I'm loving these Lady Librarian Mysteries! This is book two and I would really suggest reading the first book, A Novel Disguise, before diving into this one.

Tiffany Woodall was such a fun character in the first book. I loved her tenacity and doing what she needed to do to survive. She has a sharp mind and is a person that most everyone around her is able to befriend and relate to.

She's back with a new mystery to solve. Another dead body, this time found outside her small cottage. But when her name and other's names are in the running for the prime murder suspect, she's going to need all of her wits and then some to clear everyone's names.

I loved the twists and turns and the piecing together of all the clues. I love a well written murder mystery, especially if I can't quite figure out it too quickly and this one kept me guessing and guessing again pretty close to the end.

There's a sweet underlying theme of family which really made me smile and melted my heart in some scenes!

Now I'm ready for more, but I'll just have to be patient as this second book doesn't release until February 2024. But you better believe I'll be jumping on the chance to read more of Miss Tiffany Woodall, Lady Librarian, amateur sleuth!

Content: There is a murder and a couple attacks but everything was written in a non graphic way. There is a character who has had a baby with someone other than her spouse (does not go into detail, written in a sensitive manner). There is a love story with nothing more than a couple kisses. I consider this one to be a clean read.

I received a copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

Enjoyable historical mystery with a spritely and likable heroine. Good mystery and reasonably true to its late 18th century setting. Manages to be modern in its diversity without too many anachronisms. I have enjoyed the series and hope to see more books about Tiffany and Samir.

1785. The body of disliked ex-footman Bernard Coram is discovered by Tiffany Woodall outside her cottage. Eventually the man she loves is arrested for the murder. Can she find the real murderer.
A cozy historical romance and mystery but I did not find the two main characters particularly interesting. Maybe it would have been better to have read the first book in the series.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange of an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.


Back at it again with the Lady Librarian! I reviewed the first book on audiobook and I thankfully had the chance to review the sequel. Let's see how good the series is without the Disguise trope.


Warning: the murder victim is a repeat sexual predator. It's all off-page and I won't name names to avoid spoilers. That said, it does play a part in both the clues and thus gets discussed numerous times in the book. Just warning anyone who might be affected by that. Now on to the review proper


I have mixed feelings about this book. When I enjoyed it, I had great but the book can be repetitive and frankly a bit rushed. I wasn't a fan of the insta-love between Tiffany and Samir in the first book but rolled with it because of the banter. In this book, they don't talk as much so the grand overtures of love and their future feel so over-dramatic to me. There was a point where I was having fun only to be hit directly by a paragraph that icked me out. (It was the christening scene for those who are curious. But I feel conflicted because the book had a very dramatic conversation in the rain and I will fight you if you say it was "a bit much".


I do love how it builds directly on the foundation of "A Novel Disguise". It really tempted me to reread the first book for any subtext I missed the first time around as well as makes me curious about what the next book has in store. That said, I highly recommend reading the first book before this. There are some cozies that you can jump in at any point without missing anything. This isn't it thus far. (Yes, I know it's only book 2 but you know what I mean.)


The mystery itself was really good. The blend of red herrings, important clues and personal drama was on point as well. Rarely did I feel like one storyline overstayed its welcome. Only a few things seemed to be just turned in for plot twists and extra drama. The character of Evie is a big emample of that and one I'm surprised I enjoyed? I was fully expecting to hate her but if the next book is her, Tiffany and the Duchess solving crime, I won't be mad at it!


Still, I can't help but kind of wish Larsen had stretched these two books out into three. It would have deepened some of the development of the characters and given us fewer left-field moments.


Overall, I give this book 3.5 stars. The rushed story and character arcs didn't land well for me and I'm reluctant to personally continue the series.


TW: Discussions of off-page sexual assault, racism and xenophobia, imprisonment, classism, wife auctions, victim blaming, brief discussion of past stillborn, domestic abuse, violence, on-page labor and birth, child abandonment, handling of dead body.

Well, this second book in the Lady Librarian Mystery was quite eccentric. Very out of the box for the genre (how many times do you hear about a woman’s menses in a mystery or any other book?). Unlike other cosy mysteries, I felt like you kind of need to have read the first installment for this series, because I didn’t and I went into it feeling I was late to the party. So it threw me off a little bit. The cover is awesome and the overall vibes very original. It does stand out in the genre crowd, even though I wasn’t overly enthusiastic about it.

The cute little romance from the first novel turned into something more complicated in the second – and that’s not a bad thing. That complication kept the whole thing from being too sickly sweet, though it definitely flirted with that line at the end. And the mystery plot was pretty good. But I didn’t like the characters quite as much this time around. I found myself rolling my eyes at Tiffany sometimes, and Samir, for all that he went through a lot in this book, felt kind of flat. The side characters, like Thomas and the Duchess, were more interesting to me than the main characters. Cozy mysteries aren’t always my cup of tea, and I usually need to find the characters and their relationships compelling in order to stick with them long-term – and this series seems to be falling short of the mark. The pacing and tone were also kind of weird and uneven. I liked the first book enough to pick up the second, but I don’t think I’ll go on to the third, should there be one.

