Wasn’t able to read this one digitally but I did order a copy of the book so will be reviewing it after I’ve read it. I’m really excited for it as I’ve only heard great things about it.

I thought this was a very funny and also quite romantic cozy mystery. The characters are eccentric and somewhat crazy. The story was well written and intriguing. Its definitely a worthwhile read.

Is there such a thing as a cozy thriller? I'm book nerd enough to know that it's a silly question. But that's how this book felt. Familiar characters that we know and love taken out of their normal element and our main character's past comes to the forefront of this exciting train ride. Literally. A train ride! Mira has almost made it a full month without discovering a body. (Jessica Fletcher would laugh at this point.) And just as she's more content in life and her surroundings, she finds out Johnny, her spicy boyfriend, has an internship states away from her and he's leaving now for it. Mira won't stand in his way but she's regressing back to sadness when Mrs. Berns steps in and plows her over and then wraps her up and throws her on a train to go see Johnny and attend a PI conference. Jess Lourey did a great job describing the train, something that I think many of us have never experienced other than in old movies. Mira can never rest though as her stress hits high levels when her subconscious brings forth a memory of a missing friend from her past; giving a hint of what's to come. Your in Mira's mind as she relives the moment, you can feel her confusion and fear and then right back to the excitement of boarding a train, then right back into confusion and fear as the bodies pile up, and people are missing on a trapped train. Although my cortisol levels went up reading this book, there was some comic relief at the right moments and a whole lot of love and friendship. WHAT A GREAT READ!

Can this be read as a standalone. Yes, I think it can. But I do recommend picking up at least one of the books before hand to get yourself set in Mira's world. And quite frankly, I recommend just reading the series. I'm really enjoying it. A little bit of crazy comedy, murder, & spicy love.

And just a little side note, if the romcom description of this book is a turn off for you, ignore it. I don't consider myself a romcom reader, and although there is comedy and romance, there's mystery and murder and small town fun through out the whole series so I think anyone outside of historical fiction or nonfiction readers would like this series.

Thank you, #Thomas&Mercer and #Netgalley for the kindle edition of this book.

📖 Genre: Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction ⭐ Rating: 4/5

📚 Overview
February Fever is the 10th installment in Jess Lourey's "Murder-by-Month" series, featuring librarian and amateur sleuth Mira James. In this adventure, Mira embarks on a train journey to Oregon with her friends to attend a private investigator conference and reunite with her boyfriend, Johnny. However, the trip takes a perilous turn when a fellow passenger is murdered, propelling Mira into a high-stakes investigation aboard the Valentine Train.
GOODREADS

🧐 What I Loved
✔ Engaging Protagonist: Mira James continues to be a relatable and witty heroine, whose growth throughout the series adds depth to her character.

✔ Clever Plot: The confined setting of a train during a winter storm creates a classic "locked-room" mystery atmosphere, reminiscent of Agatha Christie's work.

✔ Humor and Suspense: Lourey skillfully balances comedic elements with tension, keeping readers both amused and on edge.

🤔 What Could Be Better
🔹 Pacing Issues: Some sections, particularly in the middle, may feel slower, potentially affecting reader engagement.

🔹 Character Depth: While the main characters are well-developed, some secondary characters could benefit from more fleshing out to enhance the story's richness.

✨ Final Thoughts
February Fever is a delightful addition to the "Murder-by-Month" series, offering a blend of mystery, humor, and charm. Mira's latest escapade aboard the Valentine Train is sure to entertain both long-time fans and newcomers alike.

📌 Would I recommend it? Yes, especially for readers who enjoy cozy mysteries with a humorous twist.

Overall I did enjoy this cozy locked room style mystery. The idea of a Valentine's themed train ride sounds fun, though without the unalived body lol. It took me awhile to get into the story, mostly because of starting out at book 10 in a series without reading the rest (obviously my own fault, not the author). Mira James apparently has mystery cases fall into her lap frequently so her friend convinces her to attend a PI conference. They take the holiday themed train ride which then gets snowed-in in the Rockies. The woman in the next cabin is found unalived, her husband and child missing. Mira must find the culprit before she becomes the next victim. I did enjoy the humor mixed in when the story becomes too serious, but the sudden ending was a bit jarring.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This is a fun cozy mystery. And while it is a bit predictable towards the end, it is still enjoyable Valentines read. I find the characters a bit annoying at first but the plot was engaging and made up for it. While this is the 10th book in the series, it still works well as a standalone.

This fell so flat for me. I felt bored & like so many things just didn't flow. It felt like there were so many directions this could have gone but then the plot line got left behind. It could have been so much better.

This was a really fun, cosy murder mystery. There were some moments where I couldn't get past the unbelievable, but the general plot was gripping and comical enough for me to overlook it. A perfect February read. Definitely going to check out the rest of the series.

Really enjoyed this!

I went into it not realising it was part of a series, but I definitely think it can be read as a stand-a-lone.

Full of dark humour and wit, I'd recommend this one!

I have really enjoyed this writers previous books, but struggled with this one.

I still love the characters, and the setting of a valentine themed passenger train was a lot of fun.

My main problem was that the plot meandered all over the place, and lost momentum for the middle 1/3 of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with a eARC to read and review.

February Fever by Jess Lourey is a well played spin on the locked room mystery.

