Thank you to @brilliancepublishing and @netgalley for my gifted copy!

This was the third book in the Murder by Month series that I have listened to and definitely my favorite so far! There are 12 total books and this is the last one, but I have listened to random ones and all totally out of order while still being able to 100% follow the plot. These are quick & humorous reads that are great palate cleansers or just good if you’re looking for a light book!

I’ve said in my other reviews that I know Mrs. Berns is written to be a hilarious octogenarian sidekick, but she’s just too over the top for me. I will say that I liked her better in this book—or maybe she’s just growing on me 🤷🏻‍♀️ Either way, I do like her and Mira’s unconventional friendship!

The mystery in this one was my favorite yet, especially with how it ties into Mira’s personal life. It was a dark topic, but I felt Lourey did a good job of using humor to deflect this and not make it feel heavy.

Book 12 does tie up loose ends, and I will say Mira’s romance subplot did not go the way I expected (or frankly, wanted, but it’s all good). This story feels like a satisfying conclusion for everything, but also a little sad. 🥲

🎧The narrator is the same one who does all of the audiobooks in this series, and she does what I would consider a good and adequate job. A bit overacted at times, but nothing that I felt detracted from the story.

Mira James just wants one—one—peaceful day without tripping over a corpse, finding cryptic murder notes, or unraveling long-buried family secrets like some small-town Nancy Drew with trauma. But no, the universe said April Fools, babe, and handed her a note with the word “HELP” on it, casually implicating her dead dad and a librarian who went poof.

Now there’s a missing girl, a potentially haunted book, and a whole town of suspicious weirdos who all seem like they could be the killer—or your neighbor who bakes passive-aggressive muffins. Mira’s trying to become a legit PI, but instead she’s deep in murder, caffeine, and small-town gossip with more teeth than a raccoon in a knife fight.

It’s hilarious, it’s creepy, it’s weirdly romantic in a “solve this murder with me” kind of way. Also, you will not guess the ending unless you have psychic powers or are Jess Lourey herself.

Loved this updated version of the series! Don’t start reading at bedtime, because you won’t want to put it down. Truly one of the best books I’ve read recently. This book is skillfully written with a tight plot and great characters. There are multiple story lines within this cozy mystery, all tied up at the end. I received this book free and chose to make a voluntary, unbiased review.

I really liked Mira as a character, she’s funny, relatable, and definitely the kind of person I’d want to grab coffee with. The small town setting was also super charming, and Lourey does a great job balancing humor with suspense. Some of the twists were pretty solid, and the book kept me engaged for the most part.

April fools is a cozy murder mystery. The story starts with some background on the main character, providing insight into their strengths and flaws. As the story progresses, we get to know the main characters well. The story is whimsical and enjoyable, but the pacing can be a little all over the place. It doesn’t take off until about chapter 20 for the true mystery to unfold. Other than that, the story is well-written and it’s entertaining. It’s 3.75/5 stars and worth a weekend read.

Such a bittersweet feeling finishing this book. It was a perfect ending to the series, but I find myself wishing there were more books. I need more Mira and the crew! This series is definitely more of a "cozy" mystery and is a big contrast to the other books written by Jess Lourey. Although I have liked all of the Jess Lourey books I have read, this series is my new favorite by her!

Rating: Liked it (rounded up)

Happy Pub Day!

This series up until now has been so light and cozy (read September and December) up until now. This one is a much darker theme and I have to say I really enjoyed it.

This series is technically all standalones, but now that I've read 3 of them out of order, I can tell you there are some minor things you miss (character history) if you don't read in order, but it doesn't really affect my enjoyment of the series. I will be going back and filling in the gaps with all the other months I have missed because while I normally don't enjoy cozy mysteries, this band of misfits in the town are so enjoyable and I really do want more of them. Plus, the dialogue (external and internal) with Mira is so funny.

This crime revolved around sex trafficking and young girls in the area being abducted. It was a heavy crime and spoken about in a delicate way. I appreciated that this (I think is the final in the series) wrapped up with such a bang.

Jennifer Jill Araya is such a joy to listen to in this series. She always brings the snark and humor but also the vulnerability and naivety to Mira.

Thank you, NetGalley and Jess Lourey for the ARC.

This is my favorite of the series so far, mainly because it tied up some loose ends that I didn’t even realized I needed tied up! This installment in the series has the same lovable characters but it has a little more heft than the usual cozies with the way the crimes are portrayed – not gory or overly descriptive but no one is getting murdered for stealing an award-winning recipe – and I find that I like the amateur sleuth investigating in more substantial crimes. Are there a few TSTL moments? Maybe, but Mira fights her way out of them well rather than waiting for someone to come save her. I highly recommend this series but start at the beginning to get the backstory and all of Mrs. Berns and Kennie Rogers’ hijinks.

