Dollycas's Thoughts

Briar Creek is getting ready for the wedding of library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan. Sully and Lindsey are surprised at the number of people planning to attend because they had planned to have just a small wedding with family and a few friends. So Sully, Lindsey, Violet, and Nancy head over to Bell Island to meet with Sully's parents to work out the logistics of holding a much larger winter wedding than originally planned. His parents are not worried at all that the guest list has tripled. But then they find a body washed up on the shore. The dead body of the man who was supposed to officiate their wedding and a long-time friend of Sully. It isn't long before they realize his death was no accident, Steve Briggs was murdered.

Can Sully and Lindsey get married with a murderer on the loose? Can they find a new officiant with such short notice? With Lindsey and Sully get their happily ever after? Not leaving anything to chance Lindsey knows she has a mystery to solve before she walks down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.

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The big day is almost here. A day fans of this series have been waiting for. We also knew it would be easy sailing leading up to Sully and Lindsey's nuptials and author Jenn McKinlay did not disappoint.

Lindsey Norris has grown by leaps and bounds since this series began. In One for the Books, she really has her hands full which leads to some moments of panic but she is surrounded by wonderful friends and family willing to help and support her in any way they can. Sully, we learn is a lot like his parents. It takes a lot to ruffle his feathers. All he wants is to make Lindsay his wife and he will handle any obstacle that gets in the way. This couple's relationship evolved so naturally and their bond just continues to get stronger.

The supporting cast has continued to grow and develop as well. Heck, "the lemon" Mrs. Cole is running for mayor. Beth, Lindsey's matron of honor, and her husband  Aidan are having a baby. Paula comes up with a perfect wedding favor for the crafternooners to make. Violet and Nancy are the calm in the storm helping all the wedding plans fall into place. Almost everyone in Briar Creek is engaged and invested in this wedding taking place. I really enjoy the closeness of this community.

Ms. McKinlay has plotted out quite a mystery for her characters. Tons of twists served up plenty of suspects. There were a couple of unexpected turns when a secret is revealed but quickly they were understood. Soon thereafter, the pages were turning at breakneck speed as the quest for the real killer came more into focus, someone I had earlier discarded.  My stars! The reveal and the aftermath had me practically falling off the edge of my seat. Any questions I had were fully answered by the end of the story.

Then it was time for a wedding the author didn't shortchange her readers one bit. The mother/daughter time, the father/daughter time, the beautiful wedding venue that family and friends created, the not-so-surprising officiant, the music, the happiness for all who attended, Heathcliff being a part of the ceremony, the beaming couple, everything was perfectly described to put readers right in the moment.

The theme of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, runs throughout the story and there is even a Reader's Guide for the book at the end of the story along with a couple of recipes and instructions for making the craft featured.

One for the Books was everything I had hoped it would be. A complex mystery with fabulous characters that takes place in a picturesque setting, and a wonderful winter wedding.

Another slam dunk for Jenn McKinlay. Lindsay and Sulley are finally about to get married, when their justice of the peace is found murdered, its up to Lindsay to discover what lead to his demise. I love this series, particularly the positive way they represent librarians. Definitely recommend to any cozy lover.

This was a fun one! Author Jenn McKinlay is one of my favorite cozy mystery writers and each novel is entertaining and while sometimes predictable, pure reading enjoyment. If you're in the mood for a cozy - this is an author to put on your list!

The eleventh book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series finds Briar Creek library director Lindsey Norris getting married in a small ceremony in her fiancé’s family home. Or so she thought. The guest list accidentally grows beyond the intimate wedding Lindsey had planned, and the friend who was supposed to officiate the wedding ends up murdered after his Christmas party, so she has to figure out how to accommodate all of the new guest, find a new officiant, while also investigating the murder. It is way more than anyone should have to deal with during the hustle and bustle of the holidays!

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, with a fantastic cast of characters and a setting that is so vibrant that it almost seems like a character as well. While Briar Creek is a fictional town, McKinlay’s descriptions of the coast of Connecticut are very detailed and make you want to visit. Even in the snowy winter! I definitely felt Lindsey’s panic about things going wrong with her wedding planning, since I had dealt with that stress just a couple of years ago. And I can’t imagine attempting to solve a murder during all of that!

If you haven’t read the other books in the series, I’d definitely start back at the beginning and work your way through. They are rather quick reads, since you won’t want to put them down - so you won’t have to wait very long to get to this one!

One for the Books is the 11th book in the Library Lovers mystery series and if you have been following along we finally get our wedding between Lindsay and Sully!

