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Review: A Bean to Die For by Tara Lush
A Bean to Die For
Tara Lush
A Coffee Lover’s Mystery Series, Book 4
280 pages, Hardcover
First published January 9, 2024
Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is found in the community garden.
Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.
4 Stars
Tara Lush delivers another caffeinated entertaining mystery.
Welcome back to the southwest Florida island town of Devil’s Beach. Lana finds herself right in the middle of a whole lot of stuff going on. Deciding to grow her own coffee, she has secured a spot in the community garden to be able to grow her plants. She has an offer to test out a cool new machine at the coffee shop, Perkatiey. Not to mention she’s about to meet Noah’s family for the very first time.
And last, but not least, there’s the Local funnel cake festival going on. Just as everything’s getting started, lana finds a body among the garden plots. With the long list of rules for the community garden, a body is one thing that should definitely not be there. Laura’s mind starts brewing to try to figure out the pieces to be able to crack this case.
I absolutely love this series. Not only because the only thing that I love more or equally as much as reading is coffee. Lana, her best friend Erica, and her hippie. Father, Peter are all on the case. I love the interaction between not only these three, but all of the characters that we have grown to know through the course of the series. What makes this story interesting and a little different from the others is that someone is coming to Lana to help get this mystery solved. We see growth within all of the characters within the story. Along with the twisted mystery that kept me guessing for most of the book.
Tara Lush includes humor with her mysteries, like a well-blended brew. The characters she has created are complex, but yet grow with each book, have their quirks that make us love them and provide something to each and every story. A Bean to Die For is a well-crafted and entertaining read.
ARC Review: Seductive Reasoning by Melissa Schroeder
Seductive Reasoning
Melissa Schroeder
Task Force Hawaii, book 1
280 pages
Harmless Publishing
Publish Date: Oct. 12, 2015
Join Melissa Schroeder for a new Harmless spinoff series filled with suspense, hot men, and breathtaking romance.
TASK FORCE HAWAII
Even paradise has a dark side…
Working with local, state, and federal agencies, the men and women of TASK FORCE HAWAII work on cases ranging from bank heists to terrorism. A diverse team filled with ex-military, law enforcement, medical, and technical support, they are Hawaii’s last defense against the worst criminals.
SEDUCTIVE REASONING
Resisting her might just kill him.
Former Army Special Forces Officer Martin “Del” Delano has enough on his hands chasing a serial killer and heading up TASK FORCE HAWAII. He definitely doesn’t need the distraction of Emma Mitchell. From the moment they meet, she knocks him off his feet, literally. Unfortunately, she’s the best person to have on the team to make the connections to help them catch their killer.
A temptation she can’t ignore.
For Emma, it’s hard to ignore the lure of a man like him. Tats, muscles and his Harley cause her to have more than a few fantasies about Del. He’d never be interested in a geek like her, but she can’t resist toying with him. When she pushes the teasing too far, she ends up in his bed. She convinces herself she can handle it until the moment he steals her heart.
A killer obsessed.
Del can’t help falling for the quirky genius. She’s smart, funny and there’s a sweet vulnerable side to her that only he can see. As Emma gets more involved with the investigation, she becomes the target of the psychopath. When the danger escalates, Del promises to do anything to save the woman who not only captured his heart but also his soul.
5 Stars
Seductive Reasoning is a fast paced, character driven book that keep you on the edge of your seat. The plot keeps you on the move and guessing, while quirky, sassy and witty characters draw you in for the ride. Del and Emma’s attraction and chemistry is off the charts that creates a lovely sexual tension. The secondary cast of characters demand the same attention as Del and Emma. Intriguing readers to want their stories as well. Passion and personality are two thing I have come to expect from every Melissa Schroeder book I read, she has never failed me.
Melissa Schroeder once again has captivated this reader with a perfect balance of page turning suspense and steamy romance. There is no genre of romance that Mel can’t nail. Seductive Reasoning, in my opinion is her best work to date and a perfect romantic suspense read.
Review: Lane Changes by S.L. Ellis
Lane Changes
S.L. Ellis
Cassie Cruise Series, Book 1
Cassie Cruise wants her life back as a kick-ass P.I. Trouble is, she has zero credibility since bungling a case on reality TV. After a public tantrum, she slinks off to bury her head in the sandy beaches of Southwest Florida. Just as she starts over as the owner of The Big Prick Tattoo Shop, a body is discovered in the trunk of her burning car. Cassie’s aware there are those who’d get in line for their turn to torch her car. But murder?
You don’t have to like her, but you damn well better respect her. And get out of her way—this is one case she intends to solve, with or without an audience.
4 Stars
Cassie Cruise is a take no nonsense kind of girl. She will also put herself into your business, make her opinion known, tell just like it is whether you want to know or not. Her personality is overpowering with a lot of spunk and pizzazz behind her. God that woman made me laugh. She is a strong woman, with a sixth sense when it comes to people. I hope when I am 49 I’ve got the energy and charisma that Cassie Cruise has!
Lane Changes was a welcome surprise to my reading pallet. S.L. Ellis really pulled her headers in with captivating and funny characters, fast-paced story that kept you guessing and lots of action to keep the pages turning. For a mystery I laughed a lot. A great start to a new series.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher/author for an honest review. Receiving a complimentary copy of this title does not affect the outcome of this review.
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