Member Reviews

This was a delightful book to read. The characters are all very realistic and relatable with fleshed out traits. I also loved that the dog was a character in the book and featured throughout, not just mentioned once or twice and forgotten. There is a nice flow to the story and a perfect mix of humor and suspense that kept me guessing.

The story takes place at the grand opening of a B&B in Hudson Valley. Our protagonist, Jess Byrne, is the owner of The Pearl B&B. Jess's ex-boyfriend and reality star singer Lars Armstrong is scheduled to perform but becomes the lead murder suspect after his manager is found dead. Word quickly spreads in the small town and with evidence stacked against him, Jess must try to salvage the image of her business and also make sure that an innocent person doesn't go to jail.

Unexpected twist and mounting suspense make this book a very enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for making this book available to me free in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to the author Sydney Leigh for offering it to me. Congratulations on an awesome debut.

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Thank you NetGalley and Sydney Leigh for this ARc!

This is such a great cozy mystery! I absolutely enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down!
All of the characters were great and I enjoyed the plot and twist and turns. I highly recommend!

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Rosé all day 🍾

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions , @sydneyleigh , @crookedlanebooks for the gifted copy.

This was such a fun, cozy, murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. It's also her debut novel, which I found hard to believe, the writing was great! I loved all the dialog, which made this very fast-paced. I'm so glad I picked this one up on @netgalley. It's been labeled as Schitt's Creek meets Only Murders In The Building, and it definitely didn't disappoint.
[I love both those shows, so I definitely had to grab this one]

It has everything you could think of for a great book:

• small-town 🏡
• little bit of romance 💞
• murder 🔪🩸
• whodunit 🔍
• twists after twist 🪢
• Rosé Rosé Rosé 🍾
Oh....and everything is PINK lol
🩷🩷🩷🩷

I highly recommend this one!

𝗣𝗨𝗕 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘:
March 19, 2024

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QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️ Have you ever stayed in a bed & breakfast? Did it have a theme?

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#thrillerbooks #thrillerreader #thrillerlover #thrillerobsessed #bookrecs #bookreview #bookstagram #bookaholic #booklover #bookstagrammer #booklove #bookcommunity #bookobsessed #bookworm #booksbooksbooks #booksofig #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookishfeatures #tbr #tbrpile #bookbuzz #mysteryandthrills #BookstaBFF23 #thrillerbooklovers #perilinpink #sydneyleigh #murdermystery #cozymystery
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I came for the Schitt’s Creek vibes! this ended up being a very enjoyable cozy mystery with a wonderfully descriptive setting

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So fun! This was such an enjoyable mystery that I honestly could not guess. This was a classic case of amateur sleuth and I loved the vibes of the setting. It felt like a summer read and each character was unique, many having something they were trying to hide.

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It’s opening day at The Pearl B&B. Jess and her partner Kat have poured everything they have into making it the place to book for a weekend. Jess ignores Kat’s objections and even has her old boyfriend Lars performing. He gained fame and followers when he won a reality TV show, and the Pearl B&B is looking at having an amazing opening weekend.
Well, it was before Lars stepfather Bob was murdered. Especially since Lars looks pretty guilty. Jess may have mixed feelings about her ex, but she’s sure that he isn’t a murderer. This is not the kind of publicity that The Pearl needs, and Jess decides to figure out whodunnit before opening weekend equals closing weekend.
I always find the first book in a cozy series challenging. The author has to set up the premise, make you care about the characters you will see again, make you understand why the main character has the skills to figure out whodunnit, and a million other things.Peril in Pink set the stage with some interesting characters, a charming small town, and two women who have given up their jobs to pursue their dreams. There were plenty of red herrings, and I was surprised at the reveal. I didn’t pay close enough attention and missed a vital clue. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to the next one in this series.

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A cozy mystery for a lazy afternoon read.

Overall, it was just an okay read for me. The story moved quickly and kept me engaged.

Content note: no explicit scenes

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

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It’s the opening weekend for the newest B&B in Fletcher Lake called The Pearl. The owner, Jess Byrne, has brought in her ex-boyfriend, Lars, to provide entertainment since he is a reality singing sensation. What happens when the stepfather and manager for Lars is found murdered at the B&B? Jess needs to find out what happened and make sure the opening weekend is a success.
 