Their hope for a quiet, intimate wedding goes up in flames when they realize there has been a mix-up and the ENTIRE town has been invited. And of course, on top of that, Sully's long-time friend and their officiant is found dead on the island that was to have the ceremony.

So Lindsay and Sully not only have to find a new officiant but have to help solve the murder. Familiar characters as well as a new round-out this fun and romantic cozy mystery. Highly recommend it for fans but recommend starting at the beginning for those new to the series.

Title: One For The Books

Author: Jenn McKinlay

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Format: paperback (but I read the e-book from NetGalley which was offered to me for an honest review)

Published on: Oct. 19, 2021

Set In: Coastal Connecticut (Briar Creek)

Series: Book 11 of A Library Lover’s Mystery

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Mike Sullivan and Lindsey Norris thought their wedding would be a small, intimate ceremony and reception.

They quickly realize they are off course.

The Briar Creek Library Director and tour boat Captain start hearing that local residents, co-workers and friends are inviting themselves to their wedding. The gossip turns to reality when their baker informs them they’re going to need a bigger cake, Lindsey figures out that she gave the stationer the pre-cut list. Having done that, she can kiss her small reception goodbye as there is a good chance over a hundred people are actually attending. So now, it’s going to take a lot of work to make sure they have enough food, tables and chairs and room on the island where Mike’s parents live, which is where they are going to be married.

Their lives get even more complicated when Sully’s friend Steve, who is going to marry them, is found dead on the island by Lindsey. Of all the places for a body to wash up, it had to be where they were getting married. Now the Sullivan house is a crime scene with the technicians trying to gather evidence before the snowfall piles up and Mike’s family is told to go off island for a few days. All this is happening, with the wedding plans still incomplete and family and guests are due to arrive in a few days. So now instead of just finding a new wedding officiant, expanding the quantity of food, beverages and desserts, they are determined to find Steve’s killer.

With the wedding clock ticking, Mike, Lindsey and actor Robbie Vine follow the leads to help the Chief of Police solve the case. They begin with a very public argument, leading to something heard in private. When they have a few free moments, they try to find the appropriate person to marry them, which is just as difficult to resolve.

The book is about wanting what you can’t have and running from what you don’t want. ONE FOR THE BOOKS’ characters and storyline never slows down. Knowing what it’s like to plan a wedding, you’re just as anxious to see them figure out the guilty party and still have time to get everything in order for their wedding. The weather is working against them, as well. You’ll love both the main and supporting characters and their dog, Heathcliff, too. Only thing is, I’m reading a number of coastal mysteries where bodies are washing up on the shore.

three and a half wedding officiants out of five

Denise Fleischer

gottawritenetwork.wordpress.com

Oct. 17, 2021

In the 11th book of Jenn McKinley's Library Lovers cozy mystery series, small town librarian Lindsey Norris is planning her "simple" wedding to Mike "Sully" Sullivan. .Somehow the entire town of Briar Creek expects to be invited to the the wedding. so things are getting quite complicated. When the justice of the peace's body is discovered shortly before the wedding, things are touch and go!

Readers are thrown back into the world with Lindsey and Mike with ONE FOR THE BOOKS, the eleventh book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. I feel like it’s been a while since the last book in the series, so it actually took me a bit to remember what happened. However, once I was all caught up again, I found that this book remained pretty light throughout the entire thing. Firstly, I will say that this book has more of a focus on the romance between Lindsey and Mike as their wedding approaches. Since I know that McKinlay is also a Romance author, I thought that this was a nice touch and it certainly shows off the development that both of these characters have shown over the course of the series. Lindsey is one of McKinlay’s more reserved characters, so I felt like her progress was a bit slower than others. However, I think it’s really cool that McKinlay can write such vastly different characters in her books. No matter who you are or what your personality is, she has a character for you.

There’s also a snowy vibe to the story, which I thought was really nice. So if you’re into the Hallmark type of stories, then this one might be a perfect match for you.

What a way to start a marriage! Poor Lindsey and Sully, no minister, the wrong guest list, and a couple of murders. One of the best books in a great series. I really enjoy the "Library Lovers" and hope to read more.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

After ten previous books in the long running Library Lover’s Mystery series, Lindsey and Sully are finally going to tie the knot in One for the Books by Jenn McKinlay. Series fans finally get their wish, but, of course, things do not go smoothly for the couple. Facing the prospect of too many guests because of an invitation snafu, threatening winter weather, and a murder that directly affects the ceremony, Lindsey wonders if they will get married after all. Everything is on the line as Lindsey investigates.

