I love Crooked Lane books, and this easy-going, fun romp was no exception. I enjoyed the premise, the characters, and the overall jaunty feel of the story. On the downside, it could become a bit slapstick at times, which isn't my particular cup of tea. I didn't appreciate the reference made by Aiden regarding a snakeskin belt but do appreciate the fact that on both creepy-crawly occasions animal control was called in and (hopefully) no harm befell either spiders or snakes. I also would have preferred more cats, but that's just me.

I love Lucas, an interesting character and one to watch. I also love Elizabeth (Sister Daria Shmaria!). Anyone with dark Viking-inspired, rugged good looks and bad-boy charm who called me Tentadora would have me hanging up my wimple and throwing caution to the wind. Within reason, of course... but then, to be honest, the idea of becoming a nun would never even cross my mind.

I never read the first installment, but think I might track it down. I wasn't really planning on reading the next one, right up until the last page, which had me furiously searching for the end of the book, thinking it must be a trick - who ends on such a note??? Well played, Ms. Kincaid. It seems I shall keep an eye out for part three after all.

three and a half stars rounded up to 4, because of the Viking.

Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane for my ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this title. The opinions expressed are my own.

I feel kind of bad posting this review, since NetGalley's mission is to help books succeed, but I did not enjoy this book at all. I honestly had to force myself to finish it.

The story is told from the viewpoint of two cousins, Quinn and Daria, which left me in a constant state of confusion. Neither cousin seems to have much responsibility, as Quinn does not work a single shift during the novel. She gets off work at the beginning of the book and does not return, with the exception of a couple of parties and one scouting mission. Daria, who is supposed to be a novitiate, spends a lot of time socializing, evenings in the park, weekends shopping, nights out at a bar, parties. . .

The murder at the beginning of the book is not a focus. The supporting characters, including the murderer, are not developed. Several events require the suspension of belief, such as a character winning 50 bags of dog food a year for her lifetime. Or the fact that it took two trips with a truck to transport the dog food, yet the characters could carry two bags at a time. The title has nothing to do with the plot; the only Shakespearean element is the quotations at the beginning of the chapters. And why is there no apostrophe in the title? The ending is probably the worst part, though. It's such an obvious segue to a sequel

I'm sorry, but I did not like anything about this book. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is because I was able to finish reading it. I will not post this review publicly.

A Midsummer Night’s Scheme is a cozy mystery that starts out with my favourite quotes from Shakespeare; I had high hopes for this piece because of its quirky vibes and the multiple references to Shakespeare’s famous literary works throughout the novel. Unfortunately, the plot was too puzzling to me, the characters not enough relatable, and overall I never felt captivated by nor invested in what was going on. Sadly, it’s a miss for me.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and choose to leave a review.

Wonderful title. Nice diversity.. I like the family dynamics. Great look into the personal lives. I really enjoyed this book. You don't need to read the other books, but I bet they would add to the story.. The title is a nice turn of phrase and fitting for the story. I highly recommend this book.

I love cozy mysteries and read a lot of them and this one was one of my favorite to date. I love the little town of Vienna, Virginia and all the cozy settings, most of all Quinn’s family book store. A Midsummer Nights Dream had all the pieces for a cozy mystery and managed to have one of the least likely suspects be the murder.

However, is also had a few unexpected parts too. This is my first mystery novel where there is two lead characters who are both equal the main and work together to save the town. Quinn and Sister Daria/Liz go back and forth each chapter to tell the story from their perspective. There is no overlap in the story you just get from both of them. Another difference is one of the main characters being a nun in training.

I would recommend this book to all my cozy mystery loving friends!! Such a great mystery it was. I cannot wait for the next book in the Bookbinding Mystery Series!

A midnight Summer’s Scheme is a solid follow up to To Kill a Mocking Girl.. I enjoyed Quinn and Sister Daria getting into another murderous misadventure. The story also follows their romantic ups and downs.

The ending was quite a shocker so looking forward to book 3!

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this ARC. My opinions are my own.

#cozy #Netgalley

All the world's a stage, but it may be curtains for bookbinder Quinn Caine’s brother if she can't bring the lights down on an actor's killer, in this mystery perfect for fans of Jenn McKinlay and Kate Carlisle.
This is an exceptional mystery.
The truth of the matter is that the person responsible is the last one suspected.
I have never read a book by this author before.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book which I read and reviewed voluntarily.

I should probably have read the first book in this series before diving into this one, but the title caught my eye and the bookbinding theme intrigued. That said, there is very little mention of the bookbinding business, though just enough to make it relevant. The mystery happens outside the scope of the business, but there is a tenuous link that becomes a clue. The murders happen very quickly and quite dramatically, making this a well-paced read. I liked Quinn and her family - their dynamics were interesting and awkward, and yet indicative of a close-knit and loving family. Quinn's cousin - Sister Daria, a year away from taking her vows - had the more intriguing role in this story, and the twist at the end would make me read on. A fun read that kept my interest and proved to be a very original plot.

Such a fast read! I started it and the next thing I knew, I was at the end of the book. This was fast paced and fun, had good mysteries, interesting characters, and just the right bit of romance. I loved the length of the book and cannot wait to read book 3!

I was so excited to read this book, i have been waiting for quite a while and it did not disappoint me. The story is told in third person from two cousins point of view and I didn't ha e any trouble following along. I really appreciated that this book felt written by a Millennial instead of what someone thinks a Millennial acts and thinks. I genuinely laughed at some of Daria's sarcasm, she was my favorite character ( could be for nostalgic reasons). I really appreciated how the parents were held accountable for their behavior, and the representation of they/them pronouns. This book ends on a cliff hanger and I can't wait to read the next one to find out what happens, please let it come out faster than the second!

