February 6th 2024 is a big publishing day, apparently, so today I have a group of reviews for you that all come out that day.
The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton
The Duke’s All That by Christina Britton is book three in her Synneful Spinsters series, but could easily be read as a standalone novel.
Christina Britton is one of my favourite historical romance authors, so I jumped at the opportunity to review another of her books when it popped up on NetGalley, and The Duke’s All That did not disappoint.
Seraphina Athwart has been in hiding with her sisters for the past thirteen years, and is believed to be dead. When her husband Iain MacInnes, Duke of Balgair, finds out that she is alive he is furious, believing she deserted him, and is determined to divorce her.
This second chance love story was heartbreaking at times, but also filled with the warmth of friendship and loyalty. I loved seeing Seraphina and Iain find their happy ending.
I also loved Seraphina’s pet parrot, Phineas. Hereally stole the show, as many animal characters tend to do.
I missed book one in this series so I need to go back and read it, and I’ll be watching for any new books by Ms. Britton.
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller
The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder is C.L. Miller’s debut novel, a cozy mystery set around an antique dealer.
Told in first person, from Freya’s point of view, we follow her from London to Little Meddlington, to investigate the death of her former mentor, antiques dealer, Arthur Crockleford.
The police have deemed Arthur’s death an accident, but Freya’s aunt insists he was murdered and wants Freya’s assistance to prove it.
With many cozy mysteries being entered around food or book establishments, the backdrop for this book was refreshing. I didn’t care much for any of the characters, and the ending was a bit disappointing, but overall I enjoyed this mystery.
All in all though, it was a decent read, and a good debut.
A Killer Romance by Maggie Blackburn
A Killer Romance is book three in the Beach Read Mystery series by Maggie Blackburn.
It’s Valentine’s Day in St. Brigid, and Summer Merriweather is running the romance bookshop, Beach Reads, that she inherited from her mother. For the annual book event, Romance by the Sea, Summer has invited an author who has visited in the past, not knowing that the woman has been accused of killing her husband. Then the woman is killed and Summer’s friend is accused of the murder, so Summer feels compelled to clear her friend’s name.
Before the event even starts, Summer is sidelined with a sprained ankle and is sharing a room with an African gray parrot named Mr. Darcy. Throw in a mysterious out of town detective, and a cast of loveable characters from town and you have the start of an enjoyable cozy mystery.
Not only is there a murder to solve, but there’s a little romance going on between Summer and her ex fiancé, Cash.
With red herrings, deception, and break-ins, drug rings, and people who aren’t what they seem, there is a lot going on in this little mystery, and it keeps the story moving along nicely.
I enjoyed A Killer Romance and would not hesitate to check out more books by this author.
Life, Tea, and Everything 