This is the 3rd entry in the adventures of Lord & Lady Astley. To fully appreciate and enjoy this one, you need to read the first two. The characters are fun and the hero and heroine truly love each other and look out for each other. Grace and Frederick are on their honeymoon in Venice when they are asked by their friend, Detective Jack, to assist in a case involving stolen paintings. Lots of twists and turns in the plot—and no one seems to be who they say they are! 4 stars!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

My first book by this author and I loved it. The third in the Frederick and Grace mystery series. You can read this one out of order. I’m definitely going back to read the first two. They are in Venice to enjoy a delayed honeymoon, when their friend Jack Miracle asks them to assist on a case. The case is much more involved and dangerous than the client had told Jack. There is equal part sweet love story between Freddie and Grace. It was wonderful the way their faith was blended into the book. At the close of the book, Jack has found another case for them to assist with and a possible partner. Looking forward to many more by this author. This is my unbiased review of the ARC. Highly recommend.

The Julie Code by Pepper Basham
Publication Date: 12.01.23
Published by Barbour Fiction
5 Stars!

I highly recommend readers of historical fiction romance to step into the enchanting world of Venice, where Pepper Basham masterfully weaves a tale of mystery, romance, and faith in The Juliet Code, the third installment of the Freddie and Grace Mystery series. Against the picturesque backdrop of Venice's winding canals and historic architecture, Basham crafts a story that effortlessly combines humor, romance, and suspense, leaving readers completely captivated.

The story unfolds as newlyweds, Lord Frederick and Lady Grace Astley, embark on their honeymoon in the romantic city of Venice. What begins as a dreamy escape quickly transforms into a thrilling adventure when their friend Detective Jack Miracle invites them to assist in solving the mystery of missing Juliet paintings. As the trio delves into a murderous treasure hunt, Basham skillfully intertwines the couple's deepening love with a suspenseful plot that brims with red herrings and unexpected twists.

Grace, a book-loving and adventurous character, takes center stage as she embraces her role as a detective with zeal and humor. Her infectious enthusiasm for life adds a unique and delightful flair to the narrative. The banter and romantic chemistry between Frederick and Grace sparkle off the pages, creating a magnetic connection that resonates with readers.

Set against the intriguing world of art theft and hidden treasures, The Juliet Code keeps readers guessing from the first page to the last. The cleverly crafted mystery, filled with twists and turns, maintains a perfect balance between complexity and accessibility. Basham's ability to introduce new characters seamlessly into the existing ensemble adds depth and anticipation for future adventures.

The book is not merely a suspenseful mystery; it is a testament to Basham's skill in infusing faith into her storytelling. The mentions of God are honest, sincere, and organically integrated into the characters' conversations, enriching the narrative with an eternal perspective. The Christian elements add a layer of authenticity to the characters' lives, making them relatable and endearing.

Grace and Frederick's relationship, portrayed with flirty romance and genuine connection, evolves beautifully as their love deepens amid the challenges they face. The addition of Detective Jack Miracle and the introduction of a side romance enhance the overall richness of the story, leaving readers eagerly anticipating future adventures.

Pepper Basham's versatility shines as she seamlessly transitions from genres, delivering a historical mystery that is both engaging and heartwarming. The Juliet Code is a rare gem, combining the charm of Venice, the allure of a mystery, and the most important aspect of our lives, faith, into an unforgettable reading experience. This book is not just a 5-star read; it's a captivating journey that leaves readers longing for more extraordinary escapades with Freddie and Grace.

I received an eARC for The Juliet Code from Barbour Fiction through NetGalley. I am not required to write a positive review nor paid to do so. This is my honest and unbiased review. My thoughts and opinions expressed in this book review are my own. My review focuses on this story’s excellent content, ensuring transparency and reliability.

The perfect blend of romcom and suspense, with a sweet faith thread woven throughout. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and found the continuation of Freddie and Grace's story to be utterly delightful. I think one of the draws for me is that readers can see a couple after their happily-ever-after, with plenty of romantic chemistry that sizzles off the page, as their love deepens and strengthens.

Set against the atmospheric setting of Venice as a beautiful backdrop, I was intrigued by the mystery of the missing paintings. With the clock ticking on a murderous treasure hunt, readers will be entertained by Grace's zeal for adventure as she revels in her role as detective. I was captivated by the red herrings and plot twists from the first to last page. With a wonderful cast 0f characters that continues to grow, I am looking forward to reading more of their adventures in the future.

