Wonderful book! This is the first book in this series that I have read and I definitely will read more.
You have romance and a who done it mystery all wrapped in one book!

Deadly Vows is book 2 in the series, but don't let that stop you. This book will have you reaching for your credit card to purchase the first book in the series. The characters are like friends and the Oregon beach town will draw you in. The plot is satisfying. I liked it very much and look forward to reading the next installment.

Deadly Vows is a fun lighthearted mystery with a dash of romance and a lot of fun. it is the 2nd in series by Jody Holford. This next in series starts with a wedding , a murder and lots of suspects amid all the fun. Molly Owens, editor of the the Brittan Bay Bulletin has a exciting interview with Chef Friessen . He is a world class chef and interviewing him for the paper is quite exciting for Brittan Bay. Molly soon discovers the chef is dead and police are sure it was murder.

I like the setting and the characters which are all likable. The sleuth was well done with enough clues to keep me guessing. This is a fun series and I look forward to the next book. Molly is a younger protagonist but mature enough to be interesting and young enough to add some fun to the series. She has a serious romance that grows with each book.,
Thank you for the ARC. My opinion is my own. I highly recommend this series .

This book was a fast, easy read and I really liked it.

Molly is getting excited that tourist season is ending and things should slow down in Britton Bay; she is navigating her feelings for Sam; and she is enjoying her job at the paper. Things change when someone who used to live in town shows up and takes over the bed and breakfast for her daughter's wedding. People are everywhere, tensions are running high, and soon enough someone gets killed.

Molly tries to stay out of it, but can't seem to let it go. It seems the chef who was murdered was not well liked and a number of suspects appear. I was not expecting the killer to be the killer (most often the case for me), but it made sense and I enjoyed the red herrings along the way.

I voluntarily reviewed this book on Netgalley. #netgalley #deadlyvows #jodyholford

4.8 stars

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

Heavy on the romance, Deadly Vows is an enjoyable cozy mystery.

Love is in the air in Britton Bay, Oregon, as Patricia Lovenly sweeps into her hometown with intentions of throwing the wedding of the century for her daughter Chantel. Protagonist Molly has a front seat view from her cottage behind Katherine’s Bed and Breakfast as it is grown zero for all of the wedding activities. Patricia hires an up-and-coming chef to provide all of the food, but when Chef Skyler drops dead, Molly puts her investigative skills to the test to get to the bottom of the mystery.

This is the first book in the Britton Bay Mystery Series that I have read, but I easily got into the story, and soon the recurring characters felt like friends. Molly is curious by nature and smart, and her job at the local newspaper provides a plausible reason for her to investigate. The other recurring characters, including Molly’s boyfriend Sam and his mother Katherine, are likable and endearing. Molly’s dog Tigger is also a nice addition for pet loving readers. The romance between Molly and Sam is front and center, almost more emphasized than the mystery, but I did not find it distracting. And, happily, there is no love triangle here.

The mystery itself is interesting with lots of suspects and red herrings. That said, as soon as one, obvious to me, clue was revealed relatively early on I knew the identity of the killer. I wish solving the mystery had been more challenging, but it was still worthwhile. The characters central to the murder mystery are almost unanimously unpleasant, and, at times, they are exhausting. Victim Skyler is particularly prickly, and I had trouble feeling sorry that she was dead.

Overall, I liked Deadly Vows.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Deadly Vows follows a woman named Molly who lives in a small Oregon beachside town and is the editor of the local paper. This is the first book I've read by the author but, the second book in this series so I wasn't familiar with the characters and their relationships. It made it a bit difficult to get invested in the book as the personal relationships and the romance in the novel was just a prominent as the mystery. I've read a lot of cozy series and this one absolutely had the most personal story development, especially for only being the second book. Usually, you get to know the side characters, romantic partners etc. bit by bit as a series develops, but a lot more emphasis was put on them and less "temporary" people involved on the mystery. It made the mystery less compelling because I cared less for those involved with the murder. I would recommend this book for people who like romance with their mystery novels or like them to be less procedural. I would also highly recommend reading the first book before this one, it's not necessary to figure out what's happening, but you'd be so much more invested in the characters. This style of cozy is not my favorite, but it was well written, well developed and I can appreciate that it would appeal to a lot of readers.

