This is a cozy mystery that takes place in Beaufort, NC, at Chapters Bed & Breakfast. I loved the concept of this B&B as it regularly hosts literary events. I also found myself really wanting to visit Beaufort.

The main characters include the proprietor, Charlotte Hubbard, and her neighbor Ellen. Charlotte is a retired teacher and Ellen is a retired spy. In this book, Chapters B&B is hosting the popular romance writer Amanda Nobel and three members of her fandom, including the president of her fan club. Amanda Nobel is there for a quiet few days, but unfortunately, word got out about her presence. To preserve at least part of her quiet visit for herself, she arranged a few events to satisfy her local fans.

Only, the day after the first event, the president of her fan club was found dead and everyone at the B&B is a suspect. There is another unrelated subplot as well. While I really liked the setting and the premise, I thought the tone and pacing of the book needed more variety.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to read this ARC. It was my pleasure to read and review this book.

In this second book in the series, B&B owner Charlotte is hosting an author for the week. Along with the author comes some contest winners who get to stay and interact with her all week. When one of them turns up dead, Charlotte sets off to find out what happened.
Opinion
I initially picked this book up because it is set in my home state of North Carolina. I enjoyed reading about places that I have been. The book certainly set my mind up so that I could almost imagine being in the town with the characters.
This fun read kept me intrigued. With so many red herrings, I certainly did not guess who the culprit was until the very end. I love the "spy" factor of this series (Charlotte's deceased aunt and her neighbor were spies.) The new spy, Gavin, certainly introduced some frustrating turned appealing emotions.
Many thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

We first met Charlotte Reid, owner of the book-themed Chapters Bed and Breakfast, in Booked for Death. Now she’s back, hosting a famous author on her new book tour. But when the president of her fan club is found dead, suspicion falls on all of Charlotte’s guests – and a few of her friends, too.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and Victoria Gilbert’s other cosy mystery series, Blue Ridge Library. So I was looking forward to this for a nice, light break from other reading. I got that, mostly, but to be honest I was a bit disappointed compared to the first book.

The relationships between the author and her fans – several of whom, as competition winners, are staying in the B&B – never quite clicked for me. I did like the subplot mystery, surrounding her work and famous series (all about a dashing, time travelling pirate, of course, and now a globally popular TV show). I do like that these books are higher on the mystery than either the cosy or the – horror! – romance that so often creeps in to the genre.

However, we do have the stirrings of romance here, but that’s not what disappointed me. Book one established the mysterious background of Charlotte’s neighbour, and this time she’s been joined by a ‘cousin’ – of whom she seems really less than fond. This other subplot, all spies and covert intelligence, really didn’t work for me at all. I found a lot of the scenes with the ‘spy’ character felt really unbelievable, on several levels.

That said, it was still a fun read, and a nice palate cleanser between other books. I just hope book 3 – if there is one! – feels a bit less disjointed.

I liked this book because of all the bookish references but I am only giving four stars because the subplot I felt overshadowed the plot of the book itself and sometimes the subplot got a bit tedious to keep track of.

Charlotte Reed is hosting an author who has come to the small town of Beaufort, NC to get away from the pressures of her tour. In Beaufort, her publisher has arranged one event that she will appear at and then get some needed R&R, although in the company of three lucky fans who are also staying at Chapters B&B, Charlotte's business. However, when one of the guests ends up murdered and the story behind author's book #13 starts to unravel, Charlotte finds herself in the middle of the investigation trying to figure out whodunit.

This book was different from regular cozies in that Charlotte's nosiness is actually welcomed and encouraged by the local police, something that is usually frowned on in other cozies. The subplot, introduced nearly from the get-go is that Charlotte's neighbor is a former spy and the agency has sent someone posing as her cousin to look into matters long ago. While I found some of this scenario amusing, as I mentioned before sometimes this subplot took over the regular plot. At times it felt like the Ms. Gilbert lost track of which book she was writing and had to circle things back to the main plot.

I liked the book enough to finish and I had a hunch about whodunit. I have not read the first book in the series but I think I would after reading this one.

What happens when you combine a Bed and Breakfast with retired spies, a well-known author, and murder - you get “Reserved For Murder”.

I enjoyed Victoria Gilbert’s latest cozy mystery. Set in Beaufort NC, the Chapters Bed and Breakfast is hosting Amanda Nobel, noted romance writer, and a few of her fans for a weeklong getaway. It should be a lovely week - at least until the body of Lisette Bradford is discovered on the pier, at which time almost everyone, resident or visitor, becomes a suspect. Charlotte Reed, owner of Chapters, and her neighbor, Ellen Montgomery, a retired spy, will find themselves assisting the town’s law enforcement in tracking down the suspect.

The book held my attention and had me wanting to know more and more about the suspects and the crime as I read. The B and B, the quaint community, and the characters, easily make for a five-star book.
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This review is based on a free electronic copy provided by the publisher for the purpose of creating this review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.

Reserved For Murder is the second book in the Booklovers B&B Mysteries series by Victoria Gilbert.