I enjoy this couple and them individually as well. They were flirty and romantic with each other. Fyi they are a married couple so there is some flirty innuendo between the two & physical intimacy was alluded to a couple of times. This is a clean romance with nothing beyond a kiss. I thought the bit of romance written in was thoughtful and I felt their real connection. Such great characters in the story. I loved getting Jack in this book and a little sub story for him. I thought the mystery story line was great. The mystery was intriguing, kept me guessing, had twists and turns and kept me engaged the whole time. For those, like me, that can easily get confused the plot wasn't convoluted or too simple to be boring. I really like how recap or review of what is known so far was written in. I thought it seemless and not on the nose. Mentions of God were honest and sincere. No preaching or sermon. The mentions felt organic in their conversations and just as a part of the character. I would classify the mentions as light of anyone is curious. I enjoyed the story for the mystery, the humor sprinkled in, characters. This left me wanting a book 4! What will happen with Jack!? I appreciate how Pepper Basham can write in various genres and they're all such good reads.
*thank you to netgalley and the pubclisher for an ARC of this book. Opinions are my own*

I enjoy mysteries and I really enjoy Christian Historical Fiction, so I was happy to discover this book, “The Juliet Code” by Pepper Basham. I 100% enjoyed this book….but, sorry, there’s a “but”. The “but “ is- this is book 3 in the series, and I realized I missed quite a bit by not reading books 1 and 2 first. Not only did I have a hard time getting to sort out and know the characters, but I never was sure what year it was! So, I will rectify my mistake and start Book 1 as soon as I finish this review.

Ok, on to why this is a 5 star read. The main characters, English Earl Sir Frederick Ashley and young and giddy American, Grace, are on their European honeymoon when they accidentally, but happily, get involved in a fascinating mystery. Both characters are marvelously drawn, their interests, wit, love, propriety are all just delightful. The mystery is even better than an Agatha Christie book. The plot setup is similar to classic English mysteries, which makes for an engaging puzzle. The writing style is quite wry and witty, with a touch of sophistication. And a Christian viewpoint dominates the book in a practical, loving and uplifting way.

An island with one house, filled with various characters and servants, a fascinating mystery, whodunnit?
I highly recommend this book. Thanks to Natgalley and the publisher for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

The third book in the series that started with The MIstletoe Countess is not quite as good as the first one but still one of the better examples of the genre. I was very interested in the story and liked it a lot, I just thought it moved a little slowly in the middle and wasn't as suspenseful as I usually like. The character of Grace was so fresh and delightful in The Mistletoe Countess but it's hard to sustain that freshness as the series goes on. All in all, still a very solid read and better than at least 90% of books in the genre, I think.

Another fun chapter in the Freddie and Grace mysteries! This is book 3 in the series. While this story would stand alone and enough background information from the prior books is included, I would still recommend reading The Mistletoe Countess and the Cairo Curse prior to this one just to better understand the dynamics of this wonderful husband/wife duo. This book follows the pair finally on their honeymoon, when they run into none other than Detective Jack Miracle who wants to enlist their help in solving an art heist. They cannot, of course, turn down such an adventure, particularly when the dangers are not as severe as their prior adventures. However, things are not always what they seem. With a complex mystery plot line, this story kept me turning pages to see what would happen next. I loved the idea of the series of Juliet portraits and there being a hidden treasure map contained within. It really added to the element of mystery. I enjoyed the new characters that were introduced in this book and trying to determine who was good and who was bad. I also enjoyed the growth in Freddie and Grace's relationship over the course of the series and how they've come to fully read each other by this point and the way they have come to appreciate each other's strengths. There's also a side romance towards the end of this one that has me hoping for a spinoff series. All in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable historical mystery with a married romance, and one I'd heartily recommend. Special thanks to Barbour and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

I wish that I had known this was the 3rd book in a series. I have not read the 1st 2 books.

That being said, I was able to follow along pretty well...I felt like I missed out on an inside joke a few times when previous times were mentioned, but I don't feel it detracted from the book per se.

The book was well written & kept you hanging. The end surprised me & I feel the mystery was well written & not obvious about who the "bad guy(s)" were. I would read it again, although preferably after reading the 1st 2 books.

Thank you to Netgalley & the Publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The sizzle between Frederick and Grace is the best part about this book. They are so sweet to each other and find such great ways to bring romance to their relationship.



