Suspicion immediately falls on Cheryl, but the temperamental star has racked up plenty of culinary clashes in the past, both on- and off-screen. And nearly anyone associated with Tommy or the show could be the killer: be it one of Lily’s fierce competitors, a member of the beleaguered film crew, or even one of Tommy’s fellow judges–struggling cookbook maven, Claudia D’Angelo or beauty contest winner, Scarlet McIntosh. Now, while she’s baking up a storm for the show, Lily must also whip up an impromptu investigation . . . before the murderer rolls someone else away.

 I love the Tea by the Sea Mysteries.

Murder Spills the Tea has us back to our favorite tea shop in Cape Cod.  Lilly is nervously gearing up for a cooking competition. Her grandma Rose and friend Bernie have convinced her that this is a fantastic idea. Lily is already at the point that she regrets her decision. With a potential exposure for the tea shop being very high but yet a TV crew making havoc in the busiest time of the year has Lily finding it a most unpleasant experience.  The experience has become agitating, and aggravating and Lilly is about done with the whole experience. Things just seem to get a bit worse when a body is found in the kitchen and one of the staff of the tearoom is accused of murder.  Lily along with the help of Grandma Rose and Bernie make it their mission to discover who the real killer is.

I have been very fortunate and have gotten to read each of the Tea by the Sea mysteries as arcs for review for the blog. I genuinely love this series. Usually, it takes me more than three books to say that, but Lily and Grandma Rose have made a little place in my heart for themselves. Murder Spills the Tea Is a fantastic addition to this cozy mystery series. The atmosphere is amazing, the characters are well developed and grow with each book and are extremely entertaining. The mysteries are written well, and the stories are well played.  Vicky Delany Knows how to weave a good mystery story to catch your attention and give her characters much personality and charisma that you can’t help but to enjoy your time with them.

Alone in the world, Tae Holmes and her mother April pretty much raised each other, but as Tae starts asking questions about the father she’s never met, April, for the first time in her life, goes silent. To make matters worse, Tae is dangerously close to broke and just manages to avoid financial meltdown when she lands a shiny new contract with an adventure company for athletes with disabilities and wounded warriors.

Her first big fundraiser event falls flat, but what starts out as a terrible, horrible, no-good night turns into something else entirely when Tae finds herself face-to-face with Riggs Copeland. She hasn’t seen the former Marine since their brief fling in high school, and while still intensely drawn to him, she likes her past burned and buried, thank you very much. Hence their friendship pact.

But when April oddly refuses to help Tae track down her father, it’s Riggs who unexpectedly comes to her aid. On a hunt to unlock the past, the two of them find themselves on a wild ride and learn a shocking truth, while also reluctantly bonding in a way neither had seen coming. Now Tae must decide whether she’s going to choose love … or walk away from her own happiness.

Jill Shalvis has an amazing talent for getting her readers to connect to her books on deep and emotional levels. The Friendship Pact is a heartwarming, healing story about friendship in love.

Tae Holms and her mother April have a very unique relationship. April being a teenage mom, in many ways they ended up raising each other. They have a solid bond as mother and daughter but also a friendship that goes beyond. They are in many ways each other’s worlds.  As Tae begins to take off in a career that she is passionate about she also has many life questions. The big one being who and what happened to her father. April is also discovering new parts of her life, finding herself as a person and not just a mother.   On the night of her first fundraiser Tae literally hops into a car and find herself face-to-face with the one person from high school that made an impact on her. Not just a fling but someone she cared about.  Riggs is an ex marine who is facing some demons and issues of his own. While there is an instant connection between the two and their past dealings may help egg that spark on Tae tries to play it hard and cool.

As Tae begins to ask questions of her past and her mothers avoidance at answering just makes her want the answers more. With a determination to accomplish this task on her own the last person she expected to help her would be that blast from the past that knows how to get under her skin, without even knowing.

Jill Shalvis broke out all the stops with this one. The Friendship Pact is a highly emotional and healing story about friendship and yes love. Love between a mother and daughter, love between friends and love between a man and a woman. All the characters in this book were healing in some way or another or helping someone heal. The personal issues of both Tae and Riggs have them keeping their barriers up but each of them seems to know a way to soften the others. Tae and Riggs do not have an easy climb but they make it well worth every step they took to find the love they didn’t No was waiting for them.

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Jethro Hanson has blood on his hands. He’s working within ivy-covered university halls now, but he knows that his work with the Deep Ops team and the deadly acts he once committed for the sake of Queen and country place him beyond forgiveness—until he meets Gemma . . .

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Soon, the passion between them stuns them both. But when Jethro discovers a threat is fast overtaking her, he must choose between the redemption he seeks—and releasing the ever-present killer inside . . .

Rebecca Zanetti keeps readers hooked with nail biting, thrilling, psychological suspense and a fantastic romance woven in…..  Unforgiven is truly an edge of your seat read. 

Gemma is a single mother on the run with everything to lose. Changing locations and jobs every few months to keep her and her child safe. The woman is always looking over her shoulder. Not wanting The violence of her past to catch up with her, she presents herself as a cold, uncaring woman. When that’s the last thing in the world she truly is. 

Jethro is a college professor with a secret past that he is trying to walk away from.  The man is an amazing operative but this Brit is ready for those missions to remain in the past. Yeah when we want things to stay in the past they seem to do so. And now a new hire at the college has somehow made her way into his life and into the path of his past danger.

I’m not even sure where to begin on this one. Hats off to Rebecca Zanetti because this was one of those books that hit you hard. I mean that in the best of ways. Gemma and Jethro are perfect for each other. Her protective demeanor truly makes you not be able to judge a book by its cover. Jethro is all alpha, extremely protective and unconditionally devoted. Their romance is a slow burn but it was one that I was rooting for the entire time.  Unforgiven is extremely suspenseful. Lots of twist interns you don’t see coming and totally hits on that psychological level. There are many times I had goosebumps but yet I could not stop reading because I had to know what happened. I also have to mention that Gemma‘s daughter was extremely cute and the story wouldn’t have been the same without her. Rebecca Zanetti truly knows how to keep us hanging on for everything with her tortured heroes and the women that come to love them.