Jen
Too Much to Candle was a good follow up in the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries. Hazel and Poppy are a fun detective duo and the rest of their friends and family in Crucible make revisiting the town so interesting.
The mystery was pretty well done, but I didn't see the solution at all. I felt it rather came out of left field. And while Hazel was close to solving it, it wasn't until she was face to face with a gun pointed at her that the lightbulb came on. I would have liked her actually solving the mystery with a few more real clues planted and not so many red herrings to throw her off track.
I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't enjoy the constant flashbacks to high school or Hunter's pining after the oblivious Taylor Jane. The fact that I didn't care for either main character was the final nail and I just decided to stop wasting my time and call it DNF at around 60%. I can't say it's particularly bad or anything, it just wasn't for me.
It's been a couple years since I picked up one of Bella Andre's Sullivan series books and I wonder why I've waited so long. I was able to dive right back in to this extensive family and I barely missed a beat. I will say that with the crazy big family, so many of them do make appearances (or at least mentions) and it is hard to keep track of everyone. But really, it made me want to go back and re-read their stories.
I loved the romance between Kerry and Adam. The sparks leapt off the page and it kept me glued to the book. I just had to know how they were going to move from friends with benefits to their happily ever after... and it was quite well done. Highly recommend to contemporary romance fans!
It wasn't a bad read, but it also didn't stand out as a must read. The characters were ok, the romance was a little lackluster. The best part of the book was the little mystery around Abby's ancestors and the house she's inherited. I'll probably give the series another chance since I already have book two, Treasure on Lilac Lane, with hopes the story is a little more well-rounded.
Nacho Average Murder was a decent continuation of the country store mysteries series. The change of location, with Robbie being on vacation, was nice. The mystery was interesting and the cast of characters were varied. But in the end, I felt unsatisfied with how the book ended. I felt it really needed an epilogue to tie up all the loose ends. But also, in the end while Robbie assisted with the mystery, she never really solved it, which is what's expected in a cozy mystery.
I was drawn into the book and had to know how everything was going to fall into place. I just wish it
was wrapped up with a nicer bow. But, all that said, I'll continue to read this series as I really do enjoy Robbie and her community of friends and family.