If you like historical cozies with a heavy romance element, this is a pretty good one, and I think you'll enjoy it. But I think I'm learning that cozies are just not my thing.

Representation: Indian character, black character

TW: Rape, racism, sexism

I haven't read the first part of the A Lady Librarian Mystery, but this second one can be read as a standalone. For lovers of history, this book is for you. The author obviously did wonderful research about the Georgian era and I felt transported into that time. I think it's a plus, and I enjoy learning about that time, although through a modern eye because Tiffany, the lady librarian and amateur sleuth, is independent and strong, in a time where it definitely brought more harm than good. The romantic subplot is strong, but I love romance so I enjoyed it. Now, the mystery plot gets a little drown in the historical setting and people's relationships, so it's not a quick page-turner as other mysteries. But the twists and turns are all there, and I didn't see the end coming, which, for me, is what matters the most in a whodunnit! Thank you for an enjoyable read!

This was such a fun and cosy read! I really enjoyed my time reading this.

This book is part two in the A Lady Librarian Mystery series, but it is not you do not have to read the first book in order to be able to understand and enjoy this one! Believe me, all you need to know about the characters is in the book.

Talking about the characters, I thought they were fun and sweet, I loved the diversity of the characters. The relationship between Tiffany and Samir was so sweet and beautiful. It made me not want to put the book down.
The reason why I gave this book 4 stars instead of five has to do with this relationship though in some way, because I feel like the story focuses more on the relationship between these two and the little side stories instead of actually solving the murder. The murder gets solved quite quickly in the end, so it makes me feel like it was not supposed to be the main subject of the book, yet it is marketed that way.

I am completely obsessed with this series. I cannot get enough of it! I adore Tiffany and I love that this is set in the late 1700's. I needed these in my life. It mixes my love of regency romance and cozy mystery. Absolutely perfect. I cannot stop recommending this series. Cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out.
I just reviewed Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen. #OnceUponaMurder #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Thank you to Crooked Lane and Net Galley for this ARC. I was so happy to see there was a sequel the to the first novel. I really love the characters and in this book they developed more. I really hope there will be a third.

3.5/5 This book was more than just a murder, but also dealt with the issue of a man of Indian descent being accused of murder. I liked how this prejudice was shown by the reactions of various members of the town. Some townsfolk thought Samir was guilty regardless of the findings in the case, while others saw him as a man, no what his ethnicity was. Tiffany Woodall was great at getting to the bottom of the mystery and looking beyond what seemed to have taken place.

I loved the cover with its Red Riding Hood theme that tied nicely into the murdered man whose actions were like that of the Big Bad Wolf. I also like the idea of a lady librarian who is a sleuth. However, I was uncomfortable with the depravity of the man and how many women were seen as objects that he could do as he pleased. I was also uncomfortable with the many discussions of Tiffany Woodall’s female issues and didn’t think this is something that would have been discussed so freely in that time period.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley. I was not expected to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

What a ride. This book brought a lot of mixed feelings and I am not sure how to fully process them. I really enjoyed the first book, but now the events of the sequel make me question whether I liked the first book at all. Tiffany's world shifts when she finds (yet again) another dead man, and then finds out that the man she loves is accused of the murder AND married to another woman. Through a crazy string of events she takes it upon herself to be the mother of Samir's legal but not biological child. The book had a bit of "insta-family" vibe but it came to pass in a really really odd way. The book highlighted how members of the English lower class were able to divorce, which was through men auctioning their wives at a fair. I found the idea intruguing, but the way it came about in the story was completely rushed and felt disturbing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of this book. A positive review (obviously) was not required.


My Rating Calculation:
Hook: 8
Writing: 6
Format: 8
Plot: 2
Character development: 3
Content: 5

Average: 5.3
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: 7-8
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️: 5.5-6.9
⭐️⭐️⭐️: 4-5.4
⭐️⭐️: 1-3.9
⭐️: DNF

Sometimes the second book in the series improves your opinion of the first and sometimes it makes you wish you hadn't picked it up at all. Sadly, this sequel fell into category number two.

We return to Miss Tiffany Woodhall, who has been outed as herself and works comfortably as a librarian still. I want to know where the headstrong, smart, and determined women from the first book when because pretty much from Page 1 I was not impressed with this Tiffany. She was timid and let the events of this book roll right over her with little fight (without giving away too much of the plot). Moments that should have been emotional and handled with care were blunt and choppy, leaving me to be less than invested in Tiffany and Samir and the fate of their HEA. And for some reason every single scene she was showing up slovenly, soaking wet, and just generally a mess --- W H Y. The descriptions of Tiffany were not flattering or kind and just didn't build upon the work of the first book at all.

