I dnf’d this at 32%. I couldn’t connect to the main character. she felt immature and totally incapable of running a b&b. It felt like the author was trying too hard to make her quirky and relatable when instead she was just unlikable and as a fellow millennial, she was exactly the stereotype. It felt clumsy and awkward to read any of the dialogue bc all the characters felt like caricatures. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc.

3.5 Stars!

Great Author Debut Novel! This whodunnit/mystery is told from Jess' POV, owner of the Pearl B&B who on grand opening weekend is stuck dealing with multuple murders, with her ex, "Hometown Hero" and hot new singing sensation Lars as the prime suspect.

Suspicions, stories, and connections begin to unravel with all the hotel guests and "suspect everyone" becomes the case with each new chapter. Is Lars guilty? Is everyone hiding a connection to the deceased victims? Were they even really victims? Will her and her bestie Kats B&B survive this?

The description of Schitts Creeks meets Only Murders in the Building got me, and it definitely delivered. I'd definitely head back to Hudson Valley to get an update on The Pearl! #cantwaitformoreSydney

Thank you to NetGalley for access to this eARC.

This was a fun amateur sleuth murder mystery read! Jess & her best friend are opening up an instagram picturesque B&B and they have also booked a live band to start the grand opening up with a bang. Jess & Kat have done something that most of us only joke about with our friends during a night out. This is the place where everyone will want to be! But when her ex seems to prove he hasn't changed, bit has only gotten an inflated head and brings his creeper step-dad she now starts to worry a bit. But what's the worse thing that could happen? A dead body the next morning and not long after a second body is found and as Jess digs into things a bit, she is realizing more and more about her ex. This was an easy more lighthearted murder mystery read and I look forward to more by this author. Thank you to the author, Cooked Lane Books, Netgalley and Thriller Book Lover Promotions for the tour invite and complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord

The plot of this story really appealed to me. Women business owners and bffs that open a B&B, celebrity ex boyfriends, and a cute family dynamic. That being said, none of those things were executed very well. The story could’ve been essentially cut in half if the characters took the investigation seriously before the last 5 chapters.

It’s also worth noting that this book is filled with cringe dialogue. Think speaking in hashtags and constant references to the My Favorite Murder podcast. It’s the perfect example of a millennial stereotype.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

The first book in this cozy mystery series felt like curling up with a warm blanket on a cold day. ( which I was !) With a diverse cast of characters navigating post-high school drama ( which isn’t my favourite thing tbh ) and modern-day social media, the story is entertaining. While I enjoyed the overall narrative and the B&B setting, I felt the ( hot of course ) lead detective and Jess' partner Kat could have played more significant roles in unraveling the mystery. Nonetheless, it's a delightful read for those craving a mix of intrigue and familiar small-town dynamics.

I really enjoyed this book!! I really liked the characters a lot. Jess and Kat were great. I did expect a little more thrill from this book, it never kept me on the edge of my seat, BUT it was very entertaining. The B&B seems like a place I’d enjoy myself and I loved all of the modern day flares to the book.

I did guess the plot pretty fast, but that didn’t stop me from wanting to read to see what else happened.

It was a funny and cozy murder mystery and those two together are my cup of tea.

I did like how Leigh used detailed words to really describe the B&B and surrounding scenery, I always love descriptive wording.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely Recommend it!

Jess Byrne and her bestie Kat run a B&B. Her ex Lars has agreed to sing a few songs on the night of her opening weekend. When the time for the performance has come, he doesn’t show up. When Jess goes looking for him he sends a text that he has to cancel. Luckily, another singer just happens to be in the audience and offers to sing a few songs.

No questions asked why he’s there.

The next morning, Jess is woken by a scream from her sister in law, Sarah. Sarah had come to the B&B before the crack of dawn for some meditation. Apparently, her own house is not suitable for that. But neither is the B&B’s back yard as she finds a body floating in the pond. Hence the scream.

Sarah does manage to pull the body from the pond and turn it over to see who it is, but after that goes pretty much catatonic.

