Identical twins, murder and building a business make for a fun read. Did I mention romance? It's all there in a predictable cozy but satisfying in this author's hands

Mystery was predictable. I loved the identical aspect it was new and fresh

This first in a new series, was a well written, solid mystery. I love the idea of the main characters being twins. It's not something we see often.

Author June Shaw is off to a great start with the Twin Sisters Mysteries, and I'm very much looking forward to the second installment.

Don't let my short review (not my style) steer you away from reading A FATAL ROMANCE. I'm late getting this one written late (as I am with a few others). Please do give this delightful book a read!

Sunny and Eve may be identical twins and look alike, but the similarity ends at the red hair and height. Eve likes healthy food - and shrimp creole - and a man in her life. Both her ex-husbands still want her back. She may have interests elsewhere though. Summer on the other hand likes her sweets, has decided she is not destined for a relationship, and hums or sings Christmas Carols when stressed or the subject of sex comes up.

Both sisters have their lives and joint business turned upside down when a recent customer falls to his death, his wife is then murdered, and someone tries to kill Eve. Summer plays detective to find a murderer and keep her sister safe. She also needs to decide what to do about Dave.

This story has many complications and variations, most surrounding Sunny and her tendency to sing Christmas Carols. Her character is well-developed, while Eve's is a little more shallow - possibly on purpose. The plot moves at a steady pace and not all is as it seems. I hope the story continues in DEAD ON THE BAYOU (expected release August 2017). Shaw is a new author for me and I enjoyed the book.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

A Fatal Romance is the debut book in the new Twin Sisters Mystery Series by June Shaw. This is a delightful mystery with a excellent well crafted sleuth that will surprise even the most avid of mystery readers. I enjoyed the setting of Louisiana and the townspeople that are great supporting characters.. Sunny and Eve are twin sisters and both divorced. They live in a small town in Louisiana . Both sisters decide to go into business together into home renovation. The fun begins with their new business and a murder they must solve.
A winning debut of a promising mystery series. I look forward to the next in series. Thank you for the advance reading copy which did not influence my review. .

Twins often seem to have some sort of telepathy or empathy that other siblings or best friends lack. Eve and Sunny demonstrate that but something is messing with Sunny's powers. They are a little bit off. It could be the stress if trying to establish a nontraditional construction and renovation company, perhaps it is the loss of her favorite silk jacket to the police. Or is it the security guy, Dave, who is setting off alarms in her body?
Sometimes we we fail to notice what is hidden right in front of us.

While this is the first in the series, it reads as if there is back story we should know.
It has the requisite case of quirky characters. I had fun with the gossipy seniors who never leave the Home but always seem to know the latest happenings and who is doing what to or with whom.
The sisters each have their own personalities and appeal.
Of course when they stumble onto a murder, or rather it trips them up, and being twins causes confusion for a killer, they can't stop themselves fro investigating. This has all the elements you look for in a cozy crime. I look forward to seeing how the series moves forward.

A Fatal Romance has the market on quirky characters for a cozy mystery. In fact, to properly review this book, I really need to separate it into two parts: the mystery/story and the characters.

The mystery is nicely constructed and starts us off right in the middle of things with a funeral gone wrong. The action isn’t edge-of-your-seat per se but it stays steady throughout, something new always around the corner to keep interest high. One crime turns into two turns into three turns into … etc. And before you know it, you’re not sure exactly how many separate cases you’re trying to solve along with the sisters. Umm.. and the police. Of course.

The characters in A Fatal Romance are a conglomeration of sassy and sweet, of quirky and endearing. I actually liked some of the secondary characters (the nursing home ladies!!) more than the two main characters, Eve and Sunny. Both twins suffered a traumatic family death when they were children, and both clearly could have benefited from counseling, though they processed this grief and PTSD in very different ways. Eve turns to men. Sunny turns to anxiety. Both react in the extreme in either case, and neither have a nearly-40-year-old’s handle on their emotions. While I can certainly understand the source of their acting out, as characters in a novel it got a bit old especially as the mystery really began to take off.

Bottom Line: A Fatal Romance by June Shaw is full of unique characters and a well-played mystery. With a little bit of romance, a dash or two of humor, and a reminder of the bond of sisters, this novel beckons you to settle in for a cozy winter’s read. While I’m not a fan of either protagonist, I’m still curious to see how future books in the series play out.

