Murder in Matrimony by Mary Winters

 

Murder in Matrimony is a wonderful Regency romance and mystery by Mary Winters and  is the fourth book in  A Lady of Letters Mystery series.   You could read this book alone, but it is truly better to read the series. 

Countess Amelia Amesbury is trying to keep everything in balance.  She is trying to plan her sister’s wedding, she is the advice columnists, Lady Agony, and someone is trying to blackmail her.  She is trying to solve a murder. When her close friend the local vicar, Mr. Cross, is murdered her world is turned upside down as she tries to find the murderer from some clues Mr. Cross left her.  Simon Bainbridge her close friend is trying to keep her safe, assist with her with her family, and help solve the murder.  Will they finally find true love?

I was so thrilled to be swept up the world of Amelia Amesbury again.  It was fascinating to walk with Amelia as she tried to solve the murder of Mr. Cross and interpret the clues he left behind.   I enjoyed how each chapter starts with a letter to Lady Agony and hearing Amelia’s interesting response to the letter.  Amelia’s double life as Lady Agony brings intrigue to the story.

It was great to connect with Amelia’s London friends and meeting Amelia’s family brought depth and humor to the story.  Simon Bainbridge is always a gentleman and I have enjoyed watching his love for Amelia grow through the series.    

Murder in Matrimony  by Mary Winters is a great read that you do not want to miss.  I enjoyed the sweet romance, the intriguing mystery, and the engaging characters.  This will be a 2025 favorite for me.  I highly recommend. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review. 

Although I have degrees in Literature and Creative Writing, my love affair with Victorian fiction didn’t start in the classroom but with a monthly book club. I was a young eighteen years old, working a job I didn’t particularly enjoy, when I made the fortuitous decision to join a subscription service. From the moment I received my first chunky paperbacks and pink wine glass, I was hooked. I loved coming home and delving into my historical romances. They were the gateway to other historical fiction, including mysteries, like the Amelia Peabody series.

When I enrolled in college, I had already written my first novel, not surprisingly a historical romance. I saw the heroines as nonconformists, constantly challenging the conventions of the time. Their fortitude inspired my own writing a great deal.

By the time I entered graduate school, I put away my romance novel and wrote a literary novel for my thesis. Then, when I graduated, I put away my literary novel and started a mystery series with an amateur sleuth professor (see my cozy series at MaryAngelaBooks.com).

But always my love for Victorian literature remained, and in 2019, when my family and I took a trip to England, it was reignited. Seeing Regent’s Park, Piccadilly, Grosvenor Square—all those places I had first read about so many years ago—I knew I wanted to write another book, a mystery, set in the time period. That book became Murder in Postscript. I’m thrilled to see this first dream come true.

Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander

 

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander is a sweet romance set near the seashore in Portneath, England.  Jules Capelthorne comes back to town to  help her Aunt Flo  run Capplethorne books which is not doing well.  Roman Montbeau returns from America to open up a bookstore across the street for the Montbeau family.  Their families have been enemies for many many years.  Can they even be friends?

This was a delightful romance for me.  It was interesting to learn about antiquated books, I found the characters very engaging, and loved the literary references to Romeo and Juliet.   I enjoyed getting to know both families through the story and was rooting for Poppy and Roman to have a happily ever after.  There were several twists that made the story fun to read and held my attention.  

This was the perfect read for me with the Shakespeare references, the bookshop setting in England, and characters I connected with.  I highly recommend The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander.  

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox

The Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox is a wonderful story. Ana Leigh Watkins decides to spend her summer in Bitter End, Tennessee to help her great aunt prepare her house for retirement. It has been a trying year and she is hopeful that Bitter End will be a place to rest and reset. While hiking nearby she meets a group of bird-watchers who include her on their adventures. Ana learns more about bird watching, herself, and her family.

 The story seamlessly moves between the present day and the 1958 as we learn the about Ana and the backstory of her relatives. The author writes such engaging, thoughtful, and believable characters that I connected with. I was so pulled into the story as I tried to put together all the pieces from the past. The story had just the right amount of humor to keep it moving forward and I appreciated the depth of the story with themes of forgiveness, redemption, and truly being free.

 This beautifully written book with wonderful characters will draw you into the story and change your heart for the better. I highly recommend the Bitter End Birding Society by Amanda Cox. This will be a 2025 favorite for me. 

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Amanda Cox is the author of the 2021 Christy Book of the Year, The Edge of Belonging and the 2022 Christy Book of the Year, The Secret Keepers of Old Depot Grocery. She is a Carol Finalist for her 2023 ECPA bestselling novel, He Should Have Told the Bees. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and theology and a master’s degree in professional counseling. Her studies and her interactions with hurting families over a decade have allowed her to create multidimensional characters that connect emotionally with readers. She resides in Tennessee with her husband and three children.

Let's Make A Scene by Laura Wood

 

Thank you Simon Audio for the gifted ALC.  

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood and read by Heather Long and Sam Stafford was such a fun book. Cynthia Taylor just had a PR disaster in her life and is open when her agent tells her about an opportunity to make a sequel to her vert first movie. The hitch is that she must also make a documentary about her “pretend” love life with Jack who is her nemesis from years ago. But she really needs this film to work and so does Jack.

This was a fun story with all the feels for me. Cynthia and Jack had great chemistry, banter, and I found them endearing. It was a pleasure to get to know Cynthia and Jack, and I was rooting for their happily ever after. The dual time-line allowed me to see their relