Thank you to Barbour Fiction for this ARC of The Juliet Code.

Not only did I get a great story - but I have found a new author.

Grace and Frederick are a newlywed accidentally married couple who keep finding adventures. Grace sees herself as a sleuth and Her husband Frederick loves her enough to want to go along.

I started with the first 2 novels in the series when I found this book on NetGalley. I highly recommend starting with the first novel.

It’s a great and thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery series.

I just reviewed The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham. #TheJulietCode #NetGalley

Another fun adventure with Freddie and Grace! Continuing on from book two, the pair finally gets to enjoy their honeymoon in Italy, but is interrupted by a surprise encounter with a friend from home, who needs their help on a case.
Plenty of romance, a mystery with a cast full of suspicious characters, and an adventure involving a treasure hunt made this a delightful read. Grace seems to attract trouble wherever she goes, and Freddie has to learn to trust her more. I liked how they grew in faith and matured as a couple in this book. They lean on each other and God as the danger grows. Overcoming fear from past traumas is a deep issue for Grace. She shows great courage, and still gives others help when needed. She and Freddie made a good team. Hoping there will be more adventures to follow!
Recommend to readers who enjoy lighter mysteries with romance and faith. 4.5 stars

This was such an interesting book by Pepper Basham, interesting storyline and characters.

I just reviewed The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham. #TheJulietCode #NetGalley

THE JULIET CODE by PEPPER BASHAM is the third novel in the Grace and Frederick romantic suspense series. I have thoroughly enjoyed each book and am hoping there may even be another of their adventures in tge future. I love the sometimes serious, often hilarious,banter between the couple and the way their very different characters meld into a detective force to be reckoned with! They are on honeymoon in Venice when their friend Detective Jack Miracle comes across them and they get involved with him in trying to find a set of paintings featuring Shakespeare’s Juliet, which are missing…….
They become part of his client, Mr Daniel Laraby’s, house party on the island he owns, with a strange mix of guests, each one of whom could be the thief……
With clues in the paintings leading to treasure, curses and murder, a ghost, various circus tricks and sword fighting wth a parasol, Grace is thrilled and Frederick is worried about keeping his wife safe…..
Underlying the story there is a lovely Christian message.
I highly recommend The Juliet Code as a most enjoyable, exciting and inspirational read. I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Barbour Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

A good mystery with sufficient plot twists to keep you entertained...though the romance was a bit heavy and overdone for me.

This was my first Pepper Basham book and I've heard lots of great things about the author so I was excited to read. Honestly, I felt like the mystery took a backseat to the romance between the married couple MCs. It felt so repetitive, with every chapter going back to her love for his 'sleuthing' and finding him so romantic and perfect. It made the book feel too surreal, with characters who didn't feel real to me and to who, I couldn't fully relate. However, I did like that the mystery had a few twists and turns to get to the real culprits and that the inclusion of God was present and well-written.

All in all, a solid read and I might try some more of her books, especially book 1 in this series before the couple got married.

I loved reading The Juliet Code. It had me hooked from the beginning; the mystery and adventure started right from page 1, and I could not put the book down. The relationship between Frederick and Grace was so beautiful and innocent; it did not overshadow the adventure.

I will look into reading more books from Pepper Basham.

You are going to love the banter between Grace and Frederick, such fun and love!

Now our girl Grace, an avid reader, wants to make her parasol deadly, and we are there as it actually happens.

We are gifted with beautiful Venice, and end up on the coast on an island. There the danger begins, and why? Well, answers come, and we soon wonder whom they can trust? Everyone becomes a suspect!

While we enjoy this newly wed couple, danger is lurking, along with a hidden treasure, along with stolen paintings. What is the correlation of the paintings and the island? Well, you will find out!

In the end answers come along with danger, and some not making it to the end!

Page turner for sure!

I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Barbour, and was not required to give a positive review.

The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham continues Freddie and Grace, a newlywed couple, on their hunt to solve a mystery. One of the favorite aspects of the series is the mention of previously published mystery novels that Grace keeps referencing to. Shows that she really likes the mystery elements and wonders what would this person do in this situation. The mysteries are cozy mysteries style mysteries, which are fine. I adore any type of mystery that keeps me guessing. Since they are a newlywed couple, Basham does show the sparks of a new couple that are learning to explore the deeper relationships of a married couple. With this mystery, there are clues in the Juliets' paintings, which make it more interesting as the people come across the paintings. Basham does a wonderful job at bringing the setting to life too. She describes what is needed when needed and not too much. Just enough to play with the readers imagination. Overall, The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham is a delightful mystery, but I wish it was not the end. I would love to see more of this type of story from her.

I received a complimentary copy of The Juliet Code by Pepper Basham by Barbour Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

The Juliet Code
Pepper Basham
Dec.1, 2023
Barbour
* Christian fiction
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
#3 in the series
Outstanding! Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley finally reach their honeymoon destination only to encounter a new mystery in need of solving. I adore this series and book 3 is the best yet. The strong Christian message brought me joy. The sizzle between Frederick and Grace is refreshing.
5 stars

This is the first time that I read a book written by Pepper Basham.

The Juliet Code is the third installment of the Grace and Frederick mystery series. It’s well written with fantastic and charming hero Frederick and heroine Grace! So many things are included into this lovely Christian fiction of suspense, danger, intrigue, just enough to keep me turning pages until the very end. Follow this team into their lives filled with so many twists and turns.

*I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Barbour Publishing. All opinions expressed are my own. *

Juliet Code
Pepper Basham has a talent for blending murder, mayhem and romance. This story was filled with twists and turns, humor and some rather unexpected surprises. I like that the some of the same characters from Cairo Curse reappear here. There were a multitude of characters, and I struggled a bit keeping all of them straight. There are thieves and family mysteries and a mysterious old home embedded with secrets. Many of the characters are not who they claim to be. The author’s humor is a light touch to some serious happenings. I appreciate her effort to include some spiritual influences. I absolutely loved her novel Authentically Izzy and Positively Penelope- the author has a talent for creating a delightful story. Thanks to Net Galley for an advance readers copy.
#Net Galley #Pepper Basham #Barbourbooks

"Her darling sleuthing partner ahppily filled her days with hisorical and artistic adventures and her nights with deliciously roguish ones." The Juliet Code is full of the signature Freddie and Grace whicsy and newlywed sweetness readers have come to adore throughout the series! I thought the story was a bit like the Knives Out - Glass Onion movie, only with a Regency twist!

If you haven't read any of the Freddie and Grace series, it starts with The Mistletoe Countess followed by The Cairo Curse and then The Juliet Code. I would start from The Mistletoe Countess and keep going! How fun it would be to be able to binge this series all at once! I'm almost jealous of the readers who get to, you are in for an adventure of light-hearted mysteries and mishaps I would love to enjoy again for the first time!

Once again, Grace steals the show with her delightful combination of naivete, and ever present joyfulness. Her love language is daring adventures and near death experiences and she has experienced plenty of them! Her married life certainly hasn't been dull! This story is set in Venice, on what is supposed to be a relaxing honeymoon, but ends up being fraught with ghosts, treasure, stolen art and murder. Definitely not the activities I had on my honeymoon itinerary but perfect for Grace! I enjoyed the themes of hurts and grace, hope and loss, as well as letting God use you where you to bring hope to others. Well done Pepper Basham!

"The best stories should always include faithful friends." I loved the inclusion of super sleuth Jack Miracle in The Juliet Code. How great would it be if he and his new partner got a spin-0ff series! I would definitely read it! Will there be more of Freddie and Grace??? If there are, I can't even begin to imagine what adventures or who they will encounter next! It will be exciting for sure!

Choose The Juliet Code if you like:

Clean lighthearted romance
Mystery and mishaps and murder
Stories filled with grace and hope

Thank you Pepper Basham, Barbour Books and Net Galley for the complimentary copy of The Juliet Code. The opinions expressed here are my own.

"The Juliet Code" is a Christian mystery set in 1914 in Venice. This is the third book in a series, and you can understand it without reading the previous books. However, this book did spoil both events and the mystery in the previous books, so it's best to read them in order.