The mystery aspect to the book was exciting. The reader is continually left guessing as to who is involved.



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

While this book is not in a series, it is the third book following the adventures of newlyweds Frederick and Grace. I would recommend readers start with the other two books first, as you will be lost in The Juliet Code.

In this book, Frederick and Grace are finally on their honeymoon in Italy. They are drawn into a mystery by their friend Jack, who hires them as assisting detectives. Someone is stealing a series of Juliet paintings from various locations in hopes they will lead to a buried treasure. Frederick and Grace race to unlock the clues and discover the identity of the thief who becomes more desperate everyday.

Overall, the book was OK. I thought the beginning slow and probably would have passed, except that I had to write a review for NetGalley. So I persevered, and the second half does pick up. There is an exciting and satisfactory ending. I thought the premise of a treasure hunt using Juliet paintings very clever.

This had the same charm as the other two books in this series. It had a great feel to it and the mystery elements worked well overall. I enjoyed what was happening and trying to figure out what was going on. Pepper Basham has a fantastic style for this type of book and I’m glad I read this.

Once again, Pepper Basham kept me guessing with this newest delightful instalment in the Freddie and Grace Mystery series! This one gave me serious Agatha Christie vibes, with a house party, murders, theft, illusions, hidden treasure, and numerous possible suspects. Until the end reveal, I was never quite sure who exactly I could trust. I really enjoyed getting to know Detective Jack Miracle in this book, and I felt like his addition to our favourite sleuthing duo made the solving of the case more interesting and gave it more depth, if that makes sense. I loved the theme of God being in control that was woven throughout the novel. As someone who worries a lot and struggles with surrendering to God’s sovereign plan, this message really spoke to me deeply. Finally, I liked the way the story left off at the end, paving the way towards future (hopefully!) exciting instalments.

Great third installment. I literally can't wait for the next one. It's a series that I hope goes on and on and on for eight or ten or thirteen books. Pepper is one of my all time favorite authors for her light hearted humor and her ability to capture the culture of Appalachia, a place that I call home. My one issue with this series is that it is filled with honeymoon inuendo and honestly, avoiding that description of the physical response between the hero and heroine is part of the reason I stick to Christian fiction. Otherwise, a great, light-hearted mystery that will have you giggling and gasping alternately.

#TheJulietCode #NetGalley

This book is the third book in a series. Frederick and Grace Percy have had many crazy things happen to them. When a close friend and detective asks them to help solve a mystery how can Fredrick and Grace refuse? Even though they are on their honeymoon. they discover that they love to sleuth and solve mysteries. I loved Fredrick and Grace's quick wit and Grace's love of books.

This was a clean and sweet with snippets of Christian life.. It was clear that the characters were faith filled.. Really enjoyed the bater between the husband and wife. More like a murder mystery with spy tendencies to it. Lots of action. My teenage son also liked this fiction thriller. Great historical mystery. Could possible use as a homeschooling book of the era.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with guidelines.

This is the third book in the series and gets as exciting as the first two. You can read this one without having read the others as there is enough background information so you won’t feel lost. There is a lot going on in this book, mystery, murder, and a bit ofromance. At first I found all the characters confusing and almost put it down but I’m so glad I didn’t. As the story advances the characters become clearer and then I couldn’t
put the book down. It is set in Venice and characters come from all over the world.
Detective Jack has been hired by art collector, Laraby, to investigate the thefts of his Juliet paintings. Seems pretty safe and straight forward so he enlists the assistance of his friends, newlyweds Lord Frederick and Lady Grace Astley. Their honeymoon has been full of excitement and danger and it continues in Venice. People are not who they seem or claim to be making it harder to catch a thief or thieves. Who will survive at the end and will more than one mystery be solved?
I received an advance copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This story is quite an adventure, I loved it!!! Delightful mystery! With witty banter, detectives, caves, suspense, kidnapping, Italian villa, paintings, murders, ghost, disguises, sword fights or better say, parasol fights???😂 And add romance and humor, then what else would you like for an amazing read? This one has it all, you’ll enjoy it, trust me on this 😉

This’ my first read on this series and it can definitely be a stand-alone novel and even though there’re references and characters from the previous stories (1 & 2) on the series it didn’t avert me from the storyline.

The ‘Juliet Code’ is the third book on the ‘Freddie and Grace Mysteries’ series by Pepper Basham.