You do not need to be a fan of the color pink to enjoy this cozy mystery.
 
This was such a fun storyline. Jess is opening a bed and breakfast with her best friend Kat. The Pearl is going to be the place to stay if you want a girls’ trip or romantic getaway. Her brother Nate and his wife Sarah turned the garage into a bar called the Cool Vibes Café. The author gave just enough details describing the B&B and the café to imagine yourself as a guest there.
 
The characters are part of what makes a cozy mystery for me. You have plenty of characters that you get to meet. There were characters I loved like Jess and Kat. You will not forget Aunt Marnie who helps give the story a little something extra. There were characters I wanted to see more of like Detective James Holloway. I hope we get to see more of him in the next book. You even have the former high school queen, Britt, who did not make life so easy for Jess in high school. I did not care for Britt, but the story would not be the same without her.
 
I had a great time trying to solve the murder right along with Jess. I am ready to make a reservation for The Pearl to sit by the pool and drink a glass of their wine.
 
Peril in Pink comes out March, 19, 2024.
 
Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Best friends open their dream B&B, everything is going great and smooth during the grand opening night until someone is found dead.

Kind of reminded me of Clue and Schitt’s Creek.

Small town drama, the characters are fun and quirky and any one of them could be the killer.

It took a little bit for me to get into it but I’d recommend for a quick cozy whodunnit read with a glass of rosé and fuzzy pink socks.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

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received this arc from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

i didn’t like this much and couldn’t get into it. despite a really fun cover and premise, the dialogue and characters felt dated. just too old school millennial for me. maybe i would have liked it in 2017/18

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Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building vibes?! My first thought was “Sign. Me. Up.”

I was expecting the vibes of Barbie Detective solving a murder at her B&B, and felt like there could have definitely been more of an Alexis Rose vibe in the female main character.

I did love the cover and thought that this was a cozy, cute mystery. I liked that I didn’t know who the killer was until the end and that it kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I was excited to read this one but sadly I couldn't get into it as I'd have loved. Writing style wasn't for me, not enough twists to keep me interested and didn't love the characters.

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3.5 stars This was a fun, light read. The characters were interesting and funny, and I liked the dynamic between Jess and Kat. I also enjoyed the imagery and descriptions of the settings, mainly the hotel. I have to say the last third of the book really lost me. The mystery and sleuthing of this book were a bit of a letdown for me personally. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC.

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"Peril in Pink" by Sydney Leigh is a lively and entertaining debut mystery that serves up a blend of humor and suspense in the cozy setting of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley. The book introduces us to Jess Byrne, the innkeeper, and her unexpected involvement in solving a murder that occurs during the B&B's grand opening.

The premise of the story is engaging, with a touch of Schitt's Creek charm and a dash of Only Murders in the Building intrigue. The character dynamics, including the presence of Jess's ex-boyfriend, reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong, add an interesting layer to the plot.

While "Peril in Pink" has its moments of humor and suspense, I'm giving it a 3-star rating because some aspects of the plot and character development felt a bit predictable and formulaic. The cozy mystery genre often relies on established tropes, and this book adheres to them closely.

However, the book shines in its depiction of the B&B setting, and the witty banter between Jess and her best friend and business partner, Kat, adds a fun dynamic to the narrative.

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Peril in Pink starts out by introducing the reader to Jess Byrne, owner of the Pearl Bed-and-Breakfast. This place is a pink millennial dream - think blush pink doors, wood furniture, leafy green plants, and tall glass windows, perfect for a weekend getaway that is perfectly photogenic. The B&B is filled with an assortment of people for the opening weekend, including Jess’ business partner/BFF, a rising music star, Jess’ brother and sister-in-law, a hunky cop, and an assortment of guests. The opening night experiences some issues when things don’t go as planned, and the following morning a body is found at the B&B. Jess is determined not to let her dream business tank, and tried to discover what happened before it is too late.

This book is the picture perfect (pink) locked-room mystery. It has twists and isn’t formulaically predictable the way some cozy mysteries feel. The setting was described very well and made me feel like I was inside a modern Barbie B&B. The characters are multidimensional and unique without having too much time spent on character development. As a frequent cozy mystery reader, I appreciated that the main character was very different than some of the standard types. Jess is 28, divorced, has a dog, and is following her dream opening a business with her best friend with help from her Aunt, brother, and sister-in-law.

