Happy Friday & welcome to First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My SuperPowerIt’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today, I’m featuring the first line of A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder (A Paws & Claws Mystery Book 8)
And The First Line is………….
“Mom?” I was busy helping our desk clerk Zelda York handle a steady stream of arrivals at the Sugar Maple Inn when I looked up and saw my mother, Nell.
About the Book
The great Gingerbread Dog & Cat House competition has come to Wagtail, along with another murder to solve for Holly and her supersmart Jack Russell terrier Trixie in the New York Times bestselling Paws & Claws series by Krista Davis!
Visitors are arriving in droves to spend Thanksgiving in the mountains of pet-friendly Wagtail, Virginia. Many of them are bringing dog and cat gingerbread houses to enter in the contest that will be held in the new convention center. Wagtail resident Orly Biffle bequeathed the land to the town in his will, provided that they not cut down the grand old oak tree on the property. Orly’s children are mighty miffed that they didn’t inherit the prime piece of property overlooking the lake.
Holly notices that Trixie and Twinkletoes, her calico kitty, are fixated on the big oak tree. Trixie barks at it as though she thinks it’s a corpse! Just as contestants are spicing up their sweet gingerbread creations, the majestic tree drops an enormous limb. The mayor declares that the tree is dangerous and must come down. When a bulldozer churns up some roots, the tree falls over on its own accord revealing a body inside the trunk! Initially, everyone suspects this unsavory trick was Orly’s doing. But it soon becomes clear that someone is trying to keep the truth under wraps. Trixie and Twinkletoes now have to help Holly sniff out some suspects and leash a conniving killer.
A totally addictive, heart-melting novel about the magic of friendship, family and making every day count, even when life takes an unexpected twist. Fans of RaeAnne Thayne, Elin Hilderbrand and Susan Mallery will love this page-turning story.
Amber Lee Taylor has lived in the close-knit town of Brambleberry Creek, Kentucky her whole life. And she thought she had everything figured out. But when Amber discovers her long-term fiancée, Grant, has been cheating, her perfect future shatters into tiny pieces…
Heartbroken, Amber retreats to her family’s crumbling farmhouse in the stunning countryside outside her little town. It’s her favourite place in the world. She loves the old oak beams and the smell of the fire crackling in the grate. But her family say the farm isn’t making enough money and they need to do something to save it…
Determined to forget Grant and save her family home, Amber throws herself into launching a new wine business with her cousins, and stumbles across one of her grandfather’s old notebooks.
Just as she realizes the size of her project, she discovers a family mystery weaving through her grandfather’s writing, and everything suddenly seems more complicated. But then, she hasn’t thought about Grant in days, and when she bumps into handsome, charming Callum on Main Street, Amber starts to wonder if breaking up with Grant could be the best thing that’s happened to her in years.
It feels good to spend time with a guy with such a kind and genuine heart, and as he helps her untangle the notebook’s secrets, she wonders if the key to the mystery might just be the key to saving her beloved farmhouse too.
But will Amber find the strength to make the most of her second chance? Or will crossing paths with Grant change everything again?
My Thoughts
This is the second book in the Brambleberry Creek trio. It was a total joy to be back amongst the friends I’ve met in Brambleberry Creek, Kentucky while reading, Home to Brambelberry Creek, the first book in this series. The book is such a pure delight, so grab your hot coffee or sweet tea because once you start reading you won’t want to stop until you’re done. Now Brambleberry has it’s ups and downs but these same folks will have your back any time you have a problem. This book has taken me on an emotional roller coaster. It has it’s share of drama and secrets,plenty of secrets and a big cliff hanger but it’s love,romance,understanding,caring,friendships,and down home cooking. The perfect get away read you need in your life right now. I absolutely will be reading the last book in the series as soon as I can.
Pub date August 25, 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Author Bio
Elizabeth Bromke is a USA Today bestseller who loves to write heartwarming women’s fiction and romance. She especially enjoys creating vivid characters and enchanting small towns.
Coming from over a decade teaching high school English, Elizabeth knows the impact of great writing and storytelling. Indeed, writing is a dream come true for her. She lives in Arizona with her husband, son, and two golden retrievers. When Elizabeth isn’t writing her next bestseller, she can be found reading, working on a puzzle, or relaxing to a movie with her family. Elizabeth also loves to chat with her readers on social media and through email. Be sure to stay in touch!
