Changes are in the cards for Briar Creek Library director Lindsay Norris and boat captain Mike (Sully) Sullivan. Literally. One week before their wedding, Lindsay realizes that their plans for a small, cozy wedding on Bell Island have gone awry when friendly townspeople who had not been invited ask about her registry and say how they are looking forward to the event, and her baker tells her that the wedding cake she ordered is way too small. Did Lindsay give the stationer who printed and mailed the invitations the wrong list? Yup. Of course, she was dealing with a homicidal stalker at the time...

Throughout this episode, in the days leading up to the greatly-expanded wedding, Lindsay has to navigate amongst various tangles. For one thing, who will perform the ceremony now that the justice of the peace has been murdered? Will it be the ordained pagan who grumbles at having to miss college football? The rude man who refuses to take "obey" out of the vows? The wanna-be musician?

Ah yes, the murder. After the entire town attends the annual Christmas Gala at the glass house of Steve Briggs and his high-maintenance wife, he is found dead, still in his elf-costume. I will say that there were few suspects, and the culprit is not hard to guess, but that does not detract from the fun of learning about the others, with their intertwining secrets and backstories, not to mention an adorable emotional-support animal and Lindsay's own darling Heathcliff.

It's always a treat to visit this town, to catch up with the Crafternooners and the other librarians. (Beth is pregnant! Ms. Cole is running for office and hasn't shushed anyone in months!) Mystery-lovers can catch up on what the very literate townspeople are reading, including mysteries by Ann Cleves and Deborah Crombie, magical realism by Sarah Addison Allen, and Jenn McKinlay's own, delightful new novel, Paris Is Always a Good Idea ! McKinlay's villains are always believable people, whose lives have gone awry, and the townspeople are like family.

Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review in exchange for a fair review.

This was another fun, fast-paced book in this cozy mystery series. We’ve waited a long time to celebrate Lindsey and Sully’s wedding, but of course murder gets in the way!

Another solid entry in the series. I love that this is a fairly well written cozy, I feel an affinity for the book recs dropped into the dialogue, and the library itself. A library cozy isn’t all that rare but one in which the library, it’s patrons and staff are believable? So rare. This author gets it. Thankful for a light and engaging read - I look forward to the next!

One for the Books is the eleventh installment in Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's series. This is the first one I read and while I intend to go back and read the first 10, I had no trouble catching up and figuring out what was going on. Library Director Lindsay Norris and her fiance Mike Sullivan, affectionately know as Sully, are finally getting married. They have a lovely small wedding planned at Mike's parents' place on Bell Island. Unfortunately the townsfolk have other plans. More and more people share their excited plans to attend the wedding. Lindsay and Sully become concerned at the ability of the island to accommodate all the well-wishers. Lindsay and her friends head out to the island to see if they will be able to fit ALL the guest when they come upon a body washed up on shore. Lindsay recognizes the Justice of the Peace who was going to perform their wedding. To make matters worse, he was obviously murdered. Now she has to solve the murder so her wedding can go on as planned.

This was a fun, easy read with great characters and setting. The plot moved along quickly. Anyone who enjoys a good mystery will love this book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read an ARC.

4.5 stars - Loved it! Would re-read.
Terrific addition to this great series. Loved the wedding pieces. The "question" of an officiant for the wedding dragged on quite awhile, even though the solution was pretty obvious from the beginning. The questioning, though, did lead them to an interesting character I'd love to see in a future story.

The mystery was excellent. It twisted in on itself multiple times which kept me guessing to the end. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the mystery and the larger context - the characters, the wedding, the town stuff - in balance. So many long-running series can get go heavy on the characters/setting and light on the mystery which is frustrating for me, personally, as a mystery reader. I'm eager to see what happens for Lindsey and Sully and the rest (especially Ms. Cole's run for mayor) next!

I love this series and this might just be one of my favorite entries in it. I feel like I've read several wedding type cozies this year and all of them confirm for me that I just don't understand wedding fever. And to be fair I don't think Lindsey really gets it either. Her wedding is supposed to be super tiny and through an unfortunate event spirals out of her control. Throw in a dead justice of the peace and Lindsey's wedding day is very much not going to plan.

I love the community that McKinlay has built here with the crafternoon friends, Miss Lemon, Sully's family, and the rest of the townspeople in Briar Creek. The library is a good stage for people to come in and out of and also gives plenty of space for some bookish talk which I always love.