As with many long-running series, these characters have become good friends, and I so enjoy my time spent in their world. Library director Lindsey is a practical sleuth with boat captain Sully as her steadfast love. The main and supporting characters are well developed and fully represented here, and everyone is excited about the wedding. Even sourpuss Ms. Cole has come around. I adore all of these characters.

We do not get to know the murder victim very well, but there are plenty of secrets revealed and readers will be invested in solving the crime. There are a few viable suspects with good motives, and the mystery is fairly easy to figure out, but who cares when the writing is so entertaining. Even though murder is front and center, there is a big emphasis on romance, which is no big surprise because of the wedding theme. The holiday-ish atmosphere gives it an extra cozy vibe.

I love this series, and even though One for the Books is the eleventh installment, the characters, setting, humor, and style are as fresh as ever. It can be read as a standalone mystery with great pleasure, but I suggest readers new to the series start at the beginning for maximum enjoyment. Highly recommended.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and it didn't disappoint! Loved it!

One of my favorite cozy mystery couple is finally tying the knot and Briar Creek is abuzz with wedding plans. Things were going so well until Sully and Lindsay find the man who was going to marry them dead. To top it off he was one of Sully's good friends so it's a sad affair and Lindsay knows that Sully won't feel right about getting married until he knows what happened to his friend Steve. 

The only problem is it seems that maybe Steve wasn't as nice a guy as everyone thought. His marriage was very cold and you can tell his wife didn't care he was dead. His brother is having a hard time with his brothers death but it also seems that Nate and Steve were not very close and were dealing with some things. Steve recently kicked his partner out of their law firm so he has it in for Steve. There are plenty of promising suspects and a lot to do before the wedding. Lindsey is trying not to panic as the time for their nuptials grow near and they have no justice of the peace.

I just love all the characters in this series and there are some that have really grown on me and the author really has made some of them grow and be very likable. The main one for this would be Mrs. Cole aka Lemon! I really didn't like her at first, then she started growing on me a bit even though still a bit hateful but then you get to know her and some things about her and eventually you just start to really like her and now she is one of my favorites! Though Sully and Lindsay are tops as they are just such great characters! You can tell that the author is also a romance writer because Sully is such a swoonworthy character and their romance throughout all the books has been pretty great (though there was some hiccups along the way!). 

This is a cozy series that I think I wouldn't mind reading again just because I love the characters so much and well I haven't the greatest of memories so I probably forgot whodunit in most of them...lol. Speaking of whodunit, I pretty much had most of it figured out but there was a little bit of it that I didn't get, so I enjoyed that. 

If you love cozy mysteries then you really need to try this series but I do think you should start at the beginning for the full effect, especially since there are a couple of the books where there is a love triangle thing happening...blah...thankfully that didn't last long but it could be confusing if you start with it. Also, they are just great! It's a very binge worthy series!!

This is book 11 in the Library Lover's Mystery series and it looks like it might be the conclusion of the series. It can be read as a stand alone. Lindsey and Sully were planning their small wedding but it balloons as everyone in town assumes they are invited. When Lindsey and her wedding party discover the body of the Justice of the Peace that was going to officiate things start getting complicated. An exciting cozy to solve as the wedding teeters on disaster. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

One for the Books is the newest cozy mystery in the A Library Lover’s Mystery series from Jenn McKinlay. I binged-listened to this series last year, so I loved catching up with Lindsey and Sully and the rest of the Briar Creek residents. I’d highly recommend this cozy mystery series and the newest installment. ☺️

Readers are thrown back into the world with Lindsey and Mike with ONE FOR THE BOOKS, the eleventh book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series. I feel like it’s been a while since the last book in the series, so it actually took me a bit to remember what happened. However, once I was all caught up again, I found that this book remained pretty light throughout the entire thing. Firstly, I will say that this book has more of a focus on the romance between Lindsey and Mike as their wedding approaches. Since I know that McKinlay is also a Romance author, I thought that this was a nice touch and it certainly shows off the development that both of these characters have shown over the course of the series. Lindsey is one of McKinlay’s more reserved characters, so I felt like her progress was a bit slower than others. However, I think it’s really cool that McKinlay can write such vastly different characters in her books. No matter who you are or what your personality is, she has a character for you.

There’s also a snowy vibe to the story, which I thought was really nice. So if you’re into the Hallmark type of stories, then this one might be a perfect match for you.

This was a 3.5 star read for me. I have been reading this series since the beginning so it was nice to finally be invited to Sully and Lindsey's wedding. Just before the wedding the justice of the peace and Sully's friend is found dead. There are a lot wedding antics that were too over the top, esp the guest list. The mystery was very easy to solve and it needed to be easy so it could be solved in a week and in between the wedding preparations. I liked the visit to Briar Creek and the library. I like the characters esp the craftnooners. The mystery however was a disappoint. Enjoy the visit and the wedding.