This week’s topic is about completed series that I wish had more books. Go to That Artsy Reader Girl to link up and find more posts. There are many series I wish had continued, after all when a series is great you just want it to keep going. List your TTT in the comments and I’ll visit.
Can she set aside the pain from the past to embrace a new love?
Isabelle Wardrop’s well-to-do life has completely unraveled. Within months, she’s lost both her parents, her fortune, and her home. With nowhere else to turn, she and her younger sister move in with a trusted former servant in an impoverished area of the city. Desperate for work but having no qualifications, Isabelle is forced to accept help from Dr. Mark Henshaw, the very man she blames for her mother’s death.
Mark Henshaw has admired Isabelle for several months, but after the tragic death of her mother, he vows to make amends for the past and help her find her way. But when Mark learns his younger brother has formed an undesirable friendship with Isabelle’s sister–one that brings a whole new set of problems into their lives–he doesn’t know if Isabelle will ever forgive him.
When startling developments begin to take place, both within Isabelle’s heart and their siblings’ relationship, her future looks very different than anything she could have imagined.
“Mason delivers a soothing WWII romance . . . and paints a rich picture of the social challenges of the era.”–Publishers Weekly on To Find Her Place
I have really enjoyed the Redemption’s Light series. This is the third and final book and my personal favorite of the series. As with all the books in the series it takes place in Canada and features the hardships of unwed pregnant mothers in the 1940’s. Yes, there are hardships and flawed characters but I enjoyed seeing the transparency of the characters because we are all flawed and it makes the characters more relatable and realistic. With his guidance we are all redeemed and forgiven. The personal growth was phenomenal to see for our young expectant mother and the maturity and responsibility the youngest brother shows is very admirable. The story is very inspirational and I enjoyed it a lot.
Pub Date: 05 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Susan lives in a suburb near Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where she works part-time as a church secretary. She is a wife and the mother of two amazing kids, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and Romance Writers of America (RWA). In addition to writing, she likes to scrapbook and to research her family history on-line. You can connect with her on Facebook or on her website http://www.susanannemason.net.
Happy Friday & welcome to the First Line Friday hosted by Reading Is My Superpower. It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line. Today, I’m featuring the first line of Once Upon A Farmhouseby the fabulous Angie Dicken!
And the first line is…..
Molly Jansen inched her face toward the steering wheel and tilted her head in the direction of the radio.
About The Book
The prodigal granddaughter has returned
And the love from her past is waiting
Helping her grandmother sell the farm and escaping back to Chicago are all Molly Jansen wants out of this trip—not to reunite with her ex. Single father Jack Behrens will always be the man who broke her heart even if he is the current tenant farmer. But turning Jack and his son out—and not catching feelings for them—might prove more difficult than she realized…
From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.
Angie Dicken credits her love of story to reading British literature during life as a military kid in England. Now living in the U.S. heartland, she’s a member of ACFW, sharing about author life with her fellow Alley Cats on The Writer’s Alley blog and Facebook page. Besides writing, she is a busy mom of four and works in Adult Ministry. Angie enjoys eclectic new restaurants, authentic conversation with friends, and date nights with her Texas Aggie husband. Connect with her online at http://www.angiedicken.com
Let me know the first line of the book closest to you.
There are so many wonderful books over ten years old that the world has seemingly forgotten about. Here are a few of mine. To see more lists please visit That Artsy Reader Girl
While bringing joy to others, can these two Christmas helpers also find some for themselves?
Seren’s great aunt Nelly hates being in a care home, especially around Christmas when Seren learns that Nelly and the other residents can’t enjoy the simple pleasure of browsing for gifts in the shops. So what if Seren brings the shops to them?
Converting an ice cream van into a gift shop, Seren travels around Tinstone to help out the less mobile. On her journeys, she keeps bumping into a reluctant – and handsome – Father Christmas, who has been roped into helping out this festive season.
But running her own business comes with risks and surprises that Seren’s not sure she’s able to tackle. Has she bitten off more than she can chew, or will her travelling Christmas shop provide some much-needed festive cheer for the residents of Tinstone?
A delightfully heartwarming and funny festive romance for fans of Rebecca Raisin and Sue Moorcroft.
