Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library was a pleasant cozy mystery. I had not read the previous book but I was able to understand everything that was occurring, as well as the dynamics between the characters. The main character, Rain, is pleasant and it's interesting to see her gather clues to sole the murder. However, I had a hard time liking Julia, Rain's best friend. I felt like she added unnecessary drama to the story. It was a welcome break when she was not present in the book. It's a bit of a shame that this character is almost always there because I would have enjoyed the book more if Marge or Jace (more interesting characters, in my humble opinion) had been given a bigger role in the story. The mystery is interesting and well built, which is why I kept on reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this title, scheduled for release on February 8, 2022. This is the 2nd book in the Lakeside Library series and the first I have read.

Rain is the local librarian in the Wisconsin town of Lofty Pines and has recently decided to stay in town and run the library year round. The town is buzzing with excitement for the annual Ice Fishing Jamboree until one of the participants is found dead in his fishing shanty, resulting in the husband of Rain's best friend being accused if murder. Rain and her best friend, Julia, investigate to clear his name.

The actions of the characters falls a little unbelievable to me, even in a cozy mystery. There is a lot of unnecessary and excessive discussion of the winter weather.

Rain Wilmot has decided to keep her family's library in Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. She meets a patron just before the annual Ice Fishing Jamboree. During the festival, Wallace Benson, the patron, is found dead in his ice shanty and the husband of Rain's friend is arrested for murder. Rain and Julia (her friend) are determined to find the real killer. The story is engaging. and kept me guessing Several suspects, each with a good motive. The book is easy-to-read and very entertaining.

A very snowy cozy! This is the second in the series. I haven't read the first, but I was able to figure out what was going on and who was who. It can easily be read as a standalone. The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing until the end. I didn't really connect with the main character, though. The story wasn't very dynamic and I wasn't dying to get back to it at any point. However, it was enjoyable to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

The first book in Holly Danvers’ Lakeside Library Mysteries got a three star rating from me too. And while she doesn’t have as much repetition in Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library, it has new problems that are really hard for me to overlook when all combined together.

First, I do want to mention the positives, which are that I love the premise of the series, a small library right on the lake that is now open year round. And having grown up in Northern Wisconsin, Danvers is spot on when describing the weather, natural areas, and people in the Northwoods. I really wish I could get into this series more because of the location she picked to write about.

I’ll start with the two smaller issues I have, which if either were by themselves, I could overlook it, wouldn’t even mention it, and would give the book a higher rating. But when you combine them with the third thing, it’s just too much.

The first is all the time Danvers spent setting up a love triangle. I’m not a fan, but I usually look past it… as long as it doesn’t go on for three or more books. Add to this, the handyman saying he would take a bullet for Rain after having briefly met her a few times… it was a bit much.
Then comes the way Julia, Rain’s BFF, is acting. Now I know her husband is being accused of murder and is sitting in jail, but she continually goes off on people in a psychotic and violent way. Now I don’t know how I would act in the same situation, but this being a cozy mystery, and the character is a school teacher… it was a bit much.

Finally is all the ways that Rain and Julia skirted, abused, and violated the law. Now most protagonists will be in the gray area when it comes to being a law abiding citizen in a cozy mystery, but this was pretty extreme.

Unfortunately because of all of these issues and the first book having so much repetition, I don’t think this will be a series that I will continue to read.

To be honest, I preferred the first book BUT I had a great time reading this one. It's a cozy mystery that's going to make you feel all wrapped up in the story.
I would recommend it to adults of 40-60 years old rather than young adults.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I was really excited to see that there was another book in this series as I enjoyed the first one so much! Rain and her best friend Julia are caught up in yet another murder mystery, and this time if affects someone close to them. I had a good idea who the murderer was early on but it didn't deter me from wanting to finish this book. This is a good series for those cozy mystery readers out there, I couldn't put it down.

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library by Holly Danvers starts several months after the first book ended and sees Rain Wilmot deciding to stay at her family's cabin through the upcoming winter. Although this is the second book in the series, the author includes enough information about the history of the characters to enable a reader to jump into this book without having read the first.

