Member Reviews
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.
This was such a good twist on a murder mystery. It had a great setting in a bookstore with interesting characters, any of whom were pretty good suspects. I like how even though it was a murder mystery the characters felt well rounded and interesting without being so exaggerated as to not make sense.
Fern Valley, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is ground zero for all things romance. The town has pulled out all the stops for the first Valentine’s Day “Love is in the Air” Book Festival with events like Death by Chocolate, author speed-dating, a character masquerade, and a male cover model fashion show.
Everything is candy and roses until the sparks start to fly. Jules Keene and her team at the glamping resort spend their time trying to tamp down fiery tempers because opposites may not always attract.
When a popular author with a heart of gold is found murdered in the barn at the resort, Jules has to find the culprit before more than just hearts are broken.
Deadlines and Valentines is a fun, lighthearted romance that blends humor, charm, and just the right amount of chaos. The story follows two opposites—a high-strung journalist on a tight deadline and a hopeless romantic florist—who are thrown together in unexpected ways. Their chemistry is delightful, with witty banter and sweet moments that make the romance feel genuine.
While the plot is somewhat predictable, the lovable characters and feel-good vibes more than make up for it. This is the perfect cozy read for anyone looking for a sweet escape with a dash of humor and heart.
Rating: 4/5
Thank you so much to NetGallery.
At a book retreat convention over Valentine’s Day, an author is murdered. This follows the campground manager where the retreat takes place. She is working trying to solve the crime. Will others fall victim? This story was just ok, maybe a bit dragged out.
I was provided with a review copy of the ebook and this is my honest opinion. I gave this book 3 stars. (If I am unable to leave partial stars, I will always round up.)
I do plan to check out some of the author’s previous/future works.
Thank you NetGalley and Heather Weidner.
What a fun who-done-it this book turned out to be. Set against the backdrop of a picturesque and chilly small town, we have the murder of the nice female author. Before I jump to the mystery, I want to pause first and talk about the backdrop of this book. Jules, a small town resort owner, and her fellow town business owners put on a romance weekend in preparation for Valentines. By romance, I don't mean the traditional romantic Valentines, I mean a festival dedicated to romance authors. It also amazes me the description of the festivals or events that take center stage in cozies. This book was no different especially the romance cover model show, ooh la la (LOL.)
Jules relied heavily on her friend Pixel for research. After reading this book, I think Pixel needs her own series if for no other reason than because an IT person for the FBI named Pixel. I love it and would read that book. Jumping back to the mystery, it was a true who-done-it with a lot of suspects especially the divas. I had a few guesses on who the killer was but the author did a nice jump of showing Jules puzzle out the answer. This was a fun book and while I think an early January release might make more sense since we are in other holiday mode now. Overall, I would recommend it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Level Best Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.
What a fun read! It was a little slow for me but I loved the setting. Who wouldn’t love a book set in the Blue Ridge mountains about a murder at a book convention?
Thank you NetGalley for this arc!!
This was such a fun read, hooked me right from the beginning.
I will definitely check out more books from this author.
I absolutely loved this book! It was a Nancy Drew meets book festival mystery. The book was a short, fun, easy read. I loved the characters and the Valentines theme of the book. This was the first book in the series that I have read, but I felt it was easy to understand who the characters were and I did not feel like I was missing anything.
The only critique I have is the dialogue was a little choppy; sometimes I did not realize where the dialogue began because it seemed like some punctuation was missing. It was not a big deal for me and I still liked the book!
So I definitely jumped at this arc because I met the author at a book event in my hometown. I didn’t know much about the series overall except for what she told me at her table and during a panel.
I enjoyed the story, but there was a ton of characters to track, I definitely confused some characters at one point. But it was still very fun & I’m excited to go through and read the others from this series!!
Thank you to the author, publisher, & NetGalley for the early access to read this story!
Glamping is the only way you will get me to stay anywhere other than a hotel room when I travel. Add in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and a solid cozy mystery and you got my attention!