(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.)

I love the unique premise of this novel and series. Identical twins with very different personalities should provide a multitude of plots and twists for future stories.

Eve is the more outgoing twin, while Sunny has a much more unique personality. She shies away from romance, and when she gets scared she hums and sings Christmas carols--which can be highly inappropriate and hilarious at the same time.

The supporting cast includes a group of gossipy senior citizens. They never leave the Home, but they seem to know everything about everyone in town.

The plot is well-developed and the story is well-written. The reveal was a total surprise, after many twists and turns to get us there. I look forward to reading more about these characters in the future.

**I received a copy of this book from the author with no expectation of a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.**

In A Fatal Romance, the first book in the Twin Sisters Mystery Series, author June Shaw weaves an intriguing cozy mystery tale that easily draws the reader into following twin sisters Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn, as they try to solve the murder of local resident Daria Snelling.

Twin divorcee sisters Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn own Twin Sisters Remodeling and Repairs in Sugar Ledge, Louisiana. When the sisters attend client Zane Snelling's funeral after he drowns in a pond on his property, Sunny gets into a squabble with Zane's widow Daria after she trips walking down the church aisle and Zane's ashes spill out of the urn onto the floor and on Sunny's clothes. Sunny and Eve go over to the Snelling house and find Daria dead on the kitchen floor. Sunny and Eve suddenly find themselves on the list of suspects, so they decide to investigate the murder and find the real killer in order to clear their name before their fledgling business fails, and they become the killer's next victim!

Rich in detail and vivid descriptions, the story takes place in Sugar Ledge, Louisiana. This captivating and fast-paced whodunit tale has enough quirky characters, witty humor, drama, a growing list of suspects, and intriguing twists and turns that will keep you engaged and guessing. You can't help but get caught up in the drama and mystery that ensues as Sunny and Eve try to solve the murder while trying not to be the next victim. The twin sister's story unfolds with a wonderful balance of comedy, drama, suspense, and intriguing twists and turns that easily kept me guessing, and left me wanting more.

A Fatal Romance is an entertaining cozy murder mystery that will engage you to join twins Sunny and Eve in solving an intriguing murder mystery.


RATING: 4 STARS


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2017/02/a-fatal-romance-by-june-shaw-author.html

I was intrigued by the concept of this book because I don't recall there ever being twins in a cozy series. There may be, but I've not read one!

The characters were quirky and annoying and the twin sisters were very different (as most twins usually are). Sunny has some issues and I felt like she was all over the place with her peculiarities. At first it was amusing that she sang Christmas carols when nervous (and we find out why about halfway through the book) but then it became a little annoying. Sunny is also overprotective of her twin, Eve, so much that at times I think she alienates her sister. Eve seems to be a bit self absorbed but a bit more normal and down to earth.

There isn't a huge pool of suspects but i didn't figure it out until the story line lead you down that path. Looking back, there were not a lot of clues to really point you in any one direction. The story moved slowly along but did pick up near the end.

This is my first time to read a book from this author. I really like her creativity and how the story flowed so easily. This cozy mystery was a bit more serious than I am use to and I have to say I really enjoyed it. The characters were great and I loved the twins so much. The author did a great job of describing them and I found them to be enchanting. It can be very hard to figure out who is who when you are dealing with twins. I remember in high school there were a set of identical twin boys. They loved to fool teachers and their friends.

Sunny and Eve have opened a remodeling and repair company together. They are very gifted at their work and have clients lined up. I loved the spunkiness of one of the twins. She was very outgoing and looking for love. The other twin was a bit more reserved and not as trusting as her sister. The author really showed how close they were and I loved how they could sense when something was wrong with the other.

The story surrounds the mystery of who killed their client . What I really liked was the nosy neighbors, and the detective who wanted them to stay out of the investigation. Neighbors love to think they are helping when giving information but sometimes they can really be well too chatty. The police are suspicious of Sunny and Eve. What makes everyone suspicious of the twins? Why do they start losing business? They soon realize they are in danger when one of them is injured by an unknown person.