April Fools is book twelve (12) in the Murder by Month Romcom Mystery series by Jess Lourey. To start off a few trigger warnings in this book include cannabis use, child endangerment, and human trafficking. With that out the way let’s dive into the fact that this is my first ever book in this particular book series and the first book I have ever read by this Amazon charts bestselling author. The book is easy to follow and explains itself well enough that if you’re like me and just picked up the series at random you’ll not be experiencing the FOMO. I also have never read a book by Jess Lourey and I must say I don’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this amazingly written work that had me up past my bedtime trying to get to the end, I unfortunately still had to wait until the next day to finish, but I was not disappointed. I was listening to the audio version of the book which is voiced by Jennifer Jill Araya and this narrator did a wonderful job at keeping a good pace with the book and adding another layer of depth to a lot of the characters. I can truly say The book had me on the edge of my seat and bed the entire time as I followed Mira James around the city with a “Heart of 1001 Lakes”. The book even managed to make me miss my great-grandma’s hog head cheese and has made me want to try my hand at making ‘Moose Farts’ minus the peanuts. I do highly recommend this book for the mystery fans out there that can handle a book with a darker subject. A special thank you to the publisher Brilliance Publishing for allowing me access to this book using NetGalley.

I listened to this book in a day! I haven't read any of the other in this series, but it didn't matter. It actually makes me want to catch up on all of them. I appreciated the humor with the dark themes to keep this an overall light read.

I was excited to see what the author does with the series finale and honestly I wasnt disappointed at all. I may have binged this book in 2-3 days, it was that good. This time there wasnt a body in the beginning but a cryptic note and Mira goes to the bottom of it as usual. I liked how much Mira changed as a person throughout the series. Her and Jonny's relationship was far from perfect but that was the best part about it. I liked how Jonny never gave up on Mira. Mira and Garry's meets were my favorite. I could never guess how Garry would react, he was that unpredictable and fun to read. The topic which was discussed in this book was very important and done really well. Mrs Berns made me worry for a few minutes but that was so Mrs. Berns. I wish this series never ended but at the same time I happy with how it ended.

A missing girl case turns into something far more sinister, and a Bigfoot investigation takes an unexpected and wonderful turn. So much happens in this final installment, and I still can't believe this is the end of Mira and Mrs. Berns. We finally get answers about Mira's father and get to see who she chooses as her beau. Each book can be read as a standalone as it does a quick recap of Mira. I plan on going back and reading some of the other ones I have missed.
The narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya has done a wonderful job portraying Mira, Mrs. Berns and many other characters in this charm town. The tones and inflections used were great.
If you're looking for a cozy mystery with a dash of romance be sure to check out Murder by Month mystery series.

I've loved all of these hoping this isn't the last of them! Mira uncovers more of her past and once again helps solve a few mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

Enjoyable and humorous mystery with good narration. I will be continuing the series.

Another fantastic installment to the series. The mystery in this book series is as unique as the previous ones. I was eagerly anticipating to read April Fools and I was not disappointed one bit. The characters are so well written that they feel like they are real.

This is the first book by this author that I have read or listened too but it won't be my last, as I really enjoyed it. Despite the difficult subject matter, child sex trafficking, the author tackles it with humour that still has me chuckling. I really liked the characters and found them quirky enough to be unusual and entertaining, although I did think the teenage girls acted more responsible than the so called adults of the group. I liked how they had to work together and the interaction shows the author has a good understanding of people. There was a lot going on here, some of it obviously continuing on from previous books but the author gave enough background information for a first time reader to still follow along with no problems. There wasn't a great deal of suspects and it was obvious who was involved, instead the story was more funding evidence and proving what the main character thought she knew. Although there was still some questions that she needed to solve like who else was involved. A fun mystery and a series that I will definitely be joining again.
When Mira is shelving books she comes across a book with four men's names on and the word help. The word help is enough to get her asking questions but the fact that her dead fathers name is one of the names on the list, makes it even more important. With the news that a teenage girl has gone missing and is a possible runaway, Mira fears the two are connected. With the town facing an inspection a missing girl and a murder couldn't come at a worse time. Can Mira find the answers?
I liked the narrator. She was the reason I gave the story ago, as I have heard a number of books read by her and it's always been a fun experience in my opinion.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.