Molly is an editor at a small town newspaper on the Oregon coast. She lives in a cottage on the grounds of a B&B owned by her boyfriend's mother. A big wedding is about to happen at the B&B when the chef hired to cater the festivities is murdered. Molly arrives on the scene shortly after and gets involved in solving the murder.

I'd rate this mystery as average, with characters that aren't very unique or interesting and a plot that moves rather slowly. It was OK, but not exceptional.

Deadly Vows is the second installment in Jody Holford’s delightful cozy mystery series, Britton Bay. This one is as much cozy as mystery, with romance taking a prominent role. Don’t get me wrong. The mystery itself is satisfying, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader interested throughout. But the book contains (in my opinion) more romance than the average cozy – and not just because the plot involves a wedding.

Molly and her team of reporters are covering an upcoming event wedding that has got the whole town talking. The bride-to-be’s mother, Patricia, has arranged for the nuptials to take place in her hometown of Britton Bay, and has taken over the local bed-and-breakfast which is run by Katherine, the mother of Molly’s boyfriend, Sam. Patricia has orchestrated everything -- from the wedding’s location to the selection of an award-winning chef (and her entourage) to cater to the wedding party – and has generally alienated most of the local residents, whom Patricia apparently deems “not good enough.”

When a local homeless man discovers the celebrity chef dead in her hotel room, the mystery begins. Molly’s reporter’s instincts and her empathy for the bride-to-be (who despite her over-the-top mother turns out to be a pretty nice person) plunge her into a quest for the truth about the chef’s murder.

Along with the mystery is the burgeoning relationship between Molly and Sam. Unlike many cozies where the protagonist’s vacillation between would-be suitors seems contrived, here, Molly’s fears seem genuine, as do her growing feelings for Sam. Sam, for his part, is more than a cardboard cutout, and there are several scenes (including a cute one involving Molly’s dog, Tigger) that display the depth of his character. And, as characters go, Katherine is one of my favorites. Despite the chaos around her at the B&B, she remains unperturbed and is kind and welcoming to everyone. The hint of romance between Katherine and the local sheriff adds to the warmth of the story.

All told, Deadly Vows is a charming cozy mystery. If you are looking for a straight-forward who-dun-it, you might be disappointed. But if you are looking for a mystery surrounded by love and hope, Britton Bay should be your next destination.

Note: I received an ARC of Deadly Vows from NetGalley and Kensington Books/Lyrical Underground. The above is my honest review.

Love and mystery all rolled into one, what could be better? Now that I have read the second book in the series, I now need to read the first! Such a great read! Molly Owens is an army best woman turned into a newspaper editor in chief who is renting a cottage on the property owner by her boyfriends mother. A big wedding is planned, on a beautiful piece of land, and of course no big wedding is complete without a dead body! Great read!

Molly Owens had no idea she'd be dumped into a murder investigation after the last one was only a few months ago. Since then, she'd started dating Sam, and they were pretty much inseparable. When the celebrity chef at a wedding being held at the B&B fell over dead at her hotel room, Molly was more curious at first, but as always for someone who is a career reporter by trade, things weren't adding up, then they started adding up.

I just love Sam's mother. She has to be the kindest lady on the planet, since she was such a gracious host to the wedding party, especially the bride's mom who was being a momzilla at the time. Sam's cousin Jill is a fun addition too, and I was happy to see that Hannah had stuck around the paper as well. I love that Sam and Molly might have their little moments of unrest, but they always apologize and make up instead of letting it eat at them. The scene where Sam was telling her about wanting to surprise her by grooming her dog Tigger for her just cracked me up. I could see that slippery little dog racing around soaking everything.

It was great to be able to read an excerpt of the next book which will be set in October, and according to an Amazon search I did, it looks like it'll be coming out this October.

Deadly Vow is the second book to the series.
I enjoyed this better than the first , getting to know the characters a bit more ,enjoying Mollys and Sam romance.
Good plot ,plenty of suspects.
Looking forward for the next book.
Thanks to the publisher and Nettgalley for advance copy for a honest review.