Lindsey Norris is marrying her true love, Captain Mike Scully. It is Christmas and snow is falling in the picturesque New England town of Bear Creek. Sully and Lindsey travel out to the island where Sully's parents live and the wedding ceremony will take place, only to discover the body of one of the town's leading citizens, dead on the beach. He was also scheduled to perform the wedding ceremony. As Lindsey and Sully investigate, it appears Scott Briggs was not all that he appeared to be on the surface. Now, they have to find a new officiant in time for the wedding as well as find out who might have murdered the justice of the peace. As always, a charming romantic read, perfect for a winter read, curled up with tea and biscuits.

This is a great book and a great continuation of the series. Love is in the air and I couldn't wait to read when the characters got married. All along the twist and turns of the murder that goes on around the wedding planning makes me turn the pages faster because I get so involved and want to know what's going on. A great Christmas cozy mystery.

One for the Books (A Books Lovers Mystery)
By Jenn McKinlay
Berkley
September 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Briar Creek Library Director Lindsey Norris prides herself on having a very well-organized, triple-checked, detailed plan for her life. So that’s why she’s completely thrown by the discovery that she sent out the wrong invitation list for her own wedding, more than tripling the number of her guests who will be expecting to party in just one week. Her placid fiancé Mike “Sully” Sullivan does his best to reassure Lindsey that his family’s historical home on Bell Island will easily accommodate the new size of their formerly intimate wedding, especially in comparison to the much more lavish and over-the-top annual Briggses’ Annual Christmas Bash. Wealthy attorney Steve Briggs is coincidentally the officiant of their ceremony, but it looks as though he will definitely not be up to swearing in their vows. For Lindsey and Sully discover Steve’s body washed up on the shore of Bell Island, still wearing the garish Elven tights he pranced around in at his party the night before.

For once, Lindsey would prefer to allow her friend Police Chief Emma Plewicki investigate the murder while the library director focuses on nailing down her evolving wedding details. Emma’s own theatrical boyfriend Robbie Vine isn’t about to let that happen though, especially when it means that the ongoing investigation threatens to shut down the site of the entire event. Trying to maintain control of the library, counsel her fiancé over the death of his friend, track down an officiant, and secure the site of her entire wedding with days to go will have the Master of the Dewey Decimal System at her wit’s end and willing to delve into the life of a well-liked Briar Creek resident.

A mysterious Woman in Black casts a haunting shade over this winter seasonal mystery, although the stress of wedding planning quickly overshadows the holiday influence. A very Merry Widow and her admittedly adorable emotional support dog highlight the buoyancy of the tone and always keep the humor at the forefront. This 11th in the series remains as ingenious as the first, delivering a heartwarming conclusion for Sully and Lindsey while promising more adventures for the future. Beloved characters from the library and Briar Creek are on hand as supportive guests and assistants for Lindsey’s escapades, which take her on freezing boat trips to the secrets that have somehow remained hidden in this very close-knit town. Crafternoon pinecones, mouthwatering winter meals, and of course the celebration of Christmas literature and Dickens’ classics make this the perfect mystery to start off the long holiday season.

It's almost time for Lindsey and Sully's wedding. The whole town of Briar Creek is as excited as the happy couple. This is going to be the wedding of the century except the size continues to grow. When Lindsey realizes she gave the incorrect guest list to the stationer, she and Sully must go out to the location of the nuptials and make sure it can accommodate the increase in guests. What they weren't expecting to find is the body of the man slated to perform the wedding ceremony.

One for the Books is another great book in the series. I enjoyed the book so much I devoured it as fast as I could. Every character is great. I found myself able to connect with Lindsey and Beth, not because they are similar to me or we've been down the same roads, but because they are fun, interesting, and nice. I love the author's writing style, the pacing was good, and the story compelling. The continual character development allows for me to get to know Lindsey, Beth, Sully, and everyone else. The author created a wonderful town, with wonderful characters, and I was able to visualize the entire story.

This might be book 11 but the author does a spectacular job keeping the mystery, characters, and story fresh.

I was provided a copy of this book to review.

If you've been following the Library Lovers series since the beginning, you will be overjoyed because we finally have a wedding!! Sully and Lindsey are cozy couple goals. But it wouldn't be a cozy without a little murder and mayhem around their big day! I have loved how this series has evolved in the last 11 books. It is my absolute favorite. The secondary characters draw you into the picturesque Briar Creek and you never want to leave. I can't wait for the next one!