It’s so much fun getting into Christmas books for this year already. Christmas books are fun and uplifting, well if they are by Lilac Mills they are. Seren’s great Aunt Nelly hates being in a care home, especially because of her limited mobility. The one time Seren and her father took aunt Nelly out shopping with her wheelchair it made for a very long and tiring day for all. While Seren is pondering Nelly’s suggestion of she wants the shopping to come to her there’s the brilliant idea of converting an ice cream truck to a portable Christmas shopping van. It’s not all smooth sailing but when it’s done lots of people are so impressed with the Cosy Travelling Christmas Shop. Throw in the warm,fuzzy holiday season,a little snow and gift wrapped gifts and a fun and unexpected holiday romance. It wouldn’t be the holidays without the latest Christmas read by Lilac Mills which I recommend to you!
Pub Date 01 Sep 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Lilac Mills lives on a Welsh mountain with her very patient husband and incredibly sweet dog, where she grows veggies (if the slugs don’t get them), bakes (badly) and loves making things out of glitter and glue (a mess, usually). She’s been an avid reader ever since she got her hands on a copy of Noddy Goes to Toytown when she was five, and she once tried to read everything in her local library starting with A and working her way through the alphabet.
She loves long, hot summer days and cold winter ones snuggled in front of the fire, but whatever the weather she’s usually writing or thinking about writing, with heartwarming romance and happy-ever-afters always on her mind..
The quaint New England town of Mistletoe is thrilled to welcome back one of their own, Dante West. Now a famous Hollywood action star, Dante is filming a movie in town to help the local economy, as well as make amends with the people he hurt when he abruptly left Mistletoe all those years ago.
Librarian Lucy Marshall isn’t thrilled to see Dante. He was once her best friend and first love until he left her behind without a word of goodbye. When Dante makes her an offer she can’t refuse — use of the library as a filming venue in exchange for a lucrative donation, Lucy finds herself spending a lot of time in Dante’s company. With the magic of Christmas in the air, Dante and Lucy begin to forge a new bond. But can two people leading such different lives find lasting love the second time around?
This is my first read by this author and I can tell you right now it’s definitely not going to be my last! This book will make you feel all warm and fuzzy like it’s a relaxing Sunday and you’ve just eaten a big stack of warm fluffy pancakes and you’re so satisfied. Mistletoe,Maine has been chosen as the filming spot for Dante West’s latest movie. Dante grew up in Mistletoe but left for Hollywood and became a celebrity heartthrob . When he was just a local guy he was best friends with and dating quiet unassuming librarian Lucy Marshall. He left it all behind,even her without a goodbye. The town’s folks welcome him back with open arms as for Lucy, she’s scared to risk her feeling on him again but those feeling just seem to bubble up to the surface again no matter how much her sister warns her to be careful this time around. The magic of Christmas may just play a part in getting these two back together again. I loved the winter descriptions of the book and the fun atmosphere of it. Everyone needs to visit a town like Mistletoe,Maine at least once. I can’t wait to read more books in this series.
Pub Date 28 Sep 2021 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Beautiful African American couple in love
About The Author
Publisher’s Weekly Best Selling Author Belle Calhoune was born and raised in Massachusetts, one of five children. Growing up across the street from a public library fed her hunger for books, particularly romance novels and mysteries. A member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Honor Roll, Belle has written over 40 books. Her novel, An Alaskan Christmas, has been made into a television movie by Brain Power Studios, to be featured on UPtv in October of 2019.
Thank you for visiting today. Have a wonderful day!
Entrepreneur Emma Westlake has found that starting a business can be murder in this new Friend for Hire Mystery by USA Today bestselling author Laura Bradford.
Emma Westlake, proprietor of A Friend for Hire, finds a heart-wrenching email from a prospective client in her inbox. The email is from Kim Felder, a woman struggling with empty-nest syndrome and an out of left field divorce. Emma is determined to help get this woman in a better headspace. She suggests that Kim draft a bucket list of things she has always wanted to do in life but has not because of the time she has devoted to being the best mom and wife she could be.
Together, they fill that list (baking classes, traveling, dancing in the middle of the street for no reason) with Kim adding in some hilarious items about getting even with her ex. All laughter ends though, when Kim’s ex winds up dead via one of the “funny” ideas Kim proposed. Now, Kim is the lone suspect in the murder with Emma the only person who can prove otherwise.
