Reserved for murder is the second book in the Book lovers B&B mystery series. We check in with Charlotte at Chapters B&B where on a hot July weekend, a visit by one of the biggest names in romantic fantasy attracts throngs of admirers to the quaint coastal village. Then the president of the reclusive writer's fan club is found dead in the harbor by the Beaufort docks. It is up to Charlotte Reed, her neighbor Ellen, and Ellen's trusty Yorkshire terrier to sniff out the killer.

I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed the first. I do recommend starting with the first book before you read this one. The characters are enjoyable and very likable. I also enjoyed the storyline. I felt like this book was a little slower than the first but still good.

Checked in for another author visit at Chapters B&B, but things go awry when an attendee gets snuffed out leaving Charlotte wondering if she was once again sleeping with a murderer under her roof! The characters are rich in personality and well developed to add flavor to a well thought our plot wrought with potential suspects. This cozy mystery will keep you entertained for hours as you gleefully devour the pages to see who did it and what is in store for the characters! I absolutely must put this series on my must read list to be sure not to miss future books that come out!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Another fun Cozy mystery book. Definitely recommend

A solid second installment in this series, I enjoyed it. This one was a bit slower than the first one in the series, and I would have liked more from Ellen - her involvement and career exposé was interesting in the first and I think the author could have played more on that aspect.

I was excited for this book by the synopsis, but I felt that it fell flat. The characters did not make me feel anything. I found myself bored about half way through the book and really just was ready for it to be over. This is not a book I will remember reading.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of RESERVED FOR MURDER (Book 2 of A Book Lover’s B&B Murder Mysteries) by Victoria Gilbert in exchange for an honest review. In Beaufort, North Carolina, Charlotte Reed continues to offer special book-related events at Chapters Bed and Breakfast. This time, one of the most successful romantic adventure authors his hosting some of her fans at the B&B on the eve of her newest book tour, which will commence with a book signing at the local bookstore. When one of the fans from the B&B is found dead in the harbor, local law enforcement asks Charlotte and her retired intelligence operative neighbor Ellen to assist them in gathering information on the guests. With all of her guests and some of the locals under suspicion, Charlotte and Ellen will have to work hard to keep their investigation innocuous. Meanwhile, Ellen is hosting a man claiming to be her relative, but the man seems to have an unnatural interest in Charlotte and her house.

I liked this book and the first one in the series, as well. I recommend this book and series to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, seaside towns, books, B&Bs, and espionage.

#ReservedforMurder #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book. It's got a lot going on with it. The mystery is interesting, with all the characters. I was definitely surprised by who the killer was. I really liked the characters and their interactions. #ReservedforMurder #NetGalley

Good enough to finish, but unmemorable. The same problems I mentioned in my review of the first book continue here. Unengaging characters and the use of over the top, as in strange, elements. A new, probably re-occurring, character gets introduced and the reason for him being there is really implausible and he doesn't add much. Charlotte's helping the police the way she does is off the charts, though a bit acceptable in a mystery, yet they don't seem to do anything but mop up.

I'm going to call it a wrap on this series.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I received an ARC of this book through Net Galley. The opinions expressed are my own.

The premise and the setting for the novel are good, Unfortunately, the story just drags. There are far too many irrelevant details that make the book longer than it needs to be. For example, there's a descriptive scene in which the main character, Charlotte, decides that she needs more flowers to brighten up a room. The author goes into detail about the table, the vase, the cutting of the flowers for no reason. There's no connection to the plot.

On top of that, former schoolteacher and Beaufort, NC resident Charlotte refers to the Intracoastal waterway as the Intercoastal. To me, that's just sloppy.

I had high hopes for this book- a book-themed B&B, an author's retreat, a fun coastal town, murder, nosy neighbors... It had the all of the elements to make a great cozy mystery. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me.

The author writes books similar to the Outlander series, and our protagonist Charlotte, along with several of her book club members, mention several times that they don't care for romance novels. It's always said in a way that feels a bit snooty and judgemental, as though romance is beneath their standards.

The mystery was a mess to me with too many side characters as suspects but not enough motives to go around. I was confused about why a guest (Molly) went home but came back for events, the B&B staff acted like they were up to something (I expected Charlotte to catch them kissing or something), and the most involved backstory out of anyone is for Ophelia, who is a minor character.

I would like to know more about Charlotte's past, her interests as a person (send her on dates! Give her hobbies!), and less information about so many side characters. Those are the things that make the protagonist in any cozy mystery series interesting enough for me to pick up their future books.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was written well, the story line was a little scattered for me, though. There are a lot of characters, and honestly, I pretty much knew who did it, so I ignored some minor characters story lines.

As far as cozy mysteries go, Victoria Gilbert is one of my favorite author and I love the idea of a Bookish Bed and Breakfast. Looking forward to the next installment.