Freddie and Grace are in their honeymoon in Venice and all of a sudden they find themselves “thrown” into a mystery of some famous paintings disappearances. Their detective friend, Jack Miracle, is right there in Venice to solve this mystery, coincidence?, I think not 🤔 Being the good friends they are, they decided to help him on this job. They’re at their leisure and will be exciting to spend some days in an island-villa, so why not?, but that’s only the beginning of this marvelous mystery.

The setting is dreamy, Italian villa?, who wouldn’t like to spend a vacation there? And coming back from a trip to Italy this summer it was the perfect novel to come to, the Italian references and language phrases in dialogues were on point. There’s a myriad of fascinating characters, the villains are really despicable and the heroes very likable, with Freddie and Grace being adorable as a married couple. The faith elements were amazingly weaved throughout the story making them relatable to our daily lives. Perfect addition to the story if you ask me. All in all I loved this story from beginning to end.

Some excerpts I love that I cannot miss sharing, they’ll give you a better insight to the story…
“Being afraid doesn’t mean you’re not brave… It’s what you do when you’ve afraid that proves your bravery. I think a great deal of it has to do with who you trust to your life and soul…”

“It was quite delightful to think of herself as a character in God’s book instead of just a wondering character without an author or book at all. In fact, if He wrote her days and she was trying to love Him and others well, then she had all the reason in the world to live bravely, didn’t she?”

“No humans is worthy of defining us… The only One who truly has the power and the insight is of much higher wisdom and power than humans.”

“When anxieties rise, check your thoughts against God’s list.” (This’ the “list” Grace refers to, Philippians 4:8)
“…whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue,
and if there be any praise,
think on these things.”
LOVE this!!!!

“…courage isn’t about being fearless. It’s about choosing to do something even when we are afraid. Sometimes the bigger the fear, the greater the courage.”

“…we are never alone.”
“God is with us.”
“And when you feel your courage is small, He is quite capable to lend you some of His.” “And when we are weak, He is strong.”

“When you spoke about God holding us no matter where we are. That means in life and death. Both of them. That we’re held each step of the way from this world to the next by a loving Father. And His hold is not uncertain.”

“All the days ordained for you were written in His book before one came to be.”
“…I find comfort in the knowledge that each day we are here is not a random act of life but a deliberate plan of God’s part to work in us and through us. To serve and trust and love Him.”
“And then, when we have fulfilled all the plans He has written for our lives here, He takes us home.”

“I know we haven’t the power to change the world, but we can start in our little corner where God places us.”

I received a complimentary eARC of this book from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley, and a positive review was not required. All opinions expressed are my own.

Oh, my heart! It's so exciting to be reunited with swoony Freddie and adorable Grace once again. The series is full of adventure, danger, thieves, and murderers with a mystery romance that has the best chemistry. It's a delightful story in every way!

The characters are wonderful and seem so real that they jump off the page. Frederick and Grace make a terrific couple, and they find themselves drawn into a world of boat races, mysterious houses, and unusual parties in Venice. As they learn about the Juliet paintings, which are rumored to hold a secret code to an underground vault of similarly treasured artwork lost over the centuries, they get pulled deeper into the mystery. When their beloved Detective Jack disappears, can Freddie and Grace use their wits and work together to find the thieves and Jack before it's too late?

“Being afraid doesn’t mean you’re not brave… It’s what you do when you’ve afraid that proves your bravery."

There are several unexpected plot twists with humorous moments throughout the story as some characters are not who they claim to be. Readers who love historical fiction with a bit of romance and mystery will definitely enjoy this book. Definitely recommend it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Barbour Publishing for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this read! It was great to revisit Freddie and Grace, characters I've come to know and love through the earlier books in the series (so proud of myself for reading them in order, haha!).

As with The Mistletoe Countess and The Cairo Curse, I personally would have liked some romantic interludes to fade to black earlier than they did--but this was both consistent with and on par with the other two, so there ya go!

Grace continues to be an endearing and relatable heroine, essentially myself in book-character form!

Perhaps my favorite parts of the story were the art and art-history elements. I took an art-history course in college for my degree program, so this just gave me all the feels and collegiate nostalgia! (A reason I enjoy the TV series _White Collar_ so much, as well--but I digress.)

Truly a lot of fun on a lot of levels, and a recommended read.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.