Faux Pas

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Elle Presley teaches doga - yoga for people and their dogs at the posh Pampered Paws spa on Moon Island. When Celeste, one of her clients, is found dead with the cause of death being botox , suspicion falls upon plastic surgeon Ira, the husband of Elle's best friend. Hope, Ira's wife, asks Elle to help prove her husband's innocence and Elle then goes to hunky private investigator Devon to enlist him in the cause. This is a fun mystery with a big chunk of romance added and it adds up to an entertaining read.

Faux Pas by Shannon Esposito is the first book in the Paws & Pose mystery series. I found it to be a delightful book and an easy read.
Elle Pressley is from a poor neighborhood in Clearwater, FL She is a complex character with anxiety attacks, self-esteem issues but a big heart that truly wants to help others. She has been practicing yoga for a decade to help herself. With her best friend Hope's help she got a position as a "doga" instructor at Moon Key's Pampered Pet Spa & Resort. Although still living at home with her mother, she has found a contented life until she has to go home to her mother each night. I liked Elle but I had trouble connecting to her at times in the story. I felt like I was missing a part of her backstory. Devon Burke is an Irish private investigator on Moon Key. His mom and dad had owned one of the mansions on Moon Key before they died under suspcious circumstances. He has traveled the world as a photographer and never really thought he would ever settle down. Now he's on Moon Key because of his parents death and he will do everything possible to find out what really happened. One of Elle's client's is murdered and Hope's husband is accused. Elle promises Hope that she will investigate; but since she knows nothing about investigating a murder, she hires Devon to help her. There are little twists and turns as the story moves along. There are some interesting insights into the wealthy and their attitudes toward life, pets and relationships. There is also some very nice romantic scenes between Elle and Devon that give the reader an opportunity to enjoy their developing relationship. The secondary characters do help to move the story along and provide the clues to the murder. The reveal was dramatic,in more ways than one. The end of the story was quite romantic.
A promising start to a new series and I will be looking for more in this series.

Adorable story.... I loved Elle, the main character. She is full of flaws (aren't we all) but is making the most of her life with her sidekick Budda (her rescue pup) They work on an island that allows dogs everywhere & it just sounds like heaven.... except for the murders. Loved this story & can't wait for more in this series. I was given a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Here is a direct link to my review for this title. Thank you for allowing me to review it.
https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Diana-Coyle-reviews-Faux-Pas-by-Shannon-Esposito Diana Coyle, Night Owl Reviews - Book Reviewer

https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Reviews/Diana-Coyle-reviews-Faux-Pas-by-Shannon-Esposito

Dogs and cozies, two great things that go great together – and few authors blend them as well as Shannon Esposito. Her mysteries are an animal lover's dream, filled with lovable dogs and engaging characters. Faux Pas is the first book in her new Paws & Pose mystery series – and it is a winner.

Elle Pressley teaches “doga” (doggie-yoga) at Moon Key's premier Pampered Pet Spa & Resort. The resort caters to the ultra-rich residents of Moon Key and their beloved pets. When the ghost of her childhood dog shows up, Elle knows that trouble will soon follow. The following day, one of her clients is found dead. When the husband of Elle's longtime friend Hope is accused, Elle starts asking questions with the help of Devon Burke, a handsome Irish PI.

Investigating is not without danger, and Elle's questions put her in the firing line. But even if she manages to stop a killer, will she be able to avoid falling in love?

Elle is a likable and realistic lead, loyal to her friends, compassionate, but more than a little gun-shy when it comes to romance. There is a nice chemistry that develops between her and Devon as the novel progresses. Their approach to the case is intelligent and systematic.

Faux Pas is a fun, fast-paced read with a touch of romance. If you love cozy mysteries or novels where animals play a major role, Faux Pas is a terrific choice. I am definitely looking forward to reading more novels featuring Elle Pressley and her dog Buddha.

5/5

Faux Pas is available for preorder and will be released December 1, 2015.

I received a copy of Faux Pas from the publisher and Netgalley.com for an honest review.

