Enchanted: The Wedding Story by Barbara Bretton

This is the 5th book in the Sugar Maple Chronicles. I would characterize these as supernatural cozy romances. In this installment, Chloe and Luke are finally getting married and dealing with being new parents to their half-magick child, Laria. Enter Luke's nosy human mother and a long-lost cousin of Chloe's and it's enough to turn Sugar Maple into total chaos. Meanwhile, someone from another dimension is intent on stopping the wedding and causing even more serious trouble for Chloe, Luke, and the entire town. I enjoy these books and am looking forward to the next one, which sounds like it will expand the universe of Sugar Maple and add more interesting characters.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley

Alan Bradley, you've done it again! I've read all of the Flavia de Luce books and always look forward to a new one. Still, I can't believe this is book 10. If you are a follower of this series you know that Flavia has gone through some pretty rough times in the last few books. Now sister Feely is finally getting married and Flavia is an orphaned pre-teen starting her own detective agency. As always, she has her trusty bicycle Gladys and her old friend (now father figure) Dogger to assist her with this latest mystery. I hope that this is not the last installment of these books as some people are saying because I think we all need a little Flavia in our lives from time to time.

[Review] The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft

Synopsis: Eighteen years ago, Simone Porter's six-month-old daughter, Helena, was abducted. Simone and husband, Matt, have slowly rebuilt their shattered lives, but the pain at losing their child has never left them. Then a young woman, Grace, appears out of the blue and tells Simone she has information about her stolen baby. But just who is Grace - and can Simone trust her? When Grace herself disappears, Simone becomes embroiled in a desperate search for her baby and the woman who has vital clues about her whereabouts.

So Netgalley kindly gifted me this as an ARC way back when and then I stupidly ran out of time to read it before it was archived. Anyway, I ended up borrowing it from the library and I'm so glad I did! It's creepy and addictive and I could not put it down. I figured out who was involved fairly early on in the book and hoped I was wrong because, gross! But nope, I was right about that character all along although that didn't take anything away from the reveal, which was fantastic. I highly recommend this dark, twisted psychological thriller!

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

I've been a fan of Lisa Jewell's since I read "The Girls in The Garden." I love her quirky style and aptitude for slow-building suspense. When I first read the premise of "Then She Was Gone," I was concerned it would be dark in a way that I wasn't sure I could handle, so I put it aside for weeks. It is dark, and weird, and sometimes sad, but I loved it! It's twisted in a way that's hard to even describe, but once the roller coaster starts it doesn't stop until you finish the book. I couldn't put it down. Now I wish my book club hadn't broken up so we could read this and talk about how messed up it is.

[Review] Carbs and Cadavers by Ellery Adams

I really loved this latest book from Ellery Adams and read it in about two days. It's a cozy mystery that's fun without being overly cutesy. The "Flab Five" supper club initially forms to improve their diets and overall health, but by the end they are all close friends who hopefully will have many more adventures together. I especially identified with James and his obligation to care for his angry widowed father while trying to restart his life after divorce. Since most of the book is told from his perspective, I hope the series continues and that we get to know more about the other club members in subsequent books. I also liked that there wasn't some miracle weight loss by the end. They are all still on their journey, but have found new tools to help them with their weight loss goals, the most important of which is support from others on the same path.

Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Review] The Case of the Deadly Doppelganger

This book was just so much fun! I enjoyed spending time with Dr. Ribiero and his crew, and of course "the Higgins" and his agency. Although I hadn't read the first book I was able to follow along fairly well. That being said, I will definitely be seeking out the first book to learn more about how Kester joined the supernatural detective gang. Highly recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and Amberjack for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Review] A Mortal Likeness

I love a good historical mystery and this was a very good one. The setting is Victorian London and the story revolves around the disappearance of the baby of a wealthy, but dysfunctional family. I liked the characters very much and fell into the story almost immediately. Hugh, Sarah and Mick prove in the end that they are a family, albeit an odd one, that works together and takes care of each other. I loved the ending too and hope we will see more about Sarah's other family in future books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Review] Magick and Mayhem

This was a random pick from the library and turned out to be a very entertaining little witchy read. As much as I liked the main character Kailyn, she was eclipsed by Merlin (the real one) who accidentally ends up being transported to modern day and develops a love for pizza and lots of other foods, too! When Merlin teams up with Kailyn's aunt Tilly to help solve the mystery of who killed a local attorney in his office, hilarity ensues. This book was just plain fun. The small-town atmosphere was nicely done and made me eager to get my hands on the next one!