Britton Bay is buzzing with excitement there's a wedding at the B and B where Molly the towns local newspaper editor is staying. Molly is helping out and has plans to interview the chef. When Molly's goes to interview the chef she finds her dead, and then the bride goes missing. Can Molly figure out who killed the chef and where the bride went to before she is accused and is the front page story in her own newspaper. I liked this book. It was the second book that I have read in the series. Molly is a very likable character who's good at finding trouble.

Murder joins the wedding plans in this, the second Britton Bay mystery. The town is abuzz over the upcoming wedding of Chantel Lovenly and Blake Findle. Chantel's mother, Patricia, is a former resident and is using her daughters wedding to show her home town just how far she has come since leaving. Add to that, she has hired a celebrity chef, Skyler Friessen, to cater the entire event, shutting out any input from local businesses. Molly has a ring side seat to the goings on at the B&B - she rents the cottage behind it. It isn't long before tempers are frayed to the breaking point and Skyler is murdered and the bride vanishes. Did she get cold feet? Had she reached her limit, dealing with her mother and her demands? Molly starts to nose around after the groom asks for her help. The bride hasn't been missing 48 hours and the police are not doing much to find her. Molly's involvement doesn't sit well with the police - they want her to stay out of their investigation but, as in most mysteries, the amateur sleuth will not be shut out.
There is a strong side story of the romance between Kelly and her boyfriend, Sam and the level of cute with her puppy, Tigger is sweet. The mystery stands on its own very well and I am already to read the next entry in the series.

Deadly Vows by Jody Holford is the second A Britton Bay Mystery. Molly Owens has been settling into her new life in Britton Bay where she lives in a cute cottage, dating Sam Alderich, editor of Britton Bay Bulletin and has adopted adorable black and white border collie named Tigger. Katherine Alderich’s bed and breakfast, where Molly’s cottage resides, is a beehive of activity for the upcoming wedding of Chantel Lovenly and Blake Brindle. The mother-of-the-bride, Patricia Lovenly has hired Skyler Friessen, who recently won a cable cooking contest, to cater all the meals plus the wedding which has taken business away from the local restaurants and bakery. The temperamental Skyler maintains strict control of the ingredients and the kitchen (she allows no sampling). Molly gets the haughty chef to agree to an interview. When Molly shows up at the Seaside Shangri La where Skyler is residing the next morning, she learns that Skyler was found dead in her room. Bakery owner, Bella Reid is at the top of the suspect list because a latte from her bakery, Morning Muffins was found in Skyler’s room. Things are spiraling out of control at the B&B as the bride and her mother continue to argue over the details of the wedding which Patricia insists go forward. Molly is not surprised when learns that the bride has disappeared putting the wedding on hold. Molly, despite being told multiple times to stay away from the investigation by the police, questions members of the wedding party and scrutinizes the clues hoping to pinpoint the killer. Molly needs to be careful or she could find herself in a sticky situation.

Deadly Vows is a light hearted and romantic cozy mystery. This second installment in A Britton Bay Mystery series can be read as a standalone. I like how the information from Deadly News was incorporated into the story. Molly Owens is happy with her new home and job. She enjoys spending time with Sam and her puppy, Tigger. Molly has the perfect location (her cottage) to watch the wedding drama at the B&B unfold. The mother-of-the-bride is controlling the wedding. Patricia Lovenly grew up in Britton Bay and has come back to gloat over how rich she is by throwing a spectacular, over-the-top wedding for her daughter. It does not seem to matter that this is not what her daughter and the groom want. Skyler Friessen is the chef for the event, and she is a prickly. It is no surprise when she turns up dead. Molly just needs to figure out which individual disliked Skyler enough to kill her which is easier said then done. There are a couple of suspects, good clues and misdirection. Deadly Vows is nicely written with steady pacing. I could have done with less repetition (I get it the first time). I did not like how many times Molly was told to keep her nose out of the investigation (it was not going to happen). I also felt the romance between Molly and Sam was too much for a cozy mystery. It came across as sappy (especially the dialogue) and their relationship progressed too quickly. We are introduced to numerous characters in this book and many of them had nothing to do with the plot. An example is Clay, the newspapers supposed social media coordinator. He added nothing to this story, and I am shocked he has not been fired. Some tweaks would enhance this cute mystery series. Deadly Vows is an easy breezy cozy mystery with a dead chef, a battling wedding party, an adorable pup, a handsome beau, and one a nosy reporter.

