’t ready to start anything with anyone yet and I like how she is sticking to her guns a bit on that. Instalove haters have no fear, you won’t find that here.

Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced, deliciously cute Cozy Mystery that you can really sink your teeth into. I loved the pageant activities and setting; the contestant and judge drama never let up.

If you are looking for a new Cozy series to start, or maybe you are just looking to get into Cozy Mysteries as a genre, you cannot go wrong with the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries. Pure fun on the page!

Thank you so much to the publisher, Berkley Books, for providing me with a copy of this to read and review.

This is one of my most anticipated sequels of 2022 and I was beyond thrilled by the fact that I got to read it early. I hope this series runs for a long, long, long time!!

💛💚🤍💛💚🤍💛💚🤍💛💚🤍💛

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