The body is that of Bob, Lars’s stepfather and manager. Bit of a creep in life, who obviously hadn’t received the memo that 21st century polite society is no longer as accepting of the leering uncle.

The cops arrive and a rather chaotic investigation takes off. Or at least, if there is anyone in charge giving out orders, Jess doesn’t notice. The detective on scene tries to interview Sarah. She’s still mostly unresponsive, so he gives that a miss. He tries to search Bob’s room, but Bob’s roommate is still present, so he gives that a miss. Then he lets Jess give an impromptu information session for her guests. The guests have all gathered in the bar on their own - rather than being requested to go their by the police.

It’s no wonder that when Jess’s mom arrives on the scene she immediately offers her help, to the detective. At which he flushes and quickly scampers off. Rather than point out that if he needs help he has offical police channels to go through and does not have to rely on retired school teachers.

Didn’t like the mom. Definitely didn’t like how she ratted out her daughter to the police.

Jess and Kat are fans of true crime podcasts. That makes them want to investigate their very own murder. Must be murder, Kat reasons, “the pond is only two feet deep. How do you drown in two feet of water?”

The same way you drown in two inches of water: if mouth and nose are below the waterline, you drown.

The detective takes Jess to look around the murder scene: perhaps she can see something out of the ordinary. He lets her and her dog walk around the scene. Is the police already done processing the scene? I thought it wasn’t even lunch time yet. Jess finds the possible murder weapon in the pond. The police should have found it there; it is the most logical place (body of water, near crime scene) to get rid of a murder weapon. Whether the murder is local or out-of-towner.

While reading I kept getting distracted by other things. As a result this took me altogether too long to read.

Very fun premise for a new cozy series. A b and b, an ex ans his manager gets killed and the MC agrees to help clear his name! Excited for more!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for an advanced review copy of Peril in Pink.

When this was described to me as Gilmore Girls meets Only Murders in the Building I was in… the setting and romantic subplot were highlights for me! The main character Jess Byrne is giving Loralai Gilmore in the best way possible (but add some reluctant sleuthing to the small-town innkeeper dramas!) There’s even some romantic tension with a handsome detective to keep things interesting! 💕

It does take a little bit to settle into the pacing of this one, as the set-up for the book is on the slower side. My main challenge with this novel is that aside from the murder mystery aspect of the novel, there wasn’t too much similarity to Only Murders In The Building - so if you’re a big fan of that show, be aware that the comparison may be a touch misleading (I think I would have enjoyed it more, had the comps not hyped me up quite so much!)

Overall, a solid read.

This was a cute murder mystery! I wish I could get more into books like this one. I would read another book by this author but maybe only a couple books a year in this genre. I’m going to keep trying though!

"Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery" sounded super enticing to me and like something right up my alley, but this fell a little flat for me. I found it to be way too juvenile for me to enjoy; I totally get the author wanting to make the book and characters relatable, but I often read books because I want to escape the real world and general pop-culture terms.

Good enough, but this isn't one I'd go out of my way to recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing this ARC to me.

This was such a fun murder mystery.
A murder happening at the opening night of a B&B, an ex-boyfriend who is also a singer and lots of wine... What's not to like?
It was a cozy, easy to follow and fun book. The only remark that I have is that the motives of the guests could have been better. I guessed the murderer pretty soon. To me, it was pretty obvious who did it. I love it a bit more if I'm misled and if I have multiple suspects. The ending was a bit too rushed to my liking.
Overall I would recommend it to someone looking for a quick murder myste ry.

It's opening weekend for the Pearl, a bed & breakfast, ran by two best friends, Jess & Kat. They were not prepared for a murder to happen the night of the opening. Jess takes the initiative to help find the killer & ease people's fears. I thought the story was okay. It kept me invested until the end to see who the killer was. Overall, it was a bit boring. The characters didn't seem all that phased by having a possible murderer amongst them.

Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh is the perfect cozy mystery.
Wonderfully plotted, fantastic character development and interactions that draw you in and keep you turning pages.
The story is well-written and I found it to be pretty entertaining.
I thought the characters were well-developed and believable.
This mystery is well-written, interesting, and will certainly appeal to mystery readers.
I really enjoyed reading Sydney Leigh’s debut mystery.
And will be looking forward to her next one.

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Rating: 2.5/5 ⭐

What was pegged as a "Schitt's Creek meets Only Murders in the Building" cozy mystery fell flat for me.

Jess returns home after getting burnt out in her career to open a B&B with her best friend... only for two guests to be murdered opening weekend.
The premise was fun, the mystery was light enough, but I couldn't get past all of the hashtags (I get it, marketing for the new B&B!), the MFM references and other pop culture references, and the lack of character developments (and there are a lot of characters for a book that spans maybe two days?)

I gave it a go, had to finish it to see how it would actually wrap up, but can't say that I'd recommend you to take the time to do the same. Sorry but thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Loved the pink cover and the enticing description, but the execution was a total miss for me. Too bad.

When opening a B&B, Jess didn’t expect to end up at a crime scene like one of her murder podcasts.

There were lots of random pop culture references (lululemon, Jacob Elordi, My Favorite Murder, etc.) that I thought were overdone. Lots of hashtags too.

Lots of dumb details and a high school mean girl rivalry. I don’t think anyone actually acts like that!

47% and we are justtttt starting the investigation. I’m kind of bored and just want to skim to get to the end. I’m not a big cozy mystery person, but I’m too curious to not know who did it so I will finish it.

A younger detective is struggling with video playback (????) for several pages and I’m annoyed. It feels like an afterthought to tell the audience what is happening and why Jess and her business partner, Kat, get to see the video footage.

Lots of unlikeable characters here. Jess is being immature and several men are just… gross.

Her brother talks to her like a dog??? “Settle.” This man actually said that to his sister. His poor wife.

Speaking of his wife, Sarah, it is kind of thrown together for the relationship between her and Jess to be randomly bad/weird at the beginning and then magically better after a murder. (???)

What was with the multiple pages with reference after reference to celebrities?! I just found it repetitive and boring since they were so close together. Please tell me if anyone else noticed this.

20-somethings don’t speak in hashtags 🫠

The title… what?! It was mentioned once and in SUCH a stupid way… I just can’t.

Noooo there are more references to pop culture, whyyyyyy

Ew, George is nasty offering Jess to “join” him and Paula in a creepy-ass way. They’ll say that but no cursing?! SHE DESCRIBED HIS CHEST AS FURRY 🤮

Yeah, this one wasn’t for me. The vibes were good at the beginning but it quickly became cringey and boring. I wanted more of the B&B in general for the vibes but it was no plot no vibes just… a book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book! I read a lot of cozies and traditional mysteries and while they say the character is in their late 20s/early 30s, it always felt they were much older. Not true with this main character! Sydney Leigh nailed the young millennial vibe with this fun and frothy murder mystery! I can't praise it enough. I loved the two best friends who opened this Hudson Valley B&B in their hometown only to be met with murder on their opening weekend. Leigh brings lots of cultural references in like the podcast, My Favorite Murder and Reddit. I did struggle with the resolution which felt rushed and the motive lacking. However, the journey to get there was so fun that I didn't mind. I can't wait to read the next in this series. Highly recommend for those looking for a bright, fun cozy to escape to!

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC!

4.5 stars Was this really a debut?!?! Peril in Pink kept me hooked. The characters were easy to love and the plot was fun to follow. I was able to easily play this book out in my head like a movie. I pictured everything and loved how everything tied up in the end. No questions were left unanswered. The fact that this was Leigh's debut has me excited for her future work.

I personally did not enjoy the book as much as I would have liked. It did not excite me enough to care about the killer reveal. I had already guessed the killer may be that's why. The motive felt forced. Also, I felt some things were repetative. For e.g. Whenever someone wanted to share a piece of information they were cut off. It happened way too many times. I understand the purpose was to create anticipation but it felt frustrating.

The character building is good and there is small town vibe to the story, but as an "Only Murders in the Building" fan, I found this book underwhelming.