I loved the banter between Dave who comes to install an alarm system in one of the twins houses. He seemed to be an honest person but when the alarm doesn't work he became my number one suspect. I loved how the author gave us several suspects and I had a hard time figuring out who the killer was. Before the suspect is caught another murder occurs. Who is the unfortunate person who becomes victim number two?

The twins will have to watch each other's backs as they try to stay one step ahead of the killer. Why does someone want one or both of the twins dead? It is a great mystery with twists that draw the reader into the story with action and intrigue. There was a part in the story that piqued my interest. Several times the author mentioned an older sister of the twins who was shot and killed in a drive by. This has bothered the twins for a long time because the murder was never solved. I'm hoping the author will write a story about this unsolved case and give closure to the twins. The ending is a shocker to me and I loved how the author was able to stump me on figuring out the killer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from The Great Escapes Book Tour . The review is my own opinion.

Synopsis:

Fixing up homes can be tricky.
Finding true love can be even trickier.
But finding a killer can be plain old deadly . . .

Twin sister divorcees Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have had their fill of both heartaches and headaches. So when they settle down in the small Louisiana town of Sugar Ledge and open a remodeling and repair company, they think they’ve finally found some peace—even though Eve is still open for romance while Sunny considers her own heart out-of-business.

Then their newest customer ends up face-down in a pond, and his widow is found dead soon after. Unfortunately, Sunny was witnessed having an unpleasant moment with the distraught woman, and suspicion falls on the twins. And when an attempt is made on Eve’s life, they find themselves pulled into a murder mystery neither knows how to navigate.

With a town of prying eyes on them, and an unknown culprit out to stop them, Sunny and Eve will have to depend on each other like never before if they’re going to clip a killer in the bud. (Goodreads)

Review:

The characters are fairly well developed and well rounded. The two main characters, twins Sunny and Eve, are quirky and unpredictable. At times I felt they were a little immature and some of their actions were not realistic. But that is only my opinion and other readers may not feel this way at all. I did enjoy reading about their interactions and conversations with each other.

The mystery is carried on well throughout the book. There were many suspects to consider and enough clues to make it a hard murder to solve. There was also humor mixed in to give it a more cozy feel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery with unique characters, a dash of humor and a tough mystery to solve. I will definitely read the next book in the series when it is released.

I received a free copy of NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Entertaining and engaging cozy mystery. Our protagonist is a twin. She has mental issues relating to a past experience that cause her to hum or sing Christmas songs when frightened. I look forward to reading another tale about these sisters.

A Fatal Romance is the first book in the Twin Sisters Mystery series by author June Shaw. This is the first book of Shaw's that I have read and obviously the first book I've read in this debut series.

The first thing that attracted me to A Fatal Romance was the setting of southern Louisiana. The twin sisters, Eve and Sunny live in the small town of Sugar Ledge were they run a small house remodel and repair firm.

I found A Fatal Romance to be a fun and lighthearted cozy mystery. Interesting story with lots of fascinating and quirky characters. I liked that the twin sisters, Eve and Sunny, are not super young and have been around the block a few times so I could relate to them.

Good debut and I know that cozy mystery fans are going to love A Fatal Romance.

A Fatal Romance by June Shaw is the first book in A Twin Sisters Mystery series. Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn are identical twins with very different personalities. The two of them joined together to open Twin Sister Remodeling and Repairs in Sugar Ledge, Louisiana. Eve and Sunny are attending the funeral of Zane Snelling, a client. They did a patio and pond for the Snellings. Zane had tripped on his patio and ended up drowning in his pond. The widow enters the church with the urn, trips, the lid pops off and ashes fly out. Some ashes end up on Sunny and in her jacket pocket (which causes to her laugh in nervousness). Sunny offers to fetch a sweeper and Daria Snelling gets upset. Sunny starts belting out a Christmas carol (she does this when uncomfortable, nervous, or thinking about relations with men). Daria orders the twins to leave the church. Sunny later discovers that some ashes are in her jacket pocket. She calls and leaves a message for Daria stating she has something that belonged to Zane and leaves her phone number. Later that day Eve returns to her home to find it ransacked. Someone destroyed her paintings (I am using the word loosely) and left a message on the wall. What were the intruders looking for? When Daria does not return Sunny’s call, the twins go over to her home. They find Daria dead in her kitchen. Detective Wilet is assigned the case and his investigation leads him to Sunny (of course). When clients start canceling their jobs, Sunny sets out to find the real killer. But this murderer will go to great lengths to avoid capture including killing anyone in his way!