--Crittermom

If you love pet cozies don't pass up Faux Pas

http://muttcafe.com/2015/11/faux-pas/

11/17/15

I enjoyed another book by Esposito, so I was looking forward to this first installment in the series. Ellie's psychic abilities connected to a pet who has passed away proved pivotal to the story, which also included romance and humor.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. The author does a good job of setting up this first in the series. We meet Elle as she is teaching Doga on Moon Key in Florida. Of course she stumbles upon a body at the spa and since her best friend's husband is the main suspect she sets out to solve the murder. She hires a local PI to help and they work well together. The mystery was good but I was able to solve it. There are plenty of suspects and red herrings to keep the mystery interesting. I liked the setting of the fictional Florida Key and the author knows this area well. I also liked the relationships in this book. Elle has her best friend Hope and the beginning of a romantic relationship with Devon. I am looking forword to reading the next book in this series and seeing what Elle and Devon are up to next. Enjoy

Faux Pas Shannon Esposito 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Introducing ‘doggie-yoga’ instructor Elle Pressley, in the first Paws & Pose Mystery – featuring canine cuties, Florida sunshine, a sexy Irish PI . . . and murder most horrid

Doggie-yoga instructor Elle Pressley just wants to teach her classes at Moon Key’s Pampered Pet Spa & Resort in peace and save money to move out of her crazy mother’s house. But when her deceased childhood dog, Angel, shows up, she knows she’s about to be in danger. Sure enough, one of her clients winds up dead, and Elle is pulled head first into the investigation. For the prime suspect is Dr Ira Craft . . . the husband of Elle’s best friend, Hope.

Elle is determined to clear Ira’s name, for Hope’s sake, and she enlists the help of Irish private investigator Devon Burke. But someone is determined to stop Elle from uncovering the truth. And now that Devon’s involved, it’s not just Elle’s life that’s in danger: her heart is too . . .(Amazon)

Review:

This is the first book in the Paws and Pose Mystery series and it is a good one. All of the things that I look for in a cozy mystery are here: romance, animals, mystery, great characters and best friends.

The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. I thought Elle was a great character, she seemed so real to me. She does not have the best family situation and she suffers from full blown anxiety attacks that she struggles with. This made her seem more human to me and more vulnerable, which I really liked. Devon is a good guy and he tries very hard to always do the right thing. He is suffering from the trauma of losing his parents and that is why he became a private investigator. So neither Elle or Devon have a picture perfect life, but then again, who amongst us does. They were two characters that were very easy to like and want to get to know better. I really enjoyed reading about them and look forward to seeing how their relationship will progress or if it progresses at all. Her best friend, Hope and Hope’s husband, Ira, were also great characters and added a lot to the story.

The mystery is carried on well throughout the book and there were plenty of clues to direct the reader to the truth. There were also enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, which I like in a mystery book. The ending was plausible and well thought out.

I was so excited when I started reading the book because Elle had a visit from her deceased childhood dog, Angel. I thought to myself, “wow, what a great idea, a ghost dog”. I do not recall reading any books where there is a ghost animal involved. There may be books like that but I do not believe I have ever seen this. So I was a little disappointed when Angel only made a few appearances. I thought this was such a great idea and I hope in future books Angel plays a bigger role.

The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick, easy read. The author is very talented with her descriptive writing and for much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching everything happen all around me. One thing that began to bother me was that fact of how many time Elle thought how “hot” Devon was. I got the concept after reading it a few times, I did not need to keep reading about it. But I will say that this improved in the second half of the book. This is only my opinion and it may not have bothered other readers at all.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the series when they are published and I hope it is a long series.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thanks NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Great Book!
This is a great book; this is the first book in the A Paws and Pose Mystery series by Shannon Esposito. Elle Pressley is a doggie yoga instructor, she just wants to teach her yoga classes at Moon Key’s Pampered Pet Spa & Resort so she can save enough money to move out of her crazy mother’s house. When the ghost of her childhood dog Angel, shows up she knows she is about to be in danger. When one of her clients ends up dead, she is pulled head first into the investigation. She gets the help from Devon Burke the Irish private investigator to help solve the murder. If you are looking for a great mystery that will keep you reading past your bedtime then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

On the face of it, this shouldn't work. Elle is a Doga (yoga with dogs) teacher in an exclusive resort aimed at the very rich and their pooches. But it does work, And works very well.

There is a death and the victim writes B O in mud. Elle's friend's husband looks to be guilty so Elle and a PI called Devon (and their dogs) attempt to prove his innocence. I'm not sure there would be quite as much exchanging of information between a PI and the police in real life - but hey ho, this is fiction :)

The developing plot works very well alongside the developing romance between Elle and Devon. They are both believable characters and I liked their scenes together very much.

The twist at the end was unexpected (although I had an inkling who it might be at the beginning).

All in all a very enjoyable read with some nice touches. I'll definitely look for the next one in the series when it is published.

I was given an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.