Will Mira find the murderer before a little girl is taken out?

Mira James
Our sleuth is Mira James, a Librarian from a small town in Minnesota. She and her friend are off to Oregon for a Private Investigator conference. They are taking the Valentine Train through the mountains to Portland. However, as the last few months have started, Mira comes across another dead body. So, now she knows it isn't the small town where she lives but her. She is attracting dead bodies. At least, that is what Mira now thinks. Yet, even with all the guilt and confusion, Mira sets out to find the culprit.

I like Mira. She is a good detective, and I like hanging out with her friends. Mrs. Berns is a hoot. These two create some hilarious scenarios. But seriously, Mira should have skipped the fish while on the train.

The Mystery
Ms. Loury planned out the scenes well and kept me guessing. Mira and her friends are running around a train stuck in a snowstorm, looking for a killer. Ms. Lourey had me guessing on whodunit until Mira found out. I did suspect that person before but then dismissed it as there just didn't seem to be a connection.

Four Stars for February Fever
My rating for February Fever by Jess Lourey is four stars. I enjoyed the mystery and the humourous situations the ladies got themselves into. I also like that the crew tried to keep everyone occupied and out of the investigators' way. I recommend this book to all mystery fans. I guess I will be adding the rest of the series to my TBR list.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of February Fever by Jess Lourey.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

I love a good cozy crime book as a palette cleanser between more serious reads and Jess Lourey's Murder by Month series always delivers on that. "February Fever is a lot of fun with a nice Valentine's touch. The characters are as enjoyable as ever!

You can't have a smash hit without a Mrs.Berns. Jess Lourey did it again just this time traveling. In February Fever she sets Mira and Mrs. Berns on a trip well if you know Mira's history then you know there's a body coming. There's always a body. The storyline was well written and executed nicely. The story was entertaining. A few slow spots but nothing that could ruin the story. Hands down a great read. Be sure to have tissues handy.

This was a very cozy laugh out loud mystery. It made me feel like snuggling up in front of a fire with a hot chocolate while reading. It was funny, mysterious and the characters felt like old friends.

Jess did a really great job with these cozy mysteries. I loved the plot & the characters. Everything comes together smoothly and i enjoyed reading them.

Perfect themed book for the month. I loved being in the February mood.

The book February Fever gave me murder on the orient express vibes. With the PIs on the way to a conference are helping the police with figuring out a murder and missing person event that happened on the train.

All the way up to the end the book kept me guessing. I had no clue till I went to make my review of this book that I was book number 10 of a series. This really makes me want to go back and read them all! This can definitely be read as a stand alone as well which was really nice. The book had a great mixture of drama, fun, and love.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Mira, Jed, and Mrs. Berns go on an adventure via Ameritrain when Johnny takes a once in a lifetime internship in Oregon. Mrs. Berns surprised a broken hearted Mira with an all expense paid trip on the Valentines train from Minnesota to Portland to attend a P.I. conference, and of course see Johnny. As luck would have it, Mira can't get away from dead bodies, A lady in the sleeper car beside her is found dead, her husband and small daughter are missing. The train Conductor enlists Mira, two other private detectives, and Mira's "assistants" to help solve the case. Mrs. Berns and Jed had some pretty funny moments when they weren't busy with trip activities or investigating. Mira finds herself in another life and death situation, and she suffers great loss. Throughout the trip, she is reminded of her childhood friend who was abducted in front of her and never found. She must come to terms with past trauma, and new trauma. I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It had me internet searching train trips, different type of train cars, and planning my own adventure on a train with a group of friends. Not many books have inspired me in such a way!

First book that I've read by this author and I wasn't disappointed. I like settings on trains, this was an adventure. Fast paced, funny at times, even a little sad. I'm glad I chose to read it. I would recommend.

I love a quick Mira James adventure!

Mira and Mrs. Berns end up on a cross country adventure on a Valentines train to Portland. Wherever Mira goes, bodies shall follow, so now they are trapped on a murder train that is snowed in somewhere between Montana and Idaho.

This one a little different than the others, one Mira in seeing a little girl on the train because haunted by a memory of her past that really give you insight to her character and second the ending was so sad and unexpected.

This overall was a little less lighthearted than the others Murder by Month series, but I loved the fast paced cozy mystery just the same.

Jess Lourey’s February Fever is a cozy mystery that throws romance, humor, and murder onto a snowbound train, making it sound like a dream getaway—until people start dropping dead.

The premise? A murder on a train, a missing family, and a protagonist who really just wanted to attend a PI conference and meet up with her boyfriend.

Classic case of “plans gone horribly wrong.”

Mira James finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when a woman turns up dead on her train, her husband and child vanish, and rumors of an escaped convict spread.

With the train stranded in the Rockies, Mira has to unravel the mystery before she becomes the next casualty.

Lourey blends humor with mystery, but the comedic tone sometimes undercuts the suspense. Mira is witty and likable, but some side characters feel underdeveloped.

The pacing is uneven—strong start, sluggish middle, decent ending. The "Murder on the Orient Express" vibes are fun, but don’t expect groundbreaking twists.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5) – A light, entertaining read—more cozy than thrilling.
Great for casual mystery fans!

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer publishing house for this book, the latest installment in the Mira James mystery series.