Grace is full of enthusiasm and a lively imagination fueled by books. She gets a thrill from adventure, and I love how resourceful she is in the face of unexpected adventures. Frederick's finally getting into being a sleuth and actually put together many of the clues before Grace did. She figured out the secret code leading to the treasure, though. Anyway, they were working with Detective Jack, so he mostly led the questioning and detecting. Frederick and Grace spent a lot of time mooning over each other (as it is their honeymoon) and having fade-to-black bedroom scenes. It was a fun romp, but I had the ghost whodunit figured out before even Grace (who had all of the clues) and the same with Laraby's stunt. The ending got confusing, partly because the author switched from the known names for the characters to their true names and relationships. The scenes were so poorly described that the 'suspenseful' ending just left me confused. It felt like the author forgot how she initially described the place, nor did the scene seem possible.

Things I hope are clarified in the final version of this book (and this isn't put on the review sites): Too reckless: Grace finds a rope ladder that we have reason to believe is decades old and has been out in the weather, but she didn't even check that it's still weight-worthy before using it. Shifting Description: Jack takes Path 1 to the Main Cave where the action happens. It's described as going down steps which turn into a tunnel with earthen walls which opens into a massive cavern. There are "towering" cave entrances on three sides, and it's open to the sea on the fourth. He walks over to one cave entrance, where the water's edge nearly touches the entrance and a boat is secured at the entrance. He walked into the cave, going up a short passage into the main cave. Frederick took Path 2 into a huge cave with several cave entrances partly submerged underwater. Light comes from an opening above him, and there's a pool of water in the center of the cavern. He walks through the Main Cave entrance, which isn't completely submerged yet, and the water is chest high. (The entrance height sure shrunk.) Several people then walk through this entrance (one even pushing a wheelbarrow) and the water remains at chest height. Grace took Path 1, only the steps end in the huge cavern; there's no tunnel. She sees a "cliff-framed cove" and a boat near a mostly submerged cave entrance. It's now neck-deep at the boat (standing on the bottom). Grace swims through the same neck-deep water area and through the entrance, but she sees a lot of shipwrecked boats beneath her. When swimming back through the entrance, these masts are now only about 4' below the water level, so they should have been visible at the beginning. This area had no wrecks before the tide came in and it wasn't deep enough to have any. And why was there a heavy metal chain on top of a mast instead of rope, and why hasn't it fallen off in the motion of the tide ages ago? I liked how the author previously gently mocked unrealistic adventure novels versus reality, but this setting was not only confusing but unrealistic for the sake of 'suspense'--and then the author jumped over major parts about how they got out of danger.

Grace and Fredrick learned to trust God with each other's safety. There was no bad language. There was implied married sex. Overall, I'd recommend this fun mystery, but I hope the end is rewritten to make more sense as it was hard to follow.

THE JULIET CODE is a delightful romp from start to finish. The author does a wonderful job of conveying history as well as gorgeous scenery. The characters, as always, are super entertaining, and the mystery is quite clever and will keep you guessing. Highly recommended for fans of light-hearted historical mysteries with a dash of romance. This is a book meant to entertain, not to be taken too seriously. If you like Agatha Christie, this book (and the series in general) is like a lighter, funnier version of those classic mysteries. I look forward to the next installment.

I received a complimentary e-galley from the publisher in exchange for my review; all opinions are my own.

This is one of my favourite books/series in 2023 and I read a lot of books - so it's high praise indeed. This book contained it all: romance, mystery, suspense, danger and humour. I love the main characters of Grace and Fredrick. They are well written and just plain interesting.

I enjoyed the plot of the story and the setting for it. I have read the whole series and I would be the first in line for more if the author chooses to write them. I sincerely hope she will! This can be read as a stand alone but I recommend starting at the beginning of the series as each book builds upon the previous.

I receive complimentary books for various sources including, Netgalley, Authors, and other such sources. I am not required to write a positive review and have not received compensation.

I don't know if these two are ever going to get a proper honeymoon but they are sure making memories that they will never forget! I love that we get to follow them along on their married life as they solve crimes! So many romance books end with the characters getting together and we get a page or two of them together or if you're really lucky, a chapter. I am LOVING that this is a whole series!!! Keep them coming please!!!

