Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the 2nd book in A Book Lover’s B & Mystery series. It can be read as a standalone if you have not had the time to delve into Booked for Death. However, you would understand more about Isabella, Charlotte’s aunt who left her the house, if you read Booked for Death. I thought Reserved for Murder was well-written with good characters. I like that we get to know a little more Charlotte Reed and her aunt. Charlotte is a retired schoolteacher who now runs a literary themed bed and breakfast called Chapter’s. Each room features a different genre of books (romance and mystery for example). I love the descriptions of Chapter’s. I would love to own this home filled with books. In Reserved for Murder a bestselling author is coming to stay along with three fans who won a contest. There will be a special event as well. Unfortunately, one of the fans who is also president of the author’s fan club ends up dead. Charlotte, of course, is going to investigate. There are several suspects in this whodunit along with misdirection to keep readers off the trail of the real killer. I did find it a cinch to identify the guilty party. I can also guess the why based on the details provided. I like putting together the various pieces and arriving at the conclusion (like putting together a puzzle). The more I read, the more my suspicions were confirmed. There is a subplot involving Charlotte’s neighbor and her guest, Gavin. Personally, I do not feel the spy element adds anything to the story. It did not go with the rest of the book. There is, though, sparks between Gavin and Charlotte. There is a significant amount of dialogue in this story as they discuss the mystery and other events. I could have done with less talking and more action. I enjoyed Booked for Death more than I did Reserved for Murder. I thought this story moved along at a slower pace which is courtesy of the dialogue. I like that we get a glimpse into the world of publishing and fanfiction. Charlotte has a great circle of friends. They are a friendly bunch who are there for each other. Reserved for Murder is a literary cozy mystery with a weary writer, a frustrating fan, a circumspect spy, a mystifying murder, suspicious suspects, and an inquisitive inn owner.

Charlotte is hosting a week-long event for famed romance writer Amanda Nobel. Along with Amanda there are three prize winners staying at Chapters Bed and Breakfast, the head of Amanda’s largest fan club and two fans as well as Tony Lott who is managing Amanda’s tour for the publisher. Lissette, the fan club president, seems to rub almost everyone the wrong way so when she turns up dead it is maybe not too big a surprise. Charlotte and her neighbor Ellen investigate and find that all of the guests have secrets that may have led to murder. Then there is Ellen’s visiting “cousin” Gavin who is there to investigate a past mission of Charlotte’s great aunt Isabella, a spy, and Ellen, her handler. Charlotte is determined to protect her dead great aunt as well as Ellen but finds herself attracted to Gavin which complicates things.

This second outing in the series is as delightful the first. The characters are believable even if it seems off-beat that Charlotte’s late great-aunt Isabella was a long-time spy and Ellen was her handler. I look forward to book three and am sorry it will not be out until next year. Recommended

I love Victoria Gilbert's books and I loved this one.
It's an engrossing and entertaining story, had a lot of fun in reading.
Solid mystery, fleshed out and likeable characters, a plot full of twists and turns.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was a good mystery set in a quaint coastal town. However, unlike many mysteries, the action tales place in a real town. The book was well written, and I enjoyed reading it. It featured two amateur sleuths who were neighbors as well as several mysterious and suspicious characters. It had a lot of action and suspense as well. I highly recommend this book to other cozy mystery readers.

I enjoy cozy mysteries by Victoria Gilbert and book two in the Booklovers B&B mysteries is no exception! I love the setting and characters and the mystery kept me guessing!

I enjoyed returning to "Chapters," the charming book themed B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte is still dealing with the loss of her husband and intrigued my her late Great Aunt Isabelle's mysterious past as a spy.

When a murder occurs during an event for a romance author, Charlotte finds herself once again searching for answers. With the help of Ellen, her next door neighbor and retired CIA operative, they follow the clues and uncover all kinds of secrets in the process.

Solid writing and a charming setting made this an enjoyable read. I enjoyed t

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to review an advance digital copy of this book.

Charlotte runs a book-themed Bed & Breakfast in North Carolina. One of her guests is famous author, Amanda, and three of her friends. However, when the president of Amanda’s fan club is murdered, Charlotte once again must put on her detective hat to solve the crime in Reserved for Murder.

The main plot described above is great and a challenging mystery. I also love the setting. But I disliked the spy subplot. It was distracting and didn’t mesh well with the main plot. In general, I don’t expect or want espionage in a cozy mystery series. For that reason, Reserved for Murder gets only 3 stars from me. Read the first book in the series that I gave 5 stars. Read the next book too. But this one is a pass for me.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This mystery is second in what is fast becoming another of my favorite “bookish” series. Included is a charming, Southern B & B with a fabulous library that offers literary events. The protagonist and her friends are three-dimensional folks that I enjoyed getting to know better, and the mysteries have just enough twists and turns to keep me entertained. It is written with excellence, and the characters are best defined through their realistic conversations and actions.