A Fatal Romance is an interesting concept for a new cozy mystery series. I do not believe there is another series with a set of twins. I found the pace of the novel to be on the slow side, and I was not fond of the characters. I found Sunny to be neurotic. She also has self-esteem issues (appearance and intelligence), and is jealous of her sister. She is also overprotective of Eve and smothers her (I understand why, but it was still unpleasant). Sunny worried about Eve over the course of the investigation. She would drive down her street, call her, and enter her home to check on her (many, many times). If I was Eve, I would change the locks of my home (or move away and leave no forwarding address). I believe Sunny’s singing of Christmas songs is supposed to be humorous, but I found it annoying (my mother thought it was funny, but she did not have to read the whole book). Eve is egocentric and intent on finding the love of her life (she has three ex-husbands from whom she still receives expensive gifts). I think the author was going for quirky, but she missed the mark with these characters. The characters lacked depth and realism. I give A Fatal Romance 2 out of 5 stars (not a fan). Sunny going on about Zane’s ashes was not amusing. She kept going on about the “flakes” in her jacket pocket and I thought she was going to lose it when she found some in the church. The mystery was uncomplicated (once it got started). I could identify the culprit long before the reveal (very small suspect pool). A Fatal Romance is just not my type of cozy mystery (I am told it might be because I lack a sense of humor).

Twins Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have a remodeling and repair company in Sugar Ledge, Louisiana. When one of their recent clients die, they attend the funeral. When the widow is entering with her husband's urn, she spills some of the contents on Sunny, and in the ensuing chaos, she gets into a minor argument with the woman. When the widow is then found dead by Sunny and Eve, they become the main suspects in the murder. Not too long after, Eve is shot at, and Sunny decides to try and find the killer before he or she completes the job they set out to do.

Since this is the first in a new series, I am always willing to give an author leeway. But when there are questions that can't easily be answered - such as the fact that the urn should already have been in the church, not carried in by the surviving spouse - it tends to make me question other things as well.

Things like the fact the family apparently had a cell phone in 1987 - which, at the time, would have cost around $2300, and since the family doesn't appear to be wealthy, why did they have such an item? It also seemed odd that the sexual aspects of Sunny's marriage would be equal to a traumatic event that occurred thirty years ago, which also leaves her singing Christmas carols when she gets nervous or afraid.

They also are supposed to be thirty-eight-years old, but act much older, and I kept imagining them as in their 70's: Eve is sex-crazy with ex-husbands who still shower gifts on her because they're still so attracted to her (which doesn't even seem realistic), and is about to become a grandmother; while Sunny, who is smothering, needy and co-dependent, doesn't want anything to do with men ever again because of sex with her husband. It makes me wonder what on earth he did that was so horrifying.

The reason I mention these things is because they are the basis for the story. Eve is so self-absorbed that she's perfectly fine with letting Sunny do all the investigating while she's busy planning her latest conquest. Sunny, for her part, is so obsessed with keeping Eve safe because of what happened to their other sister that her neuroses are taking over her life. In the end, it makes neither sister much of a likable character. It's obvious that they love each other, but their personality traits are severely lacking somehow.

When we finally come to the end and the murderer is discovered, everything does come together nicely. The story had a nice flow, and the mystery was done well, which is important in any book and why I gave it four stars. I hope to see the sisters "evolve" in the next book, and look forward to reading it. Recommended.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a cozy and I love cozies. I was also intrigued by the twins, Sunny and Eve. The story was fun, taking place in Louisiana (where I have never been). My problem was mainly with the two main characters. Sunny is so neurotic and she doesn't appear to try to change. She continually worries about her sister Eve and almost smothers her. Now I get that she lost another sister and this has been the cause of many of her problems. Eve on the other hand is very self-absorbed. She gets mad at Sunny and won't talk to her when she knows this is a compulsion with Sunny. Also she is so axle-wrapped about having a boyfriend and wanting a man's attention. She "lets" he ex-husbands give her extravagant gifts, even if they are married or soon to be married. The good things about the characters are their love for each other and Sunny if very caring. I just want to the like characters more. This is the only reason I am giving this 3 starts instead of 4.