This is the second book in the, A Friend for Hire series by Laura Bradford. I’ve read and enjoyed the first book in this series and now this one just as much. In this series we see a woman, Emma Westlake, at the suggestion of her elderly friend Dottie starting a friend for hire service. The service is just like what it sounds like, a woman who you can hire to be your friend to go places with you, such as the gym,doctor’s appointments, to have coffee with you or just talk if needed. Now we do see some characters from the first book in this one as well which is always neat when we see characters crossing over to another book in the series. In this book Emma is hired by a lonely woman, an empty nester who feels like her children don’t need her any more and whose husband has flown the coop for a younger woman. She jokes around to Emma she is so mad that she wants to kill her husband. When said husband turns up dead she is the automatic suspect. Emma has gotten to know her and doesn’t believe the woman has committed the crime. Help Emma solve the case to try to get her new friend off the main suspect list. I am really enjoying this series and look forward to more by this author.
Pub Date 05 Jul 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Friends enjoying coffee together
About The Author
While spending a rainy afternoon at a friend’s house more than forty years ago, Laura Bradford (a.k.a. Elizabeth Lynn Casey) fell in love with writing over a stack of blank paper, a box of crayons, and a freshly sharpened number two pencil. From that moment forward, she never wanted to do anything else.
Today, Laura is the USA Today Bestselling Author of more than 35 books and stories. Her latest work includes A Plus One for Murder, the debut book in her new A Friend for Hire Mysteries, and the women’s fiction novel, Her New Story.
Laura also pens several other mystery series including; An Amish Mystery series, the Emergency Dessert Squad Mysteries, the Tobi Tobias Mysteries, and the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries (written as Elizabeth Lynn Casey). She is a former Agatha Award nominee, and the recipient of an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award in romance. Laura enjoys baking, spending time with her family, and being an advocate for those living with multiple sclerosis. Learn more at: https://www.laurabradford.com
Thank you for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!
A possible serial killer on the loose sends tea maven Theodosia Browning into a whirlwind of investigation in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.
It was a dark and stormy night, but that was the least of Theodosia Browning’s troubles. As she approaches St. Philips Graveyard, Theodosia sees two figures locked in a strange embrace. Wiping rain from her eyes, Theodosia realizes she has just witnessed a brutal murder and sees a dark-hooded figure slip away into the fog.
In the throes of alerting police, Theodosia recognizes the victim–it is the daughter of her friend, Lois, who owns the Antiquarian Bookshop next door to her own Indigo Tea Shop.
Even though this appears to be the work of a serial killer who is stalking the back alleys of Charleston, Lois begs Theodosia for help. Against the advice of her boyfriend, Detective Pete Riley, and the sage words of Drayton, her tea sommelier, amateur-sleuth Theodosia launches her own shadow investigation. And quickly discovers that suspects abound with the dead girl’s boyfriend, nefarious real estate developer, private-security man, bumbling reporter, and her own neighbor who is writing a true-crime book and searching for a big ending.
I would say A Dark and Stormy Tea is my favorite of the books I’ve read in A Teashop Mystery series. Once again we have tea maven Theodosia Browning butting her nose in, err helping to investigate a murder committed by a possible serial killer. On a dark and stormy night on her way home from working at her delightful teashop ,Theodosia Browning cuts through a cemetery and witnesses a brutal murder. Because of the cloaked figure she can not identify who it was but the victim is her friend’s daughter who owns a bookshop next to her teashop, the Indigo Teashop. Her boyfriend is a police detective so we get an inside scoop on how the investigation is going which makes it interesting, I enjoyed the descriptions of the the types of tea in the shop,the china and the fancy parties taking place there. Earl Grey is a great name for her dog. There are other similar types of murders taking place at different places and times so this just may be the work of a serial killer. Theodosia Browning’s gotten herself into a bit of hot water with her investigating, see how a teakettle and a bit of tea helps her out. Recommended to fans of foodie cozy mysteries also teashops. Absolutely delightful food and drink recipes included in the book.
Pub Date 09 Aug 2022 I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
About The Author
Gerry Schmitt, who writes under the pen name Laura Childs is now adding two more series that are harder-edged Wednesday February 26, 2014 in Plymouth. (Pioneer Press: Jean Pieri)
Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.
Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:
The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.
The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!
The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.
Thank you for visiting today. Have a wonderful day.
Do you have a favorite tea you enjoy? Let me know in the comments. I enjoy Orange teas,also lemon,peppermint,pumpkin spice,salted caramel and Constant Comment tea, plus more but I’m not going to bore you and list even more 🙂
