*Match Me If You Can* by Sandy Baker is a fun, lighthearted romantic comedy that follows the journey of Zoey, a matchmaking expert who prides herself on finding the perfect partner for her clients—yet struggles to find love for herself. When Zoey meets the charming but seemingly perfect-for-her client, sparks fly, and she must navigate the tricky line between professional ethics and personal feelings.

Baker’s writing is witty and engaging, with plenty of humor and heart. The dynamic between Zoey and her potential love interest is playful and sweet, filled with delightful banter and relatable moments. The novel also offers an inside look into the world of matchmaking, adding an interesting twist to the classic romance trope.

While the plot is somewhat predictable, *Match Me If You Can* is an enjoyable read with endearing characters and a feel-good storyline. Perfect for fans of rom-coms, the book offers plenty of light, charming escapism.

It's very possible I could get through more of this in a different format that isn't an ebook, but this just did not hit for me. It also did not have the signature cozy feel, which is what I thought it was going in.

Live, Local, and Dead is the first book in Nikki Knight's A Vermont Radio Mystery.

"I shot the snowman. But I didn't kill the man inside."

DJ Jaye Jordan has taken all she can of the men protesting the cancellation of the syndicated Edwin Anger show. She takes a Revolutionary War era style musket and shoots off the head of a ten-foot-tall snowman to get the men's attention. When the local radio station comes up for sale, Jaye buys the station where she got her start. She changes the format from syndicated shows to a live format. One of the shows canceled is the Edwin Anger show. His two local fans start a protest demanding that their favorite show be brought back. The two men are the first to declare Jaye a killer when a body found inside the snowman is Edwin Anger.

I like the premise of a murder mystery set at a radio station. Jaye is returning to her hometown after buying the only radio station in town. Her former husband's family adores her. She is still a part of the family even though she is no longer legally part of the family. Her best friend is the wife of the chief of police. The love interest is the state governor. The town makes me wonder if The Stafford Inn is close by.

Things seem to happen to Jaye instead the result of her investigating. The mystery is more political than what I like. I would like to see a second book in the series because the characters and setting have potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sad I didn't get to this book sooner. It was refreshing for a cozy in that the main character doesn't go rogue to investigate. She is very much involved in the mystery but isn't reckless. I also really like how there is a love interest - but just one! I've looked and can't find any other books in this series but I'm hopeful there will be more!

Best ever hook in the first paragraph of the story: "I shot the snowman. But I did not kill the guy inside." Unfortunately, as it turns out, the man that Jaye killed (or did she?) turned out to be a radio show host, Edwin MacGillicuddy of Atlanta, aka. Edwin Anger, that she had just fired, so some people (especially his fans) began to accuse Jaye of actually murdering him. She couldn't have that, so she set out to find out whodoneit. There were plenty of suspects with a lot of good reasons to potentially kill Edwin Anger.

This cozy mystery is certainly different. Jaye Jordan has moved to a small town in Vermont and purchased a small radio station. She is divorced from David, the father of her ten-year-old daughter, Ryan. And she has a crush on the governor, Will Ten Broeck. Jaye and Ryan have a gray cat named Neptune. Such a fun name. I liked all of the characters, including the animals. No, Neptune wasn't the only animal.

I thought this was well done and the author gave life to the characters and the animals. I loved Neptune and Charlemagne who was "seven feet and a couple thousand pounds of bull moose" but both so adorable. Anyone who reads this fun and quick read is bound to fall for them both, too.

DJ Jaye Jordan expected a quieter life after moving to Vermont and taking over a local radio station. However, after axing political commentator Edwin Anger's show, she faces a loud group of protestors. And while her late-night show leans heavily on love songs, her daytime antics are a bit more ... explosive. Thinking she'll teach them a lesson, she grabs a musket, shoots a snowman, and watches as both the body of Edwin Anger and a mystery come tumbling out.

Nikki Knight's debut novel is marketed as a cozy and any brief synopsis would show it has all the hallmarks of the genre: a small community, a fun niche, and a murder needing solved. However, Live, Local, and Dead deviates from the norm a bit, going lighter on the actual investigation.

This isn't a bad thing.

Jaye has the makings of an amateur sleuth who's fun to follow. Really, she's so likable the locals can't even really believe she had anything to do with Anger's death. She's funny, fiercely loyal to her family and friends, and a bit unpredictable. After all, this is the type of woman who has no problem opening fire on a snowman. You can practically hear Knight reveling in the impulsive situations Jaye finds herself in. Yet this mentality barely extends to the murder investigation, with Jaye more looking to police for answers.

Yet, even without the traditional sleuthing, Knight sprinkles in just enough searching and hijinks that everything still feels cozy. Maybe it's the snowy Vermont backdrop. Maybe it's the blossoming romance between Jaye and a state politician. Maybe it's the hints of danger Knight weaves into the murder's aftermath.

Or maybe it's all of the above. Ultimately, Live, Local, and Dead might be a little nontraditional, but it's also a lot of fun.

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

This is a great start to a new cozy series. I really liked the characters and thought the setting was unique. I look forward to reading more in this series.


Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc.

A light fun read., with a bit of a mystery. I loved the setting in Vermont and grew especially attached to the moose! The book addresses relationships, family, some politics , morals and values.

This was a super cute start to the series. I loved the characters and how they played off each other. It was a very unique cozy and that really made it stand out. I will for sure recommend to all of my mystery and cozy fans at my shop!

I thought I was reading a radio themed cozy mystery set in Vermont. Instead I got a romantic political rant.