With all the wedding going ons the murder does get swept a bit to the side occasionally but it is still lots of fun. I can't say I was shocked by the reveal but this is very much one of those cases that I was enjoying the journey so much that it didn't matter that I could see the end already.

The wedding of library director Lindsey Norris and boat captain Mike “Sully” Sullivan is turning into the event of the year for Briar Creek, Connecticut. Lindsey and Sully had hoped to keep things small, but the guest list is becoming out of control. Lindsey and her friends go to check out a potential wedding venue but instead find a dead body – of the man who was supposed to officiate Lindsey’s wedding! Sully and Lindsey want to put all of this behind them before their wedding, so they work together to try to find out who would want to kill Sully’s old friend justice of the peace, Steve Briggs.

This is the eleventh book in the Library Lover’s series. I have read quite a few of the prior books, but I think new readers would be able to enjoy this book even if it’s the first they’ve read in the series. Lindsey is a likable character and she and Sully are a great couple. It is so refreshing to have the couple working together to solve the mystery instead of having the main female character sneaking around behind her boyfriend’s back to investigate. Sully thought he knew Steve, but learned there was more to the man that he realized, opening up the possibility of several suspects. Lindsey also finds out that someone can be a good person, but still make mistakes in their lives, which again increases the number of suspects in the murder. Plenty of red herrings are provided, but most readers won’t find it too hard to figure out the real killer, although the motive is more complicated than it first seems. Even after a long investigation, the solution seems rushed and I wish the drama would have been extended a bit longer.

The most obvious “mystery” in the book is who will be able to stand in at the last minute and officiate Lindsey and Sully’s wedding. It starts out amusing, but becomes silly when the joke goes on too long. As expected, there is a satisfying solution to the obstacles Lindsey and Sully were having when finalizing their wedding plans. Readers who have been following the series will be especially pleased with how everything turns out in the end. In addition to Lindsey and Sully’s love for each other, I like Lindsey’s friendship with her co-workers, too. I enjoy the discussions they have about books, although there was less of that in this installment due to the wedding. There are several references to different books as Lindsey helps library patrons or talks about books she likes. I like the authenticity that gives the story since books are so important to Lindsey. This is an evenly paced, light mystery that fans of this author or of Lynn Cahoon will enjoy.

~ Christine

One for the Books by Jenn McKinlay strikes all the right notes. It is the 11th A Library Lover’s Mystery which can be read as a standalone, but you will be missing out on a delightful literary cozy mystery series. Jenn McKinlay has created a wonderful cast of characters. Lindsey Norris is the head librarian at Briar Creek Public Library where she works with her best friend, Beth Barker. Ms. Cole still works there as well, and she has decided to run for mayor. Ms. Cole has been given some tips to help with her campaign, and I was amazed at the change. She has certainly come a long way since Books Can Be Deceiving as have all the characters. Lindsey and Sully are having a winter wedding on Bell Island where Sully’s parents reside. They have planned a gathering of family and close friends. It appears, though, that many others are planning to attend. This sends Lindsey into panic mode. Then their officiant is murdered. I enjoyed reading One for the Books. I just love cozy mysteries set during the holiday season. This one also has a special wedding. The mystery was entertaining. Secrets always come out during a murder investigation. Chief Emma Plewicki has her hands full with this one. Solving it is a cinch, but that did not hinder my reading pleasure. The reveal scene is a doozy. It was spectacular. I appreciate that all the details were wrapped on the case. One for the Books is an amusing tale. There is humor from beginning to end that will have you laughing. I especially enjoyed the literary references throughout the book along with unique details regarding Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. I did not want One for the Books to end. Now we must wait a year for the next A Library’s Lover Mystery. I am curious to see how Ms. Cole will do in the mayoral election. There is a reader’s guide for A Christmas Carol, a crafternoon craft, and recipes for two items from the book. One for the Books is a diverting cozy mystery with a body on the beach, deficient an officiant, scavenger hunt chaos, wedding worries, theatrical histrionics, boat bedlam, and Christmas cheer.

One of the best library/book themed cozy series out right now! I loved that this one saw wedding bells for Lindsey and Sully (their steadfast relationship is so endearing in this series, and I love when a cozy series has a plot that consistently moves forward). A good mystery at the foreground of the story helped make this a great read. I still love that Jenn McKinlay makes Lindsey a truly realistic librarian.