This series does not disappoint! The author does a fabulous job of developing dimensional characters, a solid mystery filled with twist, turns and red herrings, and brings it all to life and away that makes it hard to put the book down. If you have not read a book in this series yet, I can tell you there is nothing wrong with reading this one first and going back to the others.
✯✯2.5/5 stars✯✯
i loved the idea of this book, but unfortunately i did find it really slow and hard for me to really get into, i had to push myself a bit to finish it. the writing style wasn’t my favorite and there were a lotttt of characters to keep track of. i did enjoy the setting of it and like i said, the idea of it seemed cool, since it’s a murder mystery book that takes place at a book festival with authors. i’m sad that this wasn’t for me, but i’m sure other people will find it interesting and a fun read!
thank you to NetGalley for this ARC <3
A romance festival who dun it? Love it!! I was totally expecting spice, but what I got was a fun and twisting murder mystery adventure!
When Jules Keene hosts a romance novel festival at her town she knows there will be some snags, with diva romance authors, crazed fans, personal assistants who are past the breaking point, what would make it even better? MURDER
I honestly had the murderer guessed after a while (although I did think for a second it was Jules lol) you don't know until the end! Did you guess right?
A few grammatical errors, but the recipe book in the back totally makes up for it!!
I read this as a standalone but it is the 4th book in the series, I was confused for a few chapters on whose who, but it gets easier. Overall a cute book.
Oftentimes cliched and occasionally shortsighted. I loved the premise and the concept of the characters but there was a missing spark.
Just not for me! I'm not the biggest fan of the writing and overall, it was a little bit boring and confusing at the same time. I flew through it and was glad once I was done, I do think some people will really like it though!
This book was super fun! I read it in one sitting and enjoyed the setting of a book festival. However, it was pretty dialogue heavy and it took a bit of time in the beginning for me to keep track of all of the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
The small town of Fern Valley is hosting a "Love is in the Air' romance authors' event. Jules Keene, the owner of a glamping resort and head of the business council, finds herself in the midst of another murder mystery when a beloved romance author is found dead. This was an enjoyable light read. All the jealousy and underhandedness amongst the authors makes them all suspects, but what I really want to know is if any of the authors are based on real people?!
Jules Keene had her hands full organizing an event for writers, publishers, and fans themed 'Love is in the air.' They were supposed to have a wonderful glamping experience in the cozy village of Fern Valley, offering a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
As the guests arrive, drama unfolds and unfortunately, crime is in the air.
I enjoyed this clever and charming murder mystery. Having writers as characters was a great idea, they are intriguing and quirky. You can also expect suspense and humor. The setting is charming, with the glamping resort adding a unique twist to the typical cozy mystery backdrop.
Cozy murder mysteries are my favorites and this one did not disappoint. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc. Since it's a series, I can't wait to see what adventures Jules finds herself in next!
Umm cuties! This was an easy cute read. Just read a really heavy difficult book and this was a nice palate cleanser.
First of all thank you for letting me get a first look at this book through an ARC on NetGalley. I found the characters somewhat flat and the book convoluted when it came to how many characters we were introduced to in such a short period of time. Ususally, that is fine but all the different characters somewhat read the same, which made it really challenging. The plot was predictable so the mystery aspect of this read unfortunately fell flat to me.
All in all i am sure there are readers out there who would truly enjoy this read! Unfortunately it was not for me.
A fun cozy-esque mystery. Ideal if you want a quick read with something to solve. I liked that it included writers and a book lovers community and overall found it very pleasant to read. My only thing I found to the contrary was there were a lot of characters almost to many to keep track of but that may just be a me problem. Id definitely pick up a read from this author again!
Although I love a cosy mystery, this book failed to hit the mark. The setting was promising - a glamping retreat with a Valentines literary book festival, however there were too many characters and random events going on. The main characters were quite superficial and (the majority) unlikeable and I struggled to be enthused by the storyline. Also - where was the romance?? My overall feeling is that this book lacked depth in all areas and would have been far more gripping if we had more detail and back story for the characters. If you are looking for a quick read that requires little effort to finish, then you will probably enjoy this, but don't expect too much. If you make it to the end however, there are some delicious recipes waiting for you!!
(Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this ebook).