This book continues to develop the relationships between the main characters while also introducing several others to create some conflicts between some of the characters. Although there were some misdirects within this book, it was apparent almost from the beginning who the killer was and there was very little development of that particular character so there was no feeling of shock when it was revealed. I feel that more time was actually spent on trying to develop potential romantic interests for Rain than on the actual circumstances and motives surrounding the murder. I look forward to seeing where these characters go in future books in this series.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A clever cozy mystery. Brrrr! Lots of snow and ice. Wish I were reading this in the middle of summer. I know, lots of people enjoy the snow. I am not one of them. Still wondering why a character returned from Florida. LOL! The library is a busy place. The tale kept me guessing. Romantic sparks, but no fires. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

Just love the idea of this library. It is like a grown up little library that are on so many locations now days. It is full of interesting books and now there is even a warm and toasty stove and coffee. Add a comfy chair and I want to be there! Amy and Julia are digging for clues when a death occurs right in front of Amy's cabin. And Nick has been arrested. Oh my! Am I the only one shivering through the snow storm? Follow the girls as they weather the storm to a heart pounding conclusion. A good read but have a warm drink and blanket handy!

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, about a recent widow who moves into her parents' cabin on a lake in northern Wisconsin. Her best friend lives next door, and together they help to manage a library on the premises. In this episode, set in winter, an ice fisherman is murdered and her friend's husband is implicated. The two of them go on a search for the real killer, in spite of major snow storms and somewhat scary suspects. I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery and look forward to the next episode!

Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library is an entertaining cozy mystery with a few details that lowered the rating for me. First, the author seems to be setting up for two potential love interests. While some people enjoy the love triangle trope, it just isn't for me. Second, I found Rain and Julia's adventures to be a bit much. I still enjoyed the book and would read another book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A good plot that held my interest; wish I could be as complimentary about the two main characters. To be sure, they fit the "cozy mystery heroine" mold perfectly - one has emotional baggage from the past, a great job, friends who love her and a penchant for investigating things that go bump in the night - or in this case, in an ice-fishing shanty. The other is loud, obnoxious, doesn't know the meaning of the word no and shoves her way into everyone else's life even when it's not appreciated. The first, Rain Wilmot, wouldn't be quite so hard to take if just once in a while she'd grow a backbone instead of caving to her friend Julia's outrageous demands; Julia, however, is beyond redemption.

Put together, they bring a whole new meaning to going off the deep end. That there are no consequences for their downright illegal behavior makes the whole thing even more of a travesty. That they laughingly agree to lie to the police if necessary to keep from going to jail because they broke the law, well, that crosses a line that, at least IMHO, shouldn't be crossed.

All that said, I'll return to that good plot - which makes for an entertaining book for those who don't share my concerns (this one is, for the record, the second in a series; I did not read the first, but I never felt at a disadvantage because of that). Rain has decided to live year-round at her family's log cabin compound on Pine Lake, Wisconsin; she runs the Lofty Pines library, attached to her house, which now will be open all year. It's winter, so the small community is preparing for an ice fishing tournament and "chili dump." Rain has hopes that her neighbor, Nick, will win the tourney - he's married to her best friend, the aforementioned Julia (he seems like a really nice guy, so what he sees in her is a not-so-cozy mystery). But before the competition can ramp into full gear, something awful happens: a local man, Wallace Benson, is found stabbed to death. The problem? He was seen arguing with Nick, who shows up with a nasty cut on his hand. When what may be the murder weapon - a fishing knife - is discovered in Nick's tackle box, he gets arrested.

Julia, needless to say, is determined to prove her husband didn't do it; Rain, who knows Nick well, agrees he's innocent. So, the two women, plus Julia's brother and local police officer Jace, set out to gather evidence. Mostly, though, they just talk about it - and spend even more time talking about the snowstorm that's apparently one of the worst to hit the Badger State in years. The storm's fury is exacerbated because Nick handled snowplow duties for the locals, but being jailed put rather a kabosh on that. The solution for that comes when one of the two potential love interests for Rain gives Julia five minutes of instruction on how to operate the plow so when she's not blabbing about the sleuthing she thinks they should be doing and how bad the storm is, she can pitch in (which, if I recall correctly, she actually does only once, when it serves her own purpose).