SWOON! I love, love, love this series, and may have actually squealed when I heard a new installment was coming out! And it more than met my high expectations! I raced through it in one day (and now I'm kind of mad at myself that it's over!).

The setting: small, seaside Connecticut town in the winter, leading up to Christmas and more importantly, Lindsey and Sully's wedding! Chaos, of course, ensues! First, Lindsey realizes she goofed and gave the stationers the wrong guest list, which means that instead of the cozy, intimate wedding she and Sully wanted, half the town has been invited - and wouldn't miss it for the world! Oops! But what really sends the happy couple into a tailspin is finding the man who was supposed to perform the ceremony dead on the beach just days before the wedding! Lindsey doesn't want to be solving a murder instead of focusing on her upcoming wedding, but in order for that wedding to be able to take place as planned, she decides that finding the culprit is what will ensure that happens!

I love this cast of delightful characters and their charming little world. And I was racing through the final few chapters to see what was going to happen! The mystery was taut and fast-paced. I love this series and am already looking forward to the next one!

To say that I was disappointed in this book is an understatement.

As the build-up to Briar Creek’s wedding of the year, librarian Lindsey Norris and boat captain Sully Sullivan are in a mad dash to fix broken arrangements, resulting from a mix up with the guest list. All the while still working their day jobs and attending a holiday party. Good thing they have friends to step in to take over while Lindsey and Sully are trying to find a replacement officiant since Sully’s long-time friend, who was to perform the ceremony, has been found dead and no one else in town is available.

Other than the possible suspects in the murder are friends of the bride and groom; I am still not sure why they had to go out of their way to solve the murder, complete with a James Bond type of boat chase before they could be married. Yet that is just one of the many things which seemed out of place with this book.

The last few books of this series have been off for me, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I have invested in the series from the beginning, and I hold out hope for them to get better, I don’t know why I continue to read them.

Jenn McKinlay is one of the authors I stalk on Netgalley so I can request her new books as soon as possible. That's how I discovered Paris is Always a Good Idea earlier this summer. It also made me think perhaps there wouldn't be a new book in the Library Lover's Mystery series so I was happy to see One for the Books and there's a wedding!

I came late to the Library Lover's Mystery series and quite by chance. I still haven't read all the books in the series, but it hasn't hurt my enjoyment at all.

I really love the main character Lindsey Norris. She's down to earth and isn't really looking to solve mysteries - she's quite happy with her job as a librarian. Unfortunately, she has the horrible habit of stumbling upon the dead in Briar Creek.

I do think it is a bit early to be reading Christmas stories. I think a fall wedding in New England would have been just as pretty. One for the Books isn't too Christmasy. It is definitely winter and there is a Christmas party and tree lighting, but the festivity that everyone is talking about is the wedding of Lindsey Norris and Mike "Sully" Sullivan. And thanks for an invitation mistake everyone in town has been invited to share in the celebration on Bell Island. But will the nuptials take place since Bell Island has now become a crime scene? Mike and Lindsay will do whatever they can to make sure their wedding happens just the way they wanted.

We get to see a lot of the townspeople in this book. I thought there was a good balance between focusing on the upcoming wedding and the murder mystery. It made for a fun story and an enjoyable weekend reading.

The Crafternoon Club met and while they read Dicken's A Christmas Carol, they don't really discuss the book like we have seen them do in previous books. There is still a readers guide at the end for it in case you are planning your own discussion of A Christmas Carol. There is a craft - fire-starter pine cones - that I think could make great handmade Christmas gifts.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Tuesday, September 1 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2020/09/one-for-books-by-jenn-mckinlay-review.html

I was not too in to the mystery of this story, which makes sense since Sully and Lindsey's wedding is suppose to be the main focus of the story. But it still left me wanting more.

With that said, the mystery was one of the sadder one in the series, all things considered, and maybe that is why I was a little depressed?

Either way, I am jazzed to see how or if the story chances now that the head librarian is now married!

As a retired librarian, I've been enjoying Library Lover’s Mysteries by Jenn McKinley for a few years. The characters are great and I’ve become invested in the romance between Briar Creek’s library director, Lindsey Norris, and her fiancé, Mike “Sully” Sullivan. Their wedding day is fast approaching, everything is finally falling into place, what could go wrong? A small error with the invitations mean nearly everyone in town will be there for the planned small event, and then the friend and justice of the peace, who will officiate is murdered at his own Christmas party. So now, the happy couple must deal with a murder, an event they no longer have control over and find a new officiant. But our favorite Briar Creek residents are up to the tasks! Highly recommended!

