I was on a book tour for the second book in this series, did not want to read this one nor did I request it but I was sent it anyways. Will not read or review

Super cute lgbtq adventure story perfect for young and middle grade readers. This story and the one after it are excellent stories. I should think my daughter would enjoy them

Thank you to the publisher, pride book tours, and netgalley for this arc.

I liked this storyline and I appreciate the diversity of the characters. I think I will like the graphic novel series much better than I liked this novel.

I felt like the characters were very one dimensional and almost felt like charicatures because the one trait they had was so dramatic. I also felt like the writing was too obvious, even for a middle grade read.

Hoping I like the sequel more.

This was a really cute middle grade novel that had me smiling all the way through!

I liked that the book was written from Goldie's point of view, it added a fun layer to the story and made me feel more included in the events.

Despite being a middle grade novel I struggled to figure out who the culprit was (but whether that speaks to the author's writing abilities or my own inference skills we may never know)

I loved how determined and outspoken Goldie was but she also knew when to keep quiet, knowing that arguing wouldn't help.

I loved that the LGBTQ+ rep wasn't shoved in my fave and was more of an underlying character trait for Goldie.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and my time reading it. Can't wait for book 2!

Goldie Vance is a valet who dreams of becoming the house detective at the Crossed Palms Hotel. When hollywood stars show up, Goldie can't help but become involved, much to the dismay of her boss. When a priceless movie prop goes missing, she weasels her way back onto the set to help save the day and prove to her boss that she has the necessary detective skills to one day become house detective.

This story is adventurous, fast-paced, and attention-grabbing. Throughout the various stunts and mishaps, we see Goldie hone her detective skills and work alongside her mentor, Walter Tooey, to uncover the truth. She is a non-stop ball of energy throughout the story and provides much of the entertainment throughout the book, especially as being the polar opposite of the one and only Mr. Davenport.

Each character has such a distinct personality, which are played well against each other to provide the reader with an enticing plot. We also get a diverse cast of characters, and our main character, Goldie, has a sapphic side plot and divorced parents.

I really appreciated the lack of a prominent romance in this book, it's a nice change of scenery from the majority of romance-driven plotlines. However, it should be noted that it is not completely romance free. There are two small budding romances that only occur in the sidelines of the larger picture.

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style, it's descriptive, humorous, upbeat, and gets to the point of things. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is the way in which Goldie is treated as a much younger kid by much of the cast, despite being 16 years old. However, it doesn't take away from the story as a whole and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a casual queer read that's lighthearted, diverse, and easy to love.

Goldie is a sleuth, and a pretty darn good one! She works with a bunch of fun characters at the Crossed Palms Resort and lives there too, with her father Art. She spends as much time as she can next door at the place her mom, Sylvia works, The Mermaid Club. I loved her family. Her mom and dad divorced because they knew they were better as best friends (how sweet)... Her best friend Cheryl is the hotel concierge and the two of them are constantly running around the place.

Right now, though, the resort is overrun with people because a new creature feature is being filmed in town. That is why when Delphine, the stunning actress arrives security is amped up. At The Mermaid Club, Delphine is shooting a very important scene in which she is swimming with a gorgeous diamond encrusted swim cap. The lights go out and when they come back on and people are searching for the cap, they find it to be missing. And Sylvia is the lead suspect.

Now, Goldie has to do what she does best to save her mom from taking the blame. And it was so fun!! The characters were all so colorful and great. The story was fun and moved at such a great pace. I am not one to go for middle grade, but this was a treat!