A Body at Lavender Cottage - Dee MacDonald

 Nurse Kate Palmer is Cornwall’s answer to Miss Marple! But when a body turns up in her own garden can Kate solve the crime? Or is the murder a bit too close to home?

Kate Palmer is stunned when she wakes up one morning to discover the body of a man in the beautiful garden of Lavender Cottage. She’s spent the last few years renovating her cozy, clifftop cottage with its gorgeous views of the sparkling Cornish sea. And a death right under her nose is more than a little unsettling…

When Woody Forrest, Kate’s new husband and the village’s retired detective inspector, takes a closer look he realises the victim is none other than Frank Ford – Woody’s old nemesis. Now, Frank is lying dead amongst the daisies… strangled with Woody’s blue police tie.

Kate is certain the man she loves is not a murderer and is determined to prove his innocence. But who would want to kill Frank and frame Woody? As Kate investigates, Frank’s family seem to be the obvious suspects. Could it be Jason Ford, the youngest son, who has an odd obsession with birdwatching? Sid Kinsella, the angry father-in-law? Or Sharon Mason, the troublesome daughter?

When another member of the Ford family bites the dust while Woody is tending his allotment, it’s clear the killer is determined to bury Woody’s reputation. But when a chance conversation on Bluebell Road provides Kate with a clue, she must find a woman named Rose, who could hold the answers Kate is looking for.

But Kate needs to dig up the truth – and fast! – before poor Woody is thrown behind bars. Can she solve the case and save her husband before it’s too late?

If you love murder mysteries with a brilliant cast of characters, twisty plots and plenty of red herrings, A Body at Lavender Cottage will have you hooked until the very last page! Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Joy Ellis.

Author Bio:

Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.

She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.

Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!

Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.

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My Review

A Body at Lavender Cottage: An utterly gripping cozy mystery novel by Dee MacDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A body at Lavender Cottage finds our heroine and amateur sleuth, Kate Palmer, stumbling over another suspicious death. This time, not only is the body in her own back garden, but her husband, Woody, is in the frame. Of course, Kate can't do anything but try and work out who the killer is and why.
As with all good murder mysteries, there are plenty of twists and turns and while some of them are fairly easy to spot coming, there's still plenty here to keep you guessing. Kate doesn't stop at much to get to the bottom of things and while you might have to suspend your disbelief slightly, this is still a great read.
I hadn't completely figured out everything by the end, but I think that I was at least on the right track. If you enjoy classic murder mysteries, with lots of clues, a little misdirection and a body or two, then you certainly won't go wrong here.
I'm sure that this won't be the last adventure for Kate and I'm looking forward to revisiting soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

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Another Christmas From Hell - R.L. Mathewson

Another Christmas From Hell
R.L. Mathewson
(Neighbor from Hell, #13)
Publication date: November 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

The last thing that he wanted was to fall in love with his brother’s best friend.

From New York Time’s bestselling author R.L. Mathewson comes the next installment in the disturbingly funny romantic comedy series, Neighbor from Hell.

It was time to move on.

Granted, Cayley would have preferred to wait until after Christmas, but with her best friend somehow managing to get her fired and evicted in the same day, she had no choice but to move into the apartment across from the man that really didn’t seem happy to see her.

That was fine.

More than fine because if she could handle her best friend making her life a living hell and an ex-fiancé that was determined to get her back, then she could handle the man that was willing to do whatever it took to let the past destroy them both.

He couldn’t believe this was happening again.

For years, Bryce had been going out of his way to avoid Cayley, hoping that she would finally move on, but now that she was back, he realized that he no longer had a choice.

He was going to have to break her heart.

At least that was the plan until the little brat turned the tables on him, making him wonder how much longer he was going to be able to lie to himself even as one thing became painfully clear…

This was going to be the worst Christmas ever.

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Author Bio:

New York Times Bestselling author, R.L. Mathewson was born in Massachusetts. She’s known for her humor, quick wit and ability to write relatable characters. She currently has several paranormal and contemporary romance series published including the Neighbor from Hell series.

Growing up, R.L. Mathewson was a painfully shy bookworm. After high school she attended college, worked as a bellhop, fast food cook, and a museum worker until she decided to take an EMT course. Working as an EMT helped her get over her shyness as well as left her with some fond memories and some rather disturbing ones that from time to time show up in one of her books.

Today, R.L. Mathewson is the single mother of two children that keep her on her toes. She has a bit of a romance novel addiction as well as a major hot chocolate addiction and on a perfect day, she combines the two.

If you’d like more information about this series or any other series by R.L. Mathewson, please visit www.Rlmathewson.com

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My Review

Sometimes, reviews just aren't that easy to write. Another Christmas From Hell is one such review. Usually, I can either say that I liked a book or that I didn't. I can't with this one. Don't get me wrong, there was a lot to like here, but there was also quite a bit that I disliked and that's why I'm lost. 

Let's start with the positives. This was an engaging book. I liked the romance, I liked the characters and I liked seeing their love story unfold. It kept me reading and I really did want to find out what was going to happen. I'm I glad I read the book? Yes, I am.

On the other hand, would I read another in this series or by this author? Probably not. Although it's a good read, it could have been much much better and just with a bit of editing. The story and sentences jumped around so that more than once I had no idea what was going on or why. There's also a lot of repetition. Lots of different words that were used all the time, but 'heartfelt sigh' jumped out at me, just because it was used so much.

This is a good read and I did enjoy it. It could have been so much more though!

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Bratva Beauty - Sabine Barclay

Bratva Beauty
Sabine Barclay
(The Ivankov Brotherhood, #4)
Published by: Oliver Heber Books
Publication date: November 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Mafia, Romance

She can pretend not to notice…

They say I’m the best looking in my family. I couldn’t care less.

But her…She takes my breath away.

Not everyone sees her the way I do. That’s fine by me because she’s mine.

I pity those who think they can come between us.

I won’t stop until she’s at my side. Mine to touch. Mine to love. Mine to push to her limits then bring her back.

She’s my everything. She’s my soulmate.

Bratva Beauty is an interconnecting, standalone Dark Mafia Romance with a HEA and no cliffhanger. It contains extra-steamy scenes that will make your toes curl and your granny blush. This is book four in The Ivankov Brotherhood, a six-book series that’ll keep you warm at night.

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Author Bio:

Sabine Barclay, a nom de plume also writing Historical Romance as Celeste Barclay, lives near the Southern California coast with her husband and sons. Growing up in the Midwest, Sabine enjoyed spending as much time in and on the water as she could. Now she lives near the beach. She's an avid swimmer, a hopeful future surfer, and a former rower. Before becoming a full-time author, Sabine was a Social Studies and English teacher. She holds degrees in International Affairs (BA), Secondary Social Science (MAT), and Political Management (MPS). She channels that knowledge into creating engrossing contemporary romances that will make your toes curl and your granny blush.

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My Review

I've read quite a few mafia romances over the past few years, but I think this is the first Rusian Mafia, also known as Bratva, I've read. It features pretty boy Pasha and accountant Sumiko's romance. They first meet while on holiday at the beach and find themselves almost irresistibly drawn to one another. Once they return home to New York, their paths cross again and things develop from there.
Sumiko and Pasha make a good couple. They are both the same age and although they have a power play element to their relationship, they do make a well-balanced and equal couple. Their romance moves quickly and Sumiko in particular has a lot to accept in Pasha's lifestyle and role in the bratva. They still work well together though.
I did find that the story was a little drawn out towards the end and I did think that it could have been slimmed out a bit without losing anything. It was still a good read though and one that I really enjoyed.

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