Per quanto mi riguarda, nell'ambito dei Cozy Mystery Victoria Gilbert é una delle mie autrici preferite e l'idea di un Bed and Breakfast letterario mi piace molto. Non vedo l'ora di leggere il prossimo libro.

THANKS NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!

From the synopsis of Reserved For Murder, I was really excited to start reading it! A BnB, and bookstore sounds like the perfect setting for a mystery!! One problem I had with this book is that the story was dominantly the characters speaking. There needed to be more 'showing'. Everything was being explained and I found it frustrating because the I can-along with every other reader, can read between the lines and understand what is happening without having to be told every step of the way. I also found the sub-plot with the spies was not needed. It definitely was interesting, but did not fit into the book. Overall, I think this book had a great story/plot but it was not executed properly.

Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC of Reserved For Murder!

This is the second Book Lover's B&B Mystery. I read and enjoyed the first. The second was just as enjoyable and can stand alone as well. A well written mystery with a little espionage thrown in.

This was an enjoyable read. I haven't read book #1 in the series, but this book stands alone just fine. Charlotte's a relatable character, and I love the book world that this takes place in. Charlotte does a couple of unbelievably dumb/risky things, which always annoys me. Other that that, it's a nice way to escape the real world for a few hours.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

After reading the publishers blurb and seeing that this book takes place in Beaufort NC, one of my favorite places to visit and it’s only about 2 hours away, I had to read this book. Set in the beautiful old money part of NC sits a bed and breakfast that was built in the 18th century and owned by a former teacher Charlotte Reed.. There are usually many people who love to read booking rooms there due to the many events planned throughout the summer that bring in authors from all over. This time it will host a very famous romance author for the weekend. Afterwards, the author will be signing books at the bookstore across the street. Then the president of the fan club that got all of this started was found dead by the docks with his head smashed in. Charlotte gets the help of her neighbor and her neighbors terrier to help solve the murder. Can they find the killer before they strike again? Could it have something to do with the author who is in town? The story starts out with a bang and keeps going until you reach the end. I had a great time reading this book and a better time getting to know the characters. I truly loved Charlotte and her ability to handle many things at one time.


Thank you to netgalley as well as the author/publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review

Reserved for Murder is the second in Victoria Gilbert's charming Booklovers B&B series, set at the Chapters B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina. Owner Charlotte Reed is a hosting popular author who is queen of the historical romance scene , but when another of the guests, who happens to be not just head of her fan club, but also secretly the ghost writer for the latest instalment of her best selling series, winds up dead, the hunt for a killer begins. It seems like there are plenty of people with a motive, those who want to keep the ghost writing under wraps, other members of the fan club who had fallen out with the victim and even a stalking ex husband , and Charlotte will have her work cut out to keep the rest of her guests safe as she figures out who is responsible.
I really enjoyed the first book in the series, so I was keen to pick up this one, but to be honest it never captured or held my interest in quite the same way. While I enjoyed the glimpse behind the scenes of the publishing world , the secondary plot involving spies and a threat from the past just felt like pointless padding. Charlotte is still a fun and interesting character, and I did enjoy the dynamics between the team at Chapters but overall the book fell a little flat for me. On the strength of the previous book I would be willing to give the series another chance, in hopes that it picks back up.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert is the second in A Booklover's B&B Mystery series. I did purchase the first in the series to ensure I understood the full premise and how the characters are developed. This made a big difference in my reading experience. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. The setting is charming and the characters are engaging. I will be reading more from this series.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

A solid mystery based on the cut-throat writing and publishing industry. It was interesting to see fanfiction being mentioned as a factor in writing and publishing. I enjoyed the characters.

However, the subplot involving spies and a short-lived love affair decades ago seemed far-fetched. Also, I didn’t like how some characters voiced that a stalker ex-husband really loved his wife when he attempted to find out who killed her. So what. That doesn’t diminish the terror and danger of people who are being stalked. They are constantly on alert, never knowing where the person will appear and what they will do. They never get a break. They are the ones suffering. I just thought it made a little light of the problems of stalking and abuse.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a free copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely B&B, a woman looking for a new start after tragedy, a senior retired CIA operative and her adorable Yorkie , a decades old case of spy intrigue , a handsome mystery man and a present day murder are not quite what Charlotte Reed had in mind for a new quiet life. Now, she and her friend Ellen and Yorkie Shandy are in the middle of a romance author's murder!

What a great book! So many things to like - Charlotte who is. a relatable main character, quirky and likable supporting characters, a mystery you can't put down (I couldn't!) and an ocean setting that is lush and very southern. I would love to relax on the B&B's porch under the outside fan, with a cocktail or sweet tea.. Having a senior retired CIA operative - Ellen - brought even more to the mystery.. Add in the handsome Gavin and you have a delightful and intriguing cozy mystery with an international feel!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.