Firstly thank you to the publishers for my early access in exchange for a review.
I’ve reviewed a few of this authors books and this is definitely one of their strongest .
Thought provoking and well written

First and foremost, I’d like to thank NetGalley, Jess Lourey, and Thomas & Mercer Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book number 10 in this series did not disappoint! I loved that Mira, Mrs. Berns, and Jed embarked on an adventure that low-key turns into The Murder on the Orient Express. While this installment felt more serious in tone compared to its predecessors, it was still a gripping read. I did miss the lighter humor present in the first nine books, but don’t get me wrong—there are still plenty of funny moments. That said, this one also had me shedding tears by the end.

Mira and her crew’s hijinks never fail to entertain, and this book was no exception. I wholeheartedly recommend February Fever and the entire series to anyone looking for a fun, thrilling romcom mystery series. Jess Lourey has done it again!

This was my first Jess Lourey book, and *February Fever* was such a fun intro to the series! Even though it’s the tenth in the *Murder by Month* mysteries, it worked perfectly as a standalone.

The train-bound setting was perfect for a cozy mystery. When a murder happens in the next cabin and a family vanishes, Mira James can’t help but get involved. The whole vibe reminded me of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books—quirky characters, laugh-out-loud moments, and a lovable amateur sleuth.

If you’re looking for a light, entertaining read with a mix of mystery and humor, this is a great pick. Now I need to get my hands on the rest of the series!

I love a good cozy mystery, so the plot of this book on a train intrigued me. I didn’t realize this was part of a series, but I was able to follow along with the story and characters easily despite not reading the previous novels in the series.

This book fell a little flat to me, mainly due to the main character, Mira. I am the same age as the main character, but found it hard to relate to her. I can’t name a single person I know under 70 that doesn’t have a cell phone, but Mira, a 29 year old, claims she finds them pointless. I think I am probably not the target demographic for this book. There are definitely redeeming moments and I the plot twist (and revealed killer) at the end was well written and a surprise.

Thank you, Jess Lourey and Net Galley for the ARC!

Mira James is heading to Oregon by rail with two of her best friends to attend a PI conference. Even better, she’ll see Johnny, the love of her life, who’s in Portland for an internship. It’ll be scenic, swift, and safe. Until it isn’t! Good book!! This book was a great read! I’m not sure why but I thought it was going to be like a cozy mystery but it definitely had some grit! It was funny also and had suspense, fantastic characters, murder, great mystery, intriguing, a good who done it and some crazy twists! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Such a good book…. Kept my interest, all back stories getting answered, thought I had it figured out, however I was wrong but glad to be wrong

I've really enjoyed the Murder by Month Mystery series, and this had that feel that I was looking for and was engaged with the mystery going on. The concept was everything that I enjoyed from the previous nine books and enjoyed how good Jess Lourey wrote this. The characters had that feel that I was looking for and am looking forward to more in this series and author.

This was a well written lighthearted cozy set on a train. This book had suspense, a twisty plot, and a generous sprinkling of humor, usually involving the hilarious antics of Mira's elderly friend, Mrs. Berns. I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next book in this series.

February Fever Jess Lourey. Number 10 in the Murder by Month Mystery series. Mira and Johnny's romance heats up with a fairly descriptive love scene at the beginning. A bit of a mystery with many funny moments. Mrs Berns has the best LOL moments. An entertaining read.
Thank you to Jess Lourey, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Thank you so much for letting me review read this gem of a book.

February fever is part of an ongoing series, it's the 10th book to be exact. Before I started reading this I didn't know and found that you can definitely read this as a standalone book.

After reading this I might read the whole series, it's so cozy. I really enjoyed the banter between the FMC and her friends and the way the story unfolds is really good. It's not a scary murder mystery, so if you don't like the scary stuff but are intrigued by murder mysteries this is a good series to begin.

Mira and Mrs. Berns head to Portland (on a train!) to visit Johnny on his new internship. But it wouldn’t be Mira if she didn’t find a dead body. Which brings up a traumatic incident in Mira’s past that she has to work through. This was quite an adventure with lots of laughs and quite a few tears by the time they reach their destination. Love this series and all the quirky characters that Mira encounters. Looking forward to more mysteries with my favorite besties!

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

I did not realize that this was part of a series which would have been helpful to know before I requested it. Overall it was a decent mystery but I was wondering about some unresolved plot points. There were some holes and it didn't really have a Valentine's theme like I thought for a book based in February and the cover illustrations. The setting of the train was enjoyable and it was a quick read but overall not my favorite train mystery.

I've enjoyed all the Mira James books I've had the privilege to preview since September - only wish I'd discovered them earlier on. It's been fun to get to know Mira and her irreverent ways, along with her supporting cast of characters in quirky Battle Lake, for each month's murder mystery.

In this edition, a train becomes the setting for a Murder in the Orient Express-like whodunnit adventure. While the new cast of characters has their own quirks, without the Battle Lake and other Minnesota settings, the plot plods along at times.

While Mira prevails in the end, I hope the final two months adventures play out where it all started, in small town Minnesota.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this revised edition of this book.

As a big fan of the Nancy Drew books, I love a cozy mystery that is all atmosphere and something that I don't have to follow so closely that I have to make a spreadsheet on clues and suspects. I wanted an easy, enjoyable read with some fun characters and that's exactly what I got from this. I've never picked up anything else from the series. Despite the heartbreak near the end of this story, I'd definitely pick up another from it (if only to hear Mrs. Berns commentary on every situation!).

❤️ ┊ Disclaimer: I haven't read the other entries in this series, as I didn't realize this was a sequel until after I requested it.


Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was expecting; I'd expected it to be more like Murder on the Orient Express (it was even name-dropped, after all!). I prefer mysteries where you can actually solve it, and then go back and reread to point out all of the hints you missed. In February Fever, it felt like we were outright told who the killer was and then were given a crazy answer for something concerning the victim. Seriously, how could anyone have guessed that? Was there something I missed?

The overall tone of the novel was lighthearted, which made the backstory about what happened to Noelle feel surprisingly dark and out of place (though I thought it was well-written).

Onto the characters: I thought Mira, the female MC, was an alright detective, though some of her choices made no sense to me. I felt like the tragic event that happened near the end was mostly her fault, as she had no reason to go do what she did. Also, I know it was meant to give her character, but I hated the half the phrases she used: 'I think you're a weiner,' 'What the cuss!' 'Tough noogies,' and 'grumble bunny' to name a few.

While some people may like the 90 year-old sidekick character, I found her grating (also, why the hell did she a gun belt into a library? why did she start firing the guns at the ceiling???) except for a few key moments. She felt like more of a snotty teenager the protagonist had been forced to babysit rather than an old woman.

Last but not least, the train was advertised as a Valentine's themed trip with multiple love-themed events, but aside from the dance, it didn’t feel much different from a regular train ride. There was a scavenger hunt, I guess, but Mira didn't participate.

PROS:

- gorgeous cover

- somewhat accurate train descriptions

- easy-to-read writing style


CONS:

- frustrating characters

- unsolvable mystery

- lack of an overall Valentine's theme

- unresolved plot points

The Murder by Month series has been my top series of 2024 however with that said, February Fever, has been my least favorite book out of the series so far. Don't get me wrong, I still loved it, but I don't like that it was not set in Battle Lake. The town of Battle Lake is like character itself and while the setting was elsewhere we didn't get to hear from some of the quirky people from the town. February Fever also was sad and tugs at your heartstrings towards the end. It shows you that friendship, especially good friendship, is something to cherish in your life. If you enjoy mystery books with a heaping side of comedy, this book is for you. Also please start the series from the beginning as most everything would make more sense if you read from May Day on.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer, Jess Lourey, and Netgalley for the ARC of February Fever. This is the 2024/2025 revised version.

February Fever is a chilly ride kind of like that moment when you step outside without a coat, then immediately regret it, but you can’t stop reading because you’re invested. It’s definitely worth picking up if you like psychological thrillers with a side of Minnesota winter (who doesn’t love a good snowstorm?)😂 but just know that it’s not going to warm your heart unless you consider a slow-burn mystery that eventually thaws out into something solid.

Love this series! The saga of dead-body magnet, Mira James, continues in book ten where love is in the air on board the Valentine Train. Ha, yeah right! More mystery and mayhem abound with Mira, Jed and Mrs. Berns investigating the death of a passenger and her missing husband and child. Lots of intriguing characters in this one. The humor wasn't as laughable as some of her other stories, but still enjoyable. I have to admit to being extremely upset about a choice the author made though. I didn't take it seriously at first. With only two books left in the series, I'm not sure why this had to happen. Readers will understand once they reach this part of the story. I'm disappointed but will continue on to finish the series. These books are too good to pass up! Highly recommend for lots of laughs and some good mystery fun.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I read this one with trepidation knowing we are fast approaching the end of the twelve month cycle - and I don’t want the adventures of Mira and her friends to be over. The author continues to deliver her trademark humour, but the mystery which forms the plot of this book is a bit more sinister and more darkly presented than past offerings, even when compared to the one with the serial killer. The setting of a train supports this sense of almost claustrophobic panic as Mira tries to get to the bottom of the mystery. It’s a terrific book and evoked many different emotions - Lourey is one of hell of a writer.

This is my favorite cozy mystery series. Full of humor and I look forward to each book. Can’t wait for March !!
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.