Samir's character suffered from these new developments as well. Thank God for the Duchess and her cunning mind because she carried this whole plot, but unfortunately even she couldn't do enough to save it.

Once Upon a Murder by Samantha Larsen

Such a cute book with a twisted plot and it has you guessing throughout the entire book. The ending will leave you speechless. Tiffany wants naught for her life, but her life will change when she places herself at the center of contentment and adventure. I love the book and I love the boundaries that Samantha Larsen chooses to do with her book. Amazing!

This story throws some twists and turns at you, but it is worth it to get to the end! A cute cozy mystery.

*note- Suggest that you read the series in order

I received an ARC through Netgalley and all opinions are my own.

When I picked up the novel it was something I was looking forward to read: an Austenesque cozy mystery was something right of my alley.

Love the heroine, even though it is not that historically accurate it has some good references of novels of the time (like the castle of Otranto) and she is a librarian.

Ad these is a second installment the characters are already presented in the second book. So the story basically starts with the murder.
It is fast paced and with a romance in it.
But my mind wasn't on it (though my heart really was)
I will recommend it for a good light read for people who enjoyed something like death comes to pemberly.

As much as I liked book 1 in this series, I liked this book 2 even more.

This story is a direct continuation of book 1 and I recommend you read it first. Tiffany is officially the librarian for the duchess and on the way to work stumbles on a dead body laying in front of her cottage. This event precipitates everything going wrong for her and also Samir.

I liked everything about this book: the clever writing; the stable, steady romance between the main characters: the mystery and the way Tiffany solved: the village life and villagers; the Duchess and her household. Excellent series!

I received a copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Tiffany is fully engulfed in a second murder mystery with very personal implications.

This is a fun story despite the subject matter. Tiffany is forced to figure out a second murder, this time to save Samir. She is able to find friends in unexpected places and piece together what is going on in her little part of the world. There are things that she would rather not know and she finds unique ways of finding the truth, especially given the prejudices of the society around her.

This story is well written with a bit of a comedic yet dramatic bent. It feels like a genuine who dunnit while set in a more proper time and place. Tiffany and Samir must work together to figure out the truth, while at the same time facing new information and challenges. I enjoyed the story and found it very satisfying from beginning to end.

I received an early copy through NetGalley and this is my honest review,

"Once Upon a Murder" by Samantha Larsen whisks readers away to the enchanting world of 18th-century England, where a charming librarian-turned-sleuth, Miss Tiffany Woodall, takes centre stage in a gripping murder mystery that seamlessly combines intrigue, romance, and historical allure.

Set in 1784, the novel introduces us to Miss Tiffany Woodall, the newly appointed librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort. Having had her fill of masquerades and murder, Tiffany hopes for a quiet and peaceful life in her new position. However, fate has other plans in store for her. When she stumbles upon the lifeless body of Mr. Bernard Coram, a former footman, Tiffany's tranquil existence takes a dramatic turn.

What follows is a whirlwind of events that catapult Tiffany into a web of suspicion, with the local justice of the peace swiftly designating her as the prime suspect in Bernard's murder. Determined to clear her name and find the real culprit, Tiffany embarks on a journey filled with twists, turns, and unexpected revelations.

Samantha Larsen brilliantly weaves a tale of suspense, romance, and intrigue, drawing readers into a world where secrets abound, and danger lurks in the most unexpected corners. As Tiffany delves deeper into her investigation, she uncovers a tangle of motives and blackmail, all against the backdrop of a picturesque English setting.

The character of Tiffany shines in this novel. She's not your typical protagonist, and her love for literature and her strong-willed nature make her a refreshing and relatable lead.

"Once Upon a Murder" expertly captures the essence of historical fiction, immersing readers in the manners and societal norms of the 18th century while delivering a riveting mystery that keeps you guessing until the final pages. Samantha Larsen's writing style is elegant and evocative, painting vivid pictures of the era and its characters.

What sets this novel apart is the seamless blend of romance and mystery. The love story is as compelling as the mystery, adding depth and emotional resonance to the narrative.

Whether you're a mystery aficionado, a romance lover, or a historical fiction enthusiast, this book offers something for everyone. Highly recommended!

Spinster Tiffany Woodall pines to be a mother, but she knows at forty her chances are slim, especially because her love Samir Lathrop has suddenly been avoiding her. When TIffany stumbles across the body of the town bully near her cottage, the incompetent justice of the peace first suspects her, then arrests Samir. To clear both of them, TIffany knows it's time to enlist the aid of Duchess of Beaufort to clear her name and Samir's. An enjoyable and lightweight read.