Jaye is mad at the men protesting her radio show, so she grabs the gun and blows the head off the snowman. As the snow melts, they find a dead body in it....
Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published on February 8th.

Now Jaye is being accused of being the killer. She's not but she she needs to prove it.

She soon has a suspect but proving it is hard work.

She has started a relationship withe Governor and is soon falling for him. He's protecting her but she realizes it's not her they after but him! Can she stop another killing?

⭐⭐

Unfortunately, this one just wasn't that great for me. The setting was super unique, and that earned this a bonus star. Other than that, I didn't like much else. It honestly didn't even feel like a cozy mystery. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Jayne is never involved in investigating the murder, which is just straight up weird for a cozy mystery. There was too much romance, and I felt like I was being beaten over the head with politics. Definitely a miss...

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Princess Fuzzypants here: DJ Jaye has purchased a radio station in a small Vermont town. She wants to return to local formats rather than the canned satellite feeds that have taken over much of the radio business. She is a one armed paper hanger, doing it with the assistance of her her 10 year old daughter. Response has been positive until a nasty group of right wing haters descend on her and her station because she took off a particularly vitriolic personality and replaced him with live programming.

Things ramp up when he is found dead in a snowman in front of the station. And these nasties do not play nice. In fact there are several threats to Jaye that make her fear for her life. Thankfully, she has a ton of town support and some political support too. She and the Governor get reacquainted and the sparks are flying. He has her back but it turns out that both of them might be the targets for very different reasons.

I was worried at first that this would be a rant against anyone who was not liberal in their beliefs but the villains were clearly the extremes and as Jaye so eloquently put it, it would be just as bad if it was extremes from the left. I thought the fact that things are seldom black or white but that hatred in any form is unacceptable was handled with great sensitivity. It did not distract but rather enhanced the tale. But it was the characters that made this story sing. I enjoyed the interaction between Jaye and her ex David and Ryan, the daughter they share. I loved the extended family relationships not only from her marriage but within the town. It was uplifting. Five purrs and two paws up.

Jaye had a sassy, brash, bold take no crap attitude. She was a DJ with a lot of backbone. The romance between her and Governor Will was the icing on the cake with this book for me. Solving the mysterious death of the former radio announcer was too puzzling to let go of, even if some foolishly blame her for it.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 1 in a new series.

This was a strong debut for the series. I really enjoyed most of the characters, and the plot. The main character seemed like a smart, strong, likeable person who cared a lot about her family, her job and her town. Unlike a lot of cozies mysteries, she didn't leave her job to someone else and go haring off, sticking her nose in dangerous situations, which made me like the book all the more!

The only bit that annoyed me was the hand feeding candy to a wild moose. I live in CO, we have all sorts of wildlife. Wild animals are WILD, and experience has shown me that humans are stupid. They don't need encouragement to do dumb things to wild animals. Moose are amazing animals best enjoyed from a distance, just like all wildlife.

Aside from that, I enjoyed the book and look forward to more in the series.

Mom shot the snowman! Recently divorced DJ Jaye Jordan recently relocated to Vermont from New York with her daughter. When she sets out to make a point and blows the head off of a snowman with a musket, the last thing she expected was to inadvertently shoot the head off of talk show host Edwin Anger and being accused of his murder. Determined to clear her name and find the real killer, she is faced with obstacles along the way, including constant threats directed at her, ultimately putting her daughter in harms way as well. Can she figure out who the killer is before someone else gets hurt?
Thank you Netgalley, Nikki Knight and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was a cute cozy mystery that was easy to read and follow along. There was even a smidge of romance! I would have liked to see Jaye take a more active role in the sleuthing part, and maybe a little more mystery. This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series and I’m looking forward to seeing the character development as the series goes on. I think the series has potential and this book is a good start. I rate this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This debut has a lot of potential... interesting setting and relatable characters. For that reason I am rounding up from 3 and a half stars. The mystery is easy to guess and the heroine doesn't really do anything to help solve it. Jaye Jordan buys out of her DJ role in NYC and uses the cash to buy a tiny rural radio station switching it from talk radio to all music and locally produced. Fans of one hate-filled on air host are not pleased and go after her with protests, mail campaigns and more. Good debut and I predict the next book will smooth out the rough edges. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good beginning to a new cozy mystery series, that I would recommend to anyone who thinks it sounds interesting!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Live, Local, and Dead Earns 5/5 Radio Dials…Entertaining with an Edge!

Nikki Knight has “tuned” us into an exciting first book in her Vermont Radio Mystery series by adding a bit more of an edge. Her charismatic DJ, divorcée, and single mother Jaye Jordon left New York City behind and bought a radio station in a small Vermont town. Wishes to bring a more pleasant tone to the station, she fires shock jock Edgar Anger. But, it isn’t all spinning the vinyl of the top love songs, she’s forced to deal with a pair of armed protestors spurred on by Edwin Anger’s anger about being fired. In a fit of frustration, Jaye rips the musket out a the protestor’s hands and fires a shot killing…a snowman. Someone else, however, was angry, too, and had hidden Anger inside the snowman, so now more are calling for Jaye’s arrest on charges of murder. With an exciting start, the murder mystery continues with more angst, more accusations, and more “anger” in a clever and engaging mystery. Jaye has a delightful relationship with her pre-teen daughter, her ex, and her parents who now live in Florida, but it’s the former crush, now governor, who adds a lot more spice to the story. Knight’s writing style is compelling and offers some contemporary commentary that would liven up any book club discussion. A thrilling read with a nice edge to the humor and the romance.