Charlotte Reed is hosting a meet and greet and book signing for Amanda Noble, a best-selling romance/fantasy author, at her B&B, Chapters. Also staying at the B&B are three of Nobles fans selected from a contest to receive a three-day stay at Chapters: Lisette, Harper, and Molly. Tony Lott, Noble’s publicity and marketing manager, is also a guest at Chapters.

Shortly after the arrival of the guests, Charlotte notices that there is tension with each other. With conversations that Charlotte overhears and some that she is part of, she learns that someone has possibly plagiarized someone’s fan fiction.
When Lisette’s dead body is found in the harbor, Charlotte feels sure one of her guests is undoubtedly a murder. Once again, Charlotte will team up with her neighbor, Ellen, a retired spy for the government, to help her find the killer before losing anyone else.

Charlotte involves herself in is learning who the man that she has seen at Ellen’s is. Ellen has introduced him as her cousin, who will be staying with her for a while. But Charlotte doesn’t remember Ellen mentioning before that she has any living relatives. Charlotte will soon feel that she is being spied on.

This book is well-written and plotted and moves at a steady pace. The characters are well-developed and quite interesting. Most of the characters from the first book are back again.

I will be watching for the next book in this exciting series.

It feels like it took us forever to get into the story! We did finally got into the story and ended up enjoying it quite a lot. That's after it took as days to figure out where all the characters fit in (there are a lot of characters to keep track with), how Charlotte ended up in Beaufort New Carolina, and the two story-lines that have nothing to do with each other, really baffled my Mommy's little human brain.

We've read a few other reviews from people who enjoyed this book tremendously and we came to the conclusion that it's definitely us, not them. And the reason we didn't feel a spark here, was because we didn't read the first book in the series. *Note to self: Do not request books out of series. You won't see a flicker of light.

All good murder mysteries, need to follow the basics of a game of Clue:
You need a victim
You need a killer
You need a murder weapon
You need a location

What Clue doesn't have, is the why. Why did Colonel Mustard kill Madam Peacock in the library with a candlestick? Now that was brilliant in Reserved for Murder. The why made this book a successful read for us.

The subplot with James Bond and company, intrigued us enough to want to read the first in the series. *You do know that Ian Fleming was looking for a very boring and non-descriptive name when he named his 007 spy? Gavin No-One from Reserved for Murder sure fits that profile perfectly. We want to know more about Charlotte's neighbor and her deceased aunt's espionage history, so we'll try to get hold of Booked to Death and hope to get a few more answers.

All in all, Reserved for Murder was a decent read and we will most probably read the next one in the series. That is if we read the first one though!

This is the second in the Booklovers B & B Mysteries, but it reads well as a standalone. I received an ARC copy via NetGalley.
Charlotte Reed runs Chapters Bed & Breakfast, often hosting literary special events. On a hot July weekend, such an event is taking place. One of the biggest names in romantic fantasy is staying at Chapters together with three competition winners & taking part in several meet the author events in the quaint coastal town of Beaufort.
When the president of the writer’s fan club is found dead in the docks, it is up to Charlotte & her sprightly neighbour, Ellen, to solve the case before things escalate.
This is a cosy mystery, mainly written in the first person & dialogue driven. Trouble is, it doesn’t change pace & although it reaches a conclusion, I found myself a little underwhelmed. Maybe, it was the subplots which didn’t seem to add anything to the overall structure.
I like cosy mysteries, generally as a break from my usual blood & gore, but I’m afraid this just didn’t deliver for me. It was too lightweight. That being said, I would read a third instalment, as it would be interesting to see how the characters develop.

This is more of a ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫.
I really enjoyed it. I felt the characters were well developed. The murderer was someone that you knew the whole time so it was not that random character that comes out of the blue and when the reveal happened, you could fee the tension. The side spy story is so cool. I really hope that gets developed more in the next one! I enjoy a cozy mystery and will continue to read Gilbert’s books!

Reserved for Murder is the second book in this series and the first I have read. I really enjoyed it. I loved the setting and the characters were fun and likeable. The plot had me interested from the beginning, right the way through to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my ARC.

4.5 stars

This is the second book in the Booklovers B&B mystery series by Victoria Gilbert.

This is a great book. This is one of those tales that is about authors for readers to enjoy. There is an old rivalry between two fan fiction authors in this plot which finds its way into be a big clue into what is really going on with the murder. A mega-popular romantic adventure author comes to Charlotte’s bookstore for an author chat with local fans. Then the president of her fan club is found dead. But all is not what it seems and they have to dig into all the motivations behind what happened in the past that lead to this unfortunate death.

Great story. I loved following this former teacher and her friend the former spy. I also enjoyed the romantic adventure author, Amanda. She would make a great recurring character, I think. I like how this book was structured and the characters all really stood out to me and made me fall in love with the series all over again.