I’ve been waiting two years for Harper Kinkaid to come out with the second book after “To Kill a Mocking Girl”. And I wasn’t disappointed, Fast paced, fun, and a great mystery. Please, keep them coming, Ms. Kincaid,

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a digital ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. This review can be found on my Goodreads page.

This is an action packed, tense cozy mystery. I love the characters in this story. Snakes and Spiders included. I was able to follow along with book #2 even if I had not read the first book in the series. A great cozy mystery that ends in a cliffhanger.

A Midsummer Night's Scheme is the 2nd book in the Bookbinding Mystery series. Quinn Cane has returned to Vienna, VA and is working at her parents' bookstore repairing old books. This book was interesting in that it gave more history of Quinn's cousin Elizabeth who is in the process of becoming a nun and goes by Sister Daria. Quinn's brother Sebastian (Bash) has some exciting news which leads to family drama. but the resolution is well done. A local man, Chad Frivole, is a Broadway star and is back in town. He left a lot of broken hearts after high school. Chad ends up dead from snake bites. Bash has a run in with spiders. What is going on? Quinn and her boyfriend Detective Aiden Harrington are on the case. This book moves along at a good pace and there is a lot going on! It was hard to put down! I guessed the culprit but wasn't sure until the reveal. Very enjoyable! #AMidsummerNightsScheme #NetGalley

This the second novel in the Series but it was the first book I have read. Whilst I’m sure that I would have enjoyed the first book immensely, the first chapter caught me up on the storyline and characters sufficiently that I didn’t feel like I had missed crucial information to enjoy this story.

To put it simply, I loved this story! I loved the quirky characters and the town and back stories. Whilst I guessed the murderer it was still a fun ride to get to the end. The cliffhanger at the end of the book was one I didn’t expect, but will certainly mean that I will read the next book in the story.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review a complimentary digital ARC.

I think if this sounds super interesting to you give it a go because the setting and plot are very enjoyable. However, and this is definitely a me problem, because I know we are suppose to hate Chad, but he really is insufferable and took me out of the story with how cliché frat bro he seemed. This was just not the story for me I suppose, I also really didn't like the side or main characters which is obviously a main component to the story. Since this is a second book in a series there was a lot of recapping the last book yet I still feel like it was not enough and yet I wanted less (I don't even know how to make that make sense).

This is the second book in the bookbinding mystery series. Former ‘player’, Chad Frivole, is Vienna’s prodigal son, but not everyone is happy that he is back in town. When Chad is murdered Quinn is not really surprised and promises boyfriend detective Aiden Harrington that she’s staying out of it. That is until her brother Sebastian is threatened. Unless Quinn and crew can solve this case he might just be the next victim.
I didn't like this book as well as the first one. It seemed to be at times more focused on person angst than mystery. Other than that it was an OK read.



Thanks to netgally for the opportunity to review this book.

I want to start by thanking the author/publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of the book. Although I am thankful for the opportunity, this review is not impacted by their generosity.

Let me start by saying this was my first time reading a Harper Kincaid novel. As someone jumping into the second book in the series, I didn't have a problem knowing who everyone was and what was going on. As someone who loves cozy mysteries and Broadway, I was really interested in the basic premise behind <i>A Midsummer Night's Scheme (Bookbinding Mystery #2)</i>. Let me start by saying that beyond the victim being someone who just finished the stretch of a Broadway show, the book has nothing to do with the theatre (just as a heads up).

The story centers on Quinn Caine, who is the main character, and her cousin, Sister Daria, a novice who has yet to take her vows. It was always clear whose point of view we were in, but I found the jumping between the two a little awkward. I read a ton of cozy mysteries, and this was the first time I'd seen this type of POV split. I'm not saying it was problematic, just different.

The basic plot is straightforward. Former high school player and Broadway star, Chad Frivole, comes back to his small town only to be killed (in what is a nightmare scenario in my book). The question quickly becomes which of the many jilted lovers in town killed him. As usual in a cozy mystery, there are a ton of possibilities.

One of my biggest problems with the book came toward the end. There is a scene where a rather creepy-sounding stalker guy with a video camera has footage of a crime. I was surprised that there wasn't more of a fuss here. Also, the guy used a camcorder instead of a smart phone. Maybe there is more about this guy in the first book, but I found this section awkward.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend to fans of cozy mysteries. I would not recommend to people who are expecting a theater cozy mystery or a cozy mystery that has anything to do with Broadway.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

This was a pretty good book!! I'll be honest, I hadn't realized this was second in a series but that didn't hinder me in anyway from being able to under what was going on, could definitely be read as a standalone. I liked the characters, there was a good balance of romance and mystery, a decent plot and there were actually a lot of clues that made this super interesting!

When Chad Frivole returns to his childhood home to make amends , but he’s not welcomed with open arms. Soon, he is found murdered. As Quinn and her sidekick, Daria try to solve the case along side Quinn’s detective boyfriend, Aiden. As she battles solving the mystery, however, the battle rages within their own families as well. Can Daria and Quinn solve the mystery? Will problems in their home lives work themselves out?

The characters are likable, humorous, and engaging. The plot is well-developed and draws the reader into the story. Alliterations to Shakespeare are well-mixed into the plot and add depth to the story. Fans of mystery, romance, and hijinks will want to pick this one up.

Please Note: A copy of this book was given to us in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

What a fun and quirky story. I was entertained all afternoon. I thought the story was well written and had plenty of clues to chase down. I really loved the characters . All in all this read was great amusement for a cold and gloomy afternoon.