This new cozy series has truly become one of my favorite cozy series! I love the town and the characters and their family feel. This 2nd book in the series was charming and I could not put it down. With the wedding of the century coming up in Britton Bay (according to the bride’s mother!) what happens when the caterer who nobody liked winds up dead? Molly’s on the case to figure it out! The mystery was excellent and kept me guessing and the romance between Molly and Sam is adorable. I am looking forward to many more trips to Britton Bay with Molly and the gang.


I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

This book was an enjoyable read but for me it felt as just another mystery. The plot was fun and I loved the setting. I think I would have liked to see a bit more character development. Molly was annoying at some points and it felt like she didn't learn from her mistakes. Though, Molly wasn't annoying the whole time. She also did a lot of nice things for a lot of different people, that definitely was a character trait I liked about her.

I found this second book in the Britton Bay Mystery series to be interesting with well defined characters. This can be read as a stand alone.
The main character, Molly, once again helps solve a murder mystery. There is romance throughout the book between Molly and Sam which I found adorable. Seeing Molly maneuver her feelings about Sam makes for a cute story in itself. Though the beginning of the book seemed a little slow, things did pick up and draw you in.
A cozy mystery with romance...what more could you ask for?
Many thanks to NetGallery for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Deadly Vows. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Jody Holford’s Britton Bay Mystery series is fastly becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery series. She combines romance and mystery together, and makes you want to turn the page to see what happens next.

Deadly Vows finds the small town of Britton Bay, Oregon all abuzz with the wedding of a former resident’s daughter. Patricia Lovenly wants nothing but the best for her daughter Chantel’s wedding. She’s rented out the Bed-and-Breakfast of Katherine Alderich to host the wedding as well as all the wedding party. For Patricia, none of the restaurants or local businesses are good enough to feed the wedding party or guests. She has brought in her own celebrity chef, Skyler Friessen, to see to all the food, including the wedding cake. Skyler is very particular about any and all food coming into and out of her kitchen. She comes across as rude, demanding, and unfriendly.

As the week long events leading up the the weekend wedding get under way, tensions start to rise. Molly Owens, editor of the the Brittan Bay Bulletin, finally figures out a way to get Chef Friessen to agree to being interviewed. Just as Molly is making her way to the chef’s hotel room, she discovers the chef is dead and police are thinking it was murder. Molly’s thirst for information has her looking into who would want to kill the out-of-town chef and why.

I love all the main and secondary characters Jody has created for this series. Molly is a twenty-eight-year-old who is still trying to figure out where she belongs. She arrived in Britton Bay shortly after discovering her ex had been cheating on her. Growing up with an Army father didn’t provide her with a sense of roots, so she’s accustomed to moving around a lot. Molly has been in Britton Bay for almost three months. She’s starting to wonder if it’s time she moved on and if she can truly trust her growing feelings for her new boyfriend Sam.

I love the blossoming romance developing between Molly and Sam. I’m looking forward to seeing where their relationship goes. I also like the possible relationship that seems to be developing between Katherine and the Police Chief. The mystery of who killed Skyler was easy and straightforward. However, that’s not to say there aren’t secrets to uncover. There are definitely secrets, some more surprising than others. Deadly Vows proved to be a really good read. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Molly Owens has just moved to Britton Bay and has become a journalist for the local newspaper. A huge wedding is planned to be held at the B & B where Molly lives in a cottage on the same grounds. Her boyfriend's mother owns the B & B and Molly is excited to be close by for the lovely event. She has planned to interview the celebrity chef who is catering the wedding but doesn't get a chance since the chef is found dead soon after she speaks to her. The bride is missing and Molly is a suspect in the murder! She must use her investigation skills to clear herself and figure out this cozy mystery! This story had great characters and lots of twists that will keep you trying to figure it out until the very end!

Great second installment of the Britton Bay Mysteries series. I have read a few of Jody's books and throroughly enjoy them all. The characters are wonderful. The story is unique and enjoyable.