Toward the end, the action picks up as another tragedy strikes, making the case against Nick less of a sure thing and putting the lives of Rain and Julia at serious risk. Nope, no details from me - all I'll disclose from this point on is that I received an advance copy to read and review from the publisher (via NetGalley). For the rest, you'll have to get your own copy and find out for yourself.

When Wallace Benson is found dead in his ice fishing shack yards from the library, his hysterical wife Tina accuses Julia’s husband, Nick. Rain and Julia are, of course, 100% sure that Nick is innocent and so go about solving the murder. When Nick is arrested they double down on their investigation and, yet again, solve the murder.
I was sort of hesitant about the series after the first book but this book had an even harder time holding my interest. I usually read a cozy mystery of this type in a day, two at the most but here I found myself putting this one down and not thinking about it for days on end and when I did pick it up I found myself skimming through the pages. While Rain’s constant introspection about her late husband is mentioned considerably less in this book she still is internally whiny to a degree I find unusual in a cozy mystery and thus I just cannot make myself find her an interesting or sympathetic character. Julia is, by turns, juvenile and reckless - not traits I’d think employers would value in a teacher. And Ryan proclaiming he was willing to take a bullet to the chest for Rain when he has spoken to her a total of perhaps 5 times for less than 10 minutes each time.... I’m sorry, that doesn’t really fly in even the cheesiest romance. Easily the most interesting characters are Marge and her dog Rex who are mentioned so infrequently that she might as well not exist.
Possibly, most annoying to me, is that Rain and Julia both act stupidly in so many cases and deliberately illegally in others. They repeatedly go to confront potential murderers and leave their cell phones at home or in their vehicle. Here they enter the suspected murderer’s home, having found the front door open and when the murderer returns instead of just saying “Oh thank goodness you are alright. Considering the murder and the assault on Seth we were worried something bad had happened to you when we found the door open and you did not answer our calls”, no, instead they hide and make it clear that the person is a suspect and that they have searched the house. Further, at least for me, the murderer was pretty obvious. I was pretty sure of the murderer’s identity a third of the way into the book - and I was right.
I am sure there is an audience for this series but, unfortunately, after two outings I have come to the conclusion this series is not for me.

4 stars
What a fun book. All cozy mystery book readers will adore this fun and charming book! I reccomend.

This is the second Lakeside Library book by Holly Danvers and I for one can't wait until the next one. Not only does the library draw readers but unfortunately it's drawing murderers as well. But Rain and company solve this murder in no time flat. Find out how...

There is little more I love than a cozy mystery - but a cozy mystery set around a library in the middle of a winter storm is a big jackpot for me. The main character was easy to like and the author did a great job of creating some romantic options for her that leaves the reader wondering who they are pulling for! Though I am typically good at figuring out the ending early, the author kept me in the dark with this one. Overall, this was a slam dunk for me and bonus - she ended on a bit of a cliff hanger, so looks like there will be more content to read!

This is the second book in the cozy mystery series Lakeside Library Mystery. It was an enjoyable read, I liked the atmosphere and the main characters. Perfect for when you need to relax with a cozy book.

There's a lot of potential in this series but I find hard to suspend my belief and thorughly enjoyed it.
The mystery is good but this is not my cup of tea and I won't read other books in this series.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Once again, Holly Danvers does it again. I literally binged the first book earlier this week and just SLAMMED this book within a day. How could I not?

I am obsessed with Rain, her neighbors, and this almost little romance thing her and Jase have going on.

Development wise, I love the way Holly has painted this quaint, snowy, lakeside town in my mind. I will continue to praise this book and pretend I am currently sitting alongside Lofty Pines and living my true life as a Laker -iykyk.

Would definitely recommend - and will be purchasing this book once it is published! It definitely needs a place on my shelves. BRAVO, Holly!