I have to admit that I resonated with this book but I couldn’t recall the previous book in the series. I took a look back, and I read book one a few weeks before my mother passed away last year. A lot of the things back then were a bit more difficult for me. You know the drill, I was just stunned and shocked for a long time. I am afraid I blocked a lot of stuff I truly want to remember more clearly… especially the backstory to the characters in this series. I am definitely going to reread book one in order to cement it into my mind so I am well up on the series when book three comes out.

Highly recommended.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title. Opinions are completely my own.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the opportunity to read and review this story.

This is the second book in this series and I liked it more than the first. Mostly because I feel like I know the main characters more and I felt that the story flowed better.

The main character is a widow who inherited a B&B from her eccentric aunt. She now hosts reader retreats, with guest authors. Her aunt had a few skeletons in her closet that Charlette has now uncovered.

I have enjoyed this series so far and will continue to get the subsequent books as they come out.

If I could I would make a reservation to stay at Chapters bed and breakfast as soon as possible. What a lovely retreat from the stress of the world these days. Charlotte is hosting a romance writer and some of her fans but there is a murderer in the mix and soon one of the guests checks out. The secrets will come to light, hopefully before the killer picks another target. That means Charlotte and her best friend, Ellen need to start investigating the guest list to stop the killer.
Charlotte and Ellen are well developed and very likable characters. The mystery kept me guessing and thoroughly entertained to the very end. The setting was the perfect location for a top notch cozy mystery. Just what I expect to find in a good cozy read.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this second installment in the series. The characters are fleshed out with fun personalities, and the plot had me hooked from the beginning.

This is book 2 in the Booklovers B&B series and can be read as a stand alone. I did not read book 1, Booked for death. Charlotte runs the B&B Chapters in North Carolina. Her neighbor, Ellen is a retired Government agent who helps her solve the murder of an author agent. Rescue dogs are present so lovers of pet cozy's will enjoy this also. I liked the characters and plan to read more from this series. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is the second instalment in the Booklover B&B mystery series. Charlotte runs a quaint B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina and hosts bookish events. This time, Chapter Bed and Breakfast is all set to host a bestselling author who arrives at Chapter to get away from the throes of fans and the bustling work. However, she agrees to meet a select number of fans in a Meet and Greet. Things go haywire when the president of the fan club is found bludgeoned to death.
The characters enthralled me right off the bat and I really enjoyed the dynamics between them. Especially the interactions between Charlotte and Gavin. The mystery itself was entertaining and kept me hooked until the end. The author draws on the charm of the quaint setting of Beaufort and I could see the Southern references in it.
The point of attraction for me was that the author has highlighted the highs and lows of being an author, the post-publication process and the like. Since this is my first book of the series, I am definitely picking up the first and waiting for the next.

When Lisette, the president of Amanda Noble's fan club, is found bludgeoned, Charlotte and her neighbor Ellen once again are on the case, poking around in the victim's past to find the truth. Charlotte inherited the Chapters B&B and she's making a go of it. This second installment in the series, which is quite fine as a standalone, is a classic cozy combined with what I think is an unnecessary and distracting subplot. That said, there's some interesting commentary about fan fiction (Noble is a romance writer) and you gotta love a cozy with writers and books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For cozy fans.

Reserved for Murder is the 2nd book in the Booklovers B&B Mysteries . This cozy mystery series continues to be enjoyable. Charlotte Reed owns Chapters B&B. In this book, Charlotte is hosting author Amanda Nobel, her Publicist Tony, and 3 contest winners. I like that there aren't a lot of people to remember. Of course there are some locals from the first book including Charlotte's next door neighbor Ellen, the B&B assistants Alicia and Damian, Julie and, Scott, Sandy and Pete, Ophelia and Bernadette, and a newcomer, Gavin, Rumors and secrets are unveiled as the story unfolds. When one of the guests is found dead, Charlotte and Ellen work together to find out what happened. Gavin's arrival is suspicious which adds to the story. The characters are likable and interesting and the cozy mystery kept me guessing until the end. This was an enjoyable book. #NetGalley #ReservedForMurder #VictoriaGilbert #CrookedLaneBooks

I loved the quaint town setting in this murder mystery. I loved the character profiles and the multiple sub-stories within the main story. I thought the author did a great job setting the scenes and keeping the audience wondering about who actually committed the murder. Would recommend and cannot wait for the next installment of this book, if it’s in the works!

I really enjoyed this book and found it very entertaining. All the characters were great and added to the story line. There were two parts to the story with the murder and the other espionage. The main character, Charlotte Reed and her neighbor, Ellen Montgomery intertwined between the two story lines perfectly. There was suspense, with the espionage shifting between the past and the present. Ellen Montgomery and Charlotte's great aunt Isabella
were both spies during the war. Aunt Isabella died and left the B&B to her niece, Charlotte. Ellen and Gavin Howard were brought into the present to continue the story line.

The arrival of an author, Amanda Noble, came to stay at the B&B was the second part of the story which brought a whole new set of characters.. The climax with both parts of the stories merged into the ending. The book kept the reader on their toes trying to figure out what was happening. I look forward to seeing where some of the characters go in the next part of the series.

Thanking you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.


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