Blog Tour Review & A Giveaway: Holidays and Homicides - A Short Story Collection by Rosalie Spielman, Catherine Bruns, Gin Jones, Annie McEwen, Lena Gregory, Jennifer Fischetto, Anne Marie Stoddard, Kelly Rey, Misty Simon, Christine Knapp, Jamie L. Adams, Erica Wynters

Helo, and welcome! Pull up a drink and a seat and join me for a new cozy mystery Christmas anthology. I will be reviewing 3 stories but the book has 12 short stories for you to choose from. Being short stories, you can jump around and read whenever you have time and pick one that appeals to you. I'm reviewing Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread: A Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries Short Story by Lena Gregory, whom I've read and reviewed before; It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief: A Northwoods Mysteries prequel short story by Annie McEwen; and Nothing But Truffle: A Cookies & Chance Mysteries Short Story by Catherine Bruns.

EXCERPT with a Giveaway: Death by Mistake by Abigail Keam

Welcome to my stop on the tour for Death By Mistake: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery by Abigail Keams.  There's an excerpt for your reading pleasure, and a giveaway at the end. Let me know what you think of the excerpt, and thanks for visiting!

Funnily enough, as I was writing up this post I discovered I own the first book, but haven't read it yet, and have book four on my Goodreads wish list. 😁 

EXCERPT: The Perfect Housemate by Lorna Dounaeva

Review: The Sunshine Club by Dee MacDonald

Publisher: Bookouture
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: September 25th, 2023
Buying Links: Amazon USA* 
* affiliate link; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through this link.

Blurb from goodreads:

You’re never too old for an adventure…

Eve , Nessa and Molly are all in their seventies. Over the years, they’ve laughed and cried and they’ve been by each others’ sides as colleagues, flatmates and mothers. And they’ve grown old disgracefully together in their golden years…

But all good things must come to an end. As one of their trio takes her final journey, a very large glass is raised to fun, frolics and – most importantly – friendships.

Throwing their walking sticks into the wind, the glamorous grannies take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the highlights of their shared decades – their lovely old London flat, that fateful trip to Italy and the many holidays they had together, brimming with sun, sand and sangria!

And as an old secret unravels, they learn that love, forgiveness and second chances are possible whatever age you are. And that laughter really is the best medicine…

A laugh-out-loud, inspiring and joyously uplifting novel about love, friendship and making the most of second chances! The perfect feel-good novel for fans of Cathy Hopkins, Dawn French and Judy Leigh.

EXCERPT & GIVEAWAY: Reading, Writing, and Murder by Brenda Whiteside & Joyce Proell

Welcome to my stop on the tour for the new Chocolate Martini (how could I resist a chocolate martini, lol?) Sisters Mystery, "Reading, Writing, and Murder" by Brenda Whiteside and Joyce Proell. There's also a giveaway, so get comfy, enjoy the excerpt, and enter the giveaway! 

Review and Giveaway: When Rubin Plays by Gracey Zhang

Publisher: Orchard Books
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: July 18th, 2023
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | Google Books | Kobo | Scholastic
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

From the PW Flying Starts creative force, Gracey Zhang, comes a touching and beautiful story about community, finding your own voice, doing what you love the most, and expressing your passion with FORTE!

Rubin loves the beautiful sounds that are played by the orchestra. He wants to learn to play the violin and make his own music. But when Rubin plays, it doesn't sound like he imagines it should. Rubin goes into the forest to practice alone and despite only getting the violin to screech, he finds an unlikely audience that loves his unique style.

In another inspiring and lyrical picture book that deftly dives into the psyche and heart of a child's viewpoint and experience, the creator of Lala's Words , Gracey Zhang, offers confidence to everyone who longs to master something that can be difficult and shows that there is only one way to do something that is to do it your own special way. This is the next book from one of today's most gifted young creators. Zhang is a Publishers Weekly 's Spring 2021 Children's Flying Starts creator and her debut, Lala's Words , was the 2022 EJK Award Winner.

"Little Lala helps the weeds in the vacant lot blossom into full, gorgeous plants just by talking to them and showing them a little love. This picture book is breathtaking, and Zhang’s use of color really helps the story come alive. It’s like a modern inverse of The Giving Tree .” -- Paul Swydan, The Silver Unicorn Bookstore

Spotlight on One Kind Hand by Christine DePetrillo

ONE KIND HAND by Christine DePetrillo is out now! Check out the celebrity small town romance and be sure to get your copy today!

Excerpt & Giveaway: Return to Hummingbird Way by Reese Ryan

Publication date: April 25th, 2023

Purchase links: Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play *affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb:

In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other?

Ambitious real estate agent Sinclair Buchanan is ecstatic to be her best friend’s maid-of-honor—until she discovers the best man is Garrett Davenport. Sin and Rett’s mutual hate crush ignited when they were teens and hasn’t let up since . . . except for that one extremely hot (and extremely regrettable) night they shared five years ago.

Nothing gets Rett fired up like going toe-to-toe with Sinclair. She’s as infuriatingly stubborn, and as absolutely gorgeous, as when he fell for her back in high school. Working together to plan their best friends’ last-minute wedding is one thing, but when his matchmaking grandmother gets involved Rett knows he’s in deep. Attraction has always simmered between them, but this time, they’re both in danger of losing their hearts.