Content warnings for this book include death, murder, divorce, financial troubles, and sports injuries. I’d recommend this book for frequent cozy mystery readers looking for something fresh/unique, anyone who enjoys the pink Barbie vibes, and anyone who wants a fun and quick read that feels like a mini vacation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sydney Leigh, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of Peril in Pink!

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I loved every minute of this humorous mystery set in a brand new bed and breakfast. There's so many fun characters with many twists along the way. I'd love to read more from Sydney Leigh.

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I liked this book but I just couldn't get into the story. I didn't like the writing style but overall the story was good.

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"Peril in Pink" by Sydney Leigh promises a thrilling blend of mystery, celebrity drama, and small-town intrigue, making it a must-read for fans of cozy mysteries.

The story begins with an enticing setup: the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, featuring a performance by reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong, who also happens to be the ex-boyfriend of B&B owner Jess Byrne. However, the festivities take a dark turn when Lars's stepdad-turned-manager, Bob, is found dead, and Lars becomes the prime suspect. This immediately plunges readers into a suspenseful and engaging narrative.

The plot appears to be well-crafted, with layers of intrigue, suspicious circumstances, and unexpected twists. The idea of being locked down with a killer among the B&B's guests adds a sense of urgency and tension to the story. The promise of another murder involving Lars raises questions about his innocence and keeps readers guessing.

Jess Byrne, as the B&B owner and amateur sleuth, is poised to be a relatable and determined protagonist. Her willingness to help clear Lars's name, even in the face of mounting evidence against him, makes her a character worth rooting for.

The book's focus on the potential damage to the B&B's reputation and its implications for Jess and her best friend and business partner, Kat, adds a layer of stakes beyond the murder mystery, making the story more multifaceted.

"Peril in Pink" seems like an intriguing addition to the cozy mystery genre, offering readers a blend of celebrity drama, small-town charm, and amateur sleuthing. For those who enjoy mysteries with a touch of glamour and a dash of humor, this book holds the promise of an entertaining and suspenseful read.

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bookwormdanii * ARC REVIEW *
Peril in Pink by Sydney Leigh
My Rating: 3/5

Review: Thank you @sydneyleighmystery for writing this book and letting me read it & This was a fun, cozy mystery that I enjoyed all the way through. Many of the mysteries I read are intense and heavy so this was my first cozy mystery!

Jess and Kat worked hard to open the Pearl, their dream pink, Instagram inspired B&B. They had planned opening weekend to a T, but could never have prepared for what actually happened. This book becomes a whodunnit, clue like mystery where everyone could be the suspect.. maybe? I enjoyed the salute to pop culture throughout this book with mentions of RuPaul's Drag Race, The Kardashians, Kurt Cobain, Star Wars, Ryan Reynolds, etc. It was a nice touch and I could relate to the book more through those pop culture references.

This is a good book to cuddle up next to a fire and read on a chilly day. You'll think you've solved the mystery but there are so many moving parts, you'll be second guessing yourself the entire time.

Pre-order yours now through Amazon!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1639106391/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1694779447&sr=8-1

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Jess has worked hard with her friends and family to create the perfect, instagram worthy BnB. The opening night is going perfectly, with wine flowing and high spirits all around — until the star of honor, Lars, backs out from his highly anticipated performance. Luckily the night is rescued and the guests continue partying, except the next morning Jess is woken by a scream. Lars's manager has been found dead. This is not how Jess wanted her new business venture to start, and she has to reasure guests while assisting the hot detective in solving the case.

Sydney Leigh's debut novel is a perfect cosy mystery for summer, with the poolside drinks and s'mores by the fire. The modern BnB setting was the perfect moodsetter and set Peril in Pink apart from most cosy mysteries which often feel less modern. At times it felt a bit millenial, with people saying hashtags and millenial wine humour on wineglasses which felt a bit cringey to me but I suppose some people are actually like that. I enjoyed reading about Jess talking to her suspects and following leads with plenty of unique and interesting characters involved, all helping to reveal what happened leading up to the murder.

I would reccomend picking up Peril in Pink when you want to relax with a cosy read, especially at the beach.

Thank you to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Sydney Leigh for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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