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Murder on Oak Street ( A South Shore Mystery Book 1) by I.M. Foster – Review by Vanessa Watts

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Murder on oak streetMurder on oak street by I. M. Foster
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is by an author I hadn’t heard of but the storyline sounded interesting so I decided to give it a go. This is a historical murder mystery novel which only adds to the intrigue and takes you back to a time and place where things were done differently.

Daniel is fed up with his current role in the city, I mean what’s the point of submitting your findings as coroner if they will just be brushed under the rug in favor of a quicker outcome. So 2 years down the road with many unsatisfactory cases, when Daniel is left at the altar he finally decides that he needs to shake things up a bit. So he takes up a new coroner job on Long Island and it doesn’t take long for the very first case he worked to come back for a visit when the local librarian brings it up. Daniel is eager to once and for all solve the case that has puzzled him for years. Will he be able to solve the case and catch the killer? Or will he bring more death to Long Island by poking a sleeping giant?

This book was very intriguing and I did enjoy reading it. At times it was a bit slow for my taste but that is to be expected in a historical plot line. Back then they took their time with everything. The characters were well thought out, the story itself was interesting, and the historical aspects were on point. If you like historical fiction mixed with some murder mystery whodunnit then you should definitely give this book a try. You may find this one is right up your alley!

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Malayeka (Heartstrings Book 3) by Brooke May – Review by Vanessa Watts

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Malayeka (Heartstrings Book 3)Malayeka by Brooke May
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute quirky rom com book that is very easy to read in one sitting. This series is about the cupid’s of the world and bringing love to those entrusted to them. Seems easy enough yet when Mala makes one mistake it impacts the fate of two clans for several generations.

With her positive outlook on life and willingness to make things right Mala seeks out to right her wrong from many years ago. Though now it involves shotgun wielding grandpas and a town literally torn into two(kind of reminiscent of the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s). Can Mala help Billie and Leo find their own path and finally extinguish this age old war? Or are they destined to follow in their families footsteps and be torn apart just another casualty of this drama?

This really was an easy book to read, and super fast at that. If you like romantic comedies with a paranormal twist and a few wrong turns along the way then you should definitely give this book a shot. You never know when the book you take a chance on could change your day!

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Defiant Princess (Mafia Elite Series Prequel) by Amy McKinley – Review by Vanessa Watts

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Defiant Princess (Mafia Elite Prequel)Defiant Princess by Amy McKinley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If, like me, you’ve read the other books in this series, definitely give this one a go. The other books in the series are great but this one just sets them up to be so much better.

This series introduces you to the daughters of the five families. The ones destined to not live out their own destiny but instead to be a pawn to elevate their own family in terms of money or power. This book also addresses the tragic event we hear about in the books but is never fully explained, the death of Marissa. It is so nice to see where their strength comes from and the love they have for one another as they try to figure out their own lives and not just as pawns.

This one will take anyone back to their college days and the friendships we make that pull us through. This prequel, though short, definitely sets up the mafia elite series. Though it is a standalone book, reading this before all the other books in the series would have made way more sense and the progression of the strong female characters and why they are the way they are makes so much more sense. Definitely give this one a read even if you’ve read the other books because it does close a lot of loose ends and answers some of those questions about why things happen. If you haven’t read the mafia elite series but found yourself here, then definitely read this book and then the elite series you won’t regret it.

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A Crossbow Christmas by Ann Swann – Review by Vanessa Watts

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A Crossbow ChristmasA Crossbow Christmas by Ann Swann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was a real tear jerker for me as I put myself in her shoes and relate to so many things Carina is feeling in this novel. Sometimes losses are not that big but impact you in a way that you could not even fathom.

Carina in her post covid world, after suffering several tragedies through the year with losing people close to her, is trying to build her world back up after being knocked around. With Christmas coming up, it seems her husband and kids have other ideas about the holidays leaving her feeling more alone than ever. Enter Max, from her support group, who offers her his cabin in the mountains to rest, relax, and get away. The cabin itself has enough room for her whole family but they seem as if they have moved on with their own lives and she is being left in the dust. Can Carina take this extravagant opportunity for herself?

This book had me all in my feelings as I am dealing with my own personal stuff to the point that the Christmas spirit is super hard to come by in my household. This feels like a rebuilding yourself book especially when several of us are looking to do just that. It reminds us that it is okay to take time for yourself, as you cannot be everything to everyone else all the time. If you like feel good novels where you might come out with a different look on life than I definitely recommend reading this book.

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Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery Book 1) by Casey Cardel – Review by Vanessa Watts

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Better Gnomes & Gardens (Mysty Haven Mystery)Better Gnomes & Gardens by Casey Cardel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love all things paranormal so when I came across this book I knew I had to read it. My fascination with gnomes is kind of a problem so a book with gnomes in it; I was sold. This is a cute mystery with small town vibes yet bigger than normal personalities and adventures.

We meet Bob who was fired from his first job and moves to Mysty Haven to begin again, after getting his masters in journalism. Bob lands a job with the local paper and is sent off to write a story for the front page. However, his lead won’t talk to him about what he really knows, but instead talks about bigfoot and provides a footprint to prove he exists. Bob makes this his story and later is fired the very next Monday. Down and out in this small town he meets a local man in a bar looking for his lost gnome. He takes the job to find the gnome, as our cast of characters grows. Bob during his investigation learns a lot of new things going on that he doesn’t already know. He gets more than he bargained for during his investigation. Will he be able to solve the crime on the Toddler playground.

This book was definitely cute although it did take a couple of chapters to fully uncover the diverse cast of characters and role they played in the book. This storyline is great, the cast of characters is wonderful, and the settings are beautifully described. For a quick read I would pick this one up and give it a go!

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