I've loved this Library Lovers series from its inception, and it just keeps getting stronger, probably because the entire cast feels like family now. Not only does One for the Books comes with several excellent reading recommendations, but it also comes with an idea that I wish I'd thought of when I got married: instead of gifts, donate a book to the library. How great is that?

The mystery was a bit easy to solve, but that's because the short time span before Lindsey's wedding meant that there was a lot of other things going on. This book is for the characters, and this is where it really shines. It's probably due to the fact that we share the same last name, but I've always had a proprietary interest in the sour puss Ms. Lemon. I'm thrilled with the progress of her character, and I hope she succeeds in her latest quest.

Excellent reading recommendations, a mystery to solve, laugh-out-loud humor, a wedding, and characters I love. One for the Books has all the feels-- and if I may make my own suggestion, have a box of tissues handy when you get close to the end. You'll need them.

This was another great addition to the series. I love the cozy New England setting and the familiar cast of characters. This one really moved the characters forward, which I liked a lot. And I thought it was really funny how the author casually plugged another one of her own books in the narrative - it was really cute and clever. McKinlay is a can't-miss author, and I always enjoy her trademark blend of humor and mystery. I do think this is a series that someone should read from the beginning if possible.

ONE FOR THE BOOKS, the eleventh book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series by Jenn McKinlay, strikes all the chords for a delightfully humorous cozy mystery set during the Christmas season! I can always count on being entertained with a lighthearted read when I pick up a McKinlay book, despite the theme of murder. In this newest release, the protagonist, Lindsey Norris, is looking forward to her impending nuptials to Sully Sullivan. When they find their officiant murdered several days before the wedding, the mayhem starts. The author has created a cast of memorable characters in this series and it’s been enjoyable to watch their growth throughout the years. I love how Lindsey and Sully work together and support each other, no matter what situation they find themselves in... like interviewing a perspective officiant who doesn’t believe in marriage. It brings some laugh out moments in between the solemn loss brought about by death.
The murder mystery was well plotted and as I turned the pages it felt like unpeeling an onion as layers of secrets and deceit were revealed. The twists certainly upended my preconceived ideas of who the victim would be and who the villain would be. With a show stopping conclusion, this book certainly entertained and has me looking forward to the next in the series!

As an added bonus included at the back of the book are a couple recipes, a readers’ guide for A Christmas Carol, and a fun winter-themed craft.

Jenn McKinlay's Library Lover's Mystery series is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. In this latest mystery, Lindsey and Sully are (finally) getting married. Of course, things keep going wrong, including finding the officiant washed up on shore just days before the wedding. Lindsey and Sully search for clues while scrambling to pull their wedding together.

I found this book to be throughly entertaining. The protagonists are likable and the supporting cast of characters add humor to the story.

Lindsay and Sully's wedding is just around the corner, but their small, intimate wedding turns into the event of the year with most of the town planning to attend. While checking out their planned venue to see if it can accommodate the larger crowd, Lindsay discovers a body washed up on the beach, and is horrified when she discovers not only the identity of the man, but that he was obviously murdered. Since he was a major participant in their wedding ceremony, they have a vested interest in finding out who killed the man and why.

This is book #11 in this series by one of my favorite cozy authors. I was really looking forward to reading this, and it lived up to my own personal hype. I love the town of Briar Creek and would love to spend some time there getting to know the staff of the library and the town's residents, as well as exploring the town and the surrounding islands. I suspected the identity of the killer relatively early in the story, but there were several twists and turns before my suspicion was confirmed. I can't wait to read the next book in this series!

"One for the Books" is a cozy mystery. It's the eleventh in a series. You don't need to read the previous books to understand this one, and this book didn't spoil the whodunits of the previous mysteries.

The main characters were likable and interesting. This was a clue-based mystery that can be guessed before the end. Lindsey picked up clues about what was going on as she and Sully searched for someone to marry them, so the mystery was mixed into the wedding preparation. There were only four or five suspects, so more time was spent trying to prove that two people had an alibi than on finding clues about whodunit. The critical clue came near the end, and Lindsey quickly caught on to whodunit. There were no sex scenes. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, it was an enjoyable novel.