To quote Henry Tilney (Northanger Abbey), "once I had begun [this book], I could not lay it down again; I remember finishing it in two days - my hair standing on end the whole time."

This was an exciting romp and became a page-turner by the end. The plot was engaging, well-developed, and kept me guessing. The setting was fascinating. There was an interesting cast of characters, and I was particularly drawn to the plucky, curious, and observant Grace, who reminded me of Catherine Morland.

In fact, this books made me think of a lot of the "greats" in fiction, from Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie’s Tuppence and Tommy, even to The Count of Monte Cristo. It made itself unique, however, in its portrayal of a husband-and-wife sleuthing team who have a happy marriage (even if the husband is reluctant to solve mysteries).

However, I had some small, personal quibbles with this book, which might not bother other readers. There was a line in the story that bothered me: Grace, considering the possibility of being attacked during her investigations, tells her husband something along the lines of "I prefer your particular type of assault" in a seductive way. Connecting the word "assault" in any way with happily-married consensual sex just bothered me. On a smaller note, the name "Jasmine" seemed, to me, a bit anachronistic for a late 19th/early 20th century Italy, but that's completely unimportant and had no bearing on my review, and I could be wrong about that.

While the messages in the book could be heavy-handed, they were good and true and important. I appreciate the way Basham writes fiction with a purpose. One of the things I appreciated most in the book was that when Grace gets anxious, she uses Philippians 4:8 to ground herself in whatever is true, good, worthy of praise, etc. It seems like a good strategy to try!

Overall, this was a really good read that had me hooked by the end. I would definitely read a future mystery with loveable couple Grace and "Freddie" if Basham writes more. Even though The Juliet Code established very clearly what happened in the first two books, I enjoyed this one so much that I think I'll go back to read The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse, too!

Warnings for readers that are more sensitive/conservative: this story does get dark and has an untimely death. (I wasn't expecting that, as I thought the book was just about an art heist; that's my bad for not reading the first two books in the series, and only reading the very upbeat "Positively, Penelope" by Basham before this. Also, the book contains multiple mentions of the newlyweds wanting to have sex.

Thank you to Pepper Basham and Barbour Publishing for this eARC. I was not required to write a positive review. I will post a review on Goodreads no more than 30 days prior to publishing as per Barbour's request.

A very different story, some which was realistic and other parts very far fetched, in my opinion. The characters displayed some strong characteristics and showed strength.

The Juliet code is a historical fiction story that will keep you up and engage from the first page. For me this was my first book of the series and I’ll definitely be reading the first two books, enjoying everything even more because I’ll know they lived to have a third story.
This series is about Grace and Frederick suddenly and unexpectedly finding themselves inside mysteries turned death threatening. Juliet Code happens in Venice, and they ended up working with their dear friend Jack, Detective Miracle, to solve a dark and old mystery. While they solved the case they met other important characters such as Lydia Whitby that hopefully, we’ll see more in the next book.
Love the book!!

The Juliet Code was like being in a new country but wearing your favorite comfy sweatshirt. It was the cozy feeling of already knowing Freddie and Grace but the excitement of a new adventure with them. The beauty of following the same main characters in multiple books is the opportunity to see the characters growth, which we see perfectly with Freddie and Grace not only individually but also as a couple. Their love and respect for each other has grown and flourished since meeting them in Mistletoe Countess. Grace still has her amazing personality and excitement to solve any mystery that comes into her path but I noticed her stop and think a lot more, using past experiences to help her make wise choices. And we see Fredrick struggle with the fear of almost losing Grace in the last book and him relying on his faith in the Lord knowing in life or death God is holding them, and that was beautiful.

We follow them on their honeymoon in Italy where they meet up with a friend, Detective Jack Miracle as he is working on a case relating to stolen paintings.
Of course our favorite couple couldn’t turn down the opportunity to help and soon they are sucked into an investigation that turns deadly. Throw in ghosts, hidden treasure, friends old and new and a parasol and you have yourself another lighthearted mystery with Freddie and Grace.

I enjoyed this book so much and love that Freddie and Grace never get boring to read about and that’s because Pepper Basham does such an amazing job at building her characters. I could read another 3 books about them and still be wanting more. You will be guessing until the very end and close it with a smile on your face.