Charlotte was an English teacher before inheriting Great-Aunt Isabella’s B & B, Chapters. A forty-something widow, she could start over after the loss of her beloved firefighter husband. A murder took place at one of the literary events after she began to manage Chapters. She worked hard to find whodunit with the help and encouragement of Ellen, her next-door neighbor and friend of Isabella.

Ellen has secrets that Charlotte wishes the sweet lady hadn’t told her. Some of those secrets concern work that she and Isabella had done in their younger years. Ellen has a houseguest this week who she introduces as Gavin, the son of her cousin. When he starts paying too much attention to Chapters and two of their elderly neighbors, it seems that visiting family is not why Gavin is in town.

The highlight of the week is Chapters’s special event. The famous romantic adventure novelist Amanda Nobel, her publicist Tony, and three fans who won the prize of spending a week with her are at Chapters. Amanda has published twelve of the time travel novels of a swashbuckling pirate that now has a TV series. Her stay has been kept under wraps so she can take a break from her book tour.

The day after the only public event, Lisette, head of one of Amanda’s top fan clubs and author of many fan fiction stories using Amanda’s characters is found dead in the water (literally) near the docks. It looks like she was murdered. Other than her abrasive personality and her stalker ex-husband, a reason for her murder is not evident.

Charlotte and Ellen were invaluable help to Detective Johnson last year. They told her anything they overheard from guests, and she asks them to do so again. After all, one of fans, the author, and her publicist have a week left at Chapters, one of whom could be a killer. The more they learn, however, the more suspects they find. Charlotte is braver – or maybe rasher – than I am! I didn’t get why she showed her hand when talking to a couple people. I’m not sure I could confront someone I thought was a killer as if they were a recalcitrant high school student. It worked for her, thankfully, and she and Ellen remain my favorite characters.

This is an excellent cozy that invited me in on the first page, and I very much enjoyed it! Chapters, Isabella’s wonderful library, and her friends are such a great setting I would love to visit. There were a couple red herrings, then one tiny clue that helped show me the real whodunit despite almost overwhelming motives for others. No loose ends were left, and the end was very satisfying. I highly recommend this to those who appreciate well-written cozy mysteries, Southern hospitality, B and B’s and book centered events.

From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my review.

I quickly fell in love with this series last year when the first one came out. What could be more fun than a good cozy mystery mixed with a little bit of spy intrigue? Ellen is the coolest neighbor having been a spy at one time in her life, but once a spy...well you know how it goes. I love her character, and we got to meet a new person that I hope will keep their word and come back soon.

There wasn't a book club book that the murder coincided with, but it did get into the drama of the fan fiction world a little bit. With no shortage of suspects, Charlotte and Ellen had their work cut out for them being eyes and ears for the police as they all tried to sort this out. The showdown was great with everyone (of the good guy crew) having a part in it. I hadn't suspected whodunit until Charlotte did.

I thought the ending wrapped everything up perfectly with all the local friends gathering and discussing the case. Then the very ending was really good and makes me wish the next book was coming sooner! (Not a cliffhanger, no worries, just some wishful thinking on my part!)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Charlotte is hosting an author and a few of her contest-winning fans in the B&B Chapters. Her neighbor, Ellen, is hosting a spy as part of her former job. Amanda, the author, writes time travel pirate romances which are very popular. When one of the guests is found dead, Charlotte and Ellen become involved in solving the murder. And then there’s the question of why Ellen’s guest is really visiting.

I enjoy the mix of the new mystery along with the ties of Charlotte’s great aunt and Ellen being former spies. I enjoy the characters and the setting. Looking forward to the next book.

This is the second book in the Booklovers B & B Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert.
Charlotte Reed Beaufort, owns and operates Chapters Bed and Breakfast in Beaufort, North Carolina Charlotte is a former schoolteacher.

Scheduled at the B & B is a tea with a celebrity author. Unfortunately, the president of the reclusive writer's fan club is found dead by the Beaufort docks. Means of death is blunt force trauma.
Charlotte and her crew delve into the mystery. There are plenty of twists and turns.
I found this story a pleasant escape. Looking forward to more in the series.

I was given an ARC e-book copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

This is the second book in a series set in Chapters B&B in North Carolina. I would love to stay there myself especially in the Mystery Room. I might just sit in the room for my whole visit, ordering room service and reading the books.

Charlotte is hosting an author event when an important member of the fan club is murdered. There is a lot of information about authors, ghost writers and fan fiction which is all very interesting, but could it really incite anyone to commit murder? Apparently the answer is yes.

If you have read the first book you will know that Charlotte's next door neighbour and fellow amateur sleuth used to be a spy. It sounds a bit ridiculous but this author makes it work. A new character, Gavin, is introduced as a fellow spy and maybe romantic interest for Charlotte.

I enjoyed the action and the investigations. Everyone behaved in character, the clues were all there and the murderer was still a surprise to me! I am looking forward to the next book and maybe a bit more about Gavin.

Reserved for Murder is the second book in the Book Lover’s B&B Mystery series by Victoria Gilbert.

A famous author and a few select fans are staying at Charlotte’s B&B. Charlotte’s neighbor, Ellen, has a mysterious cousin, Gavin, staying with her.

I enjoyed the main mystery of figuring out the murder but the subplot about why Gavin is in town is a real stretch.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.v

"When you're next door neighbor is a retired spy..." If the book starts with that line, you know it's going to be a fun read. This book was so much fun to read. Totally enjoyable!

Charlotte Reed, in her B&B called Chapters, in Beaufort, North Carolina, was hosting an author visit for the week with three fans who had won free accommodation and the chance to meet their favourite author. There were activities and special events planned for the week with locals invited as well as the guests. Alicia and Damien, Charlotte’s assistants, helped out as needed, while Charlotte’s neighbour, Ellen was her usual friendly self. But when one of the guests was found murdered, the local police became involved, with both Charlotte and Ellen doing their amateur sleuthing as they had the previous year.

As investigations continued, it seemed there were many suspects – many with hidden secrets. Would Charlotte and Ellen find the culprit? Or would they put themselves in danger, poking their noses in where certain people didn’t want them? And who was the strange man who was lingering in the area?

Reserved for Murder is the 2nd in the Booklovers B&B Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Fun, light and entertaining with intriguing characters from all walks of life, the clues were there but I didn’t figure out the ‘who’ until just before the reveal. A delightful read which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

This second in the B&B Mysteries series is a nice addition to the series set in the rich in history coastal town of Beaufort, North Carolina. Charlotte Reed inherited Chapters, a Bed and Breakfast, from her aunt Isabella, who was a member of the US intelligence community. The theme of the B&B is based on books and guests sometimes stay there for book themed events. This week author Amanda Nobel is on tour, staying at Chapters along with a representative of the publisher and three fan club members who won the opportunity to stay with the author. There appears to be tension between several of the guests from the beginning but is ramped up when one of the guests is found dead in the harbor. Charlotte's neighbor Ellen was Aunt Isabella's handler and these days works with Charlotte to untangle mysteries. This is their second murder to figure how in as many years. We have several possible suspects to consider but motive is not known either. The dead woman's ex-husband appeared in town the same day as the murder so he is on the suspect list. Ellen also has a guest staying with her posing as a cousin but she obviously doesn't want him there so this adds another layer of interest as to who he is and why is he in town. An interesting story with a lot of unknowns but the suspect list gets narrowed down gradually as alibis are confirmed. Lovely setting and premise for a B&B with interesting recurring characters, so a nice read for cozy mystery lovers.
I received a complimentary ARC from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine only.

A few hours after a world famous author holds a book signing at Charlotte Reed's Bed and Breakfast, Chapters, the president of the author's fan club is found dead. Both the author and the fan club president are staying at Chapters courtesy of the publishing company. One of Charlotte's friends, Scott, becomes a suspect when the fan club president threatens Scott's sales of his books with one star reviews on Goodreads and other book sites when he questions the author's historical accuracy. I am fond of cozies set in North Carolina. Love how the deceased aunt's past as a spy affects Charlotte's life.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to like this book, but the lead character was not appealing at all. The subplot about her neighbor and her would-be nephew was boring and for spies, they both talk too much.

I received this book from the publisher through Netgalley for review and all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Charlotte Reed is the proud owner of a bibliophile B& B, a historic inn with charm and elegance. She has a penchant for mystery; solving them, I mean, not just reading them. In this, the latest book of the series, we find her preparing for what is supposed to be a quiet, fans only, weekend with a renowned romance author. Her neighbor, Ellen, has a shady past and a mysterious visitor. Don't ask, don't tell is the norm with Ellen who may be, or not, a retired spy. This lends for secrets, mysterious goings on, and some serious involvement with law enforcement higher ups! Well written book with loads of characters. Finely done!! Thoroughly enjoyable cozy read.

Reserved for Murder takes us back to Beaufort, North Carolina and the Chapters B&B. Charlotte Reed is prepared to host a famous romance author. The first night one of Amanda’s fans, Lisette, is killed.
There are things going on behind the scene.
Ellen has a house guest, Gavin. While he is visiting more of Isabella’s past dealings come to light. It causes Charlotte to question Ellen’s motives in their friendship.
The story is so interesting and I enjoyed all the mysteries that are going on surrounding the author and the past.
It is interesting that Victoria Gilbert chose to have the police encourage Charlotte and Ellen to gather information. Ellen was a spy but Charlotte has no training. It’s a harmonious relationship which is nice but one of those things that require you to suspend disbelief.
I like that mistakes are acknowledged and that the main characters don’t get stuck in the emotion of the problem.
I suspected who the murderer was but there was a good amount of red herrings that kept the story lively until I was proven right.
This is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Give it a try. It could be read as a stand-alone although you would understand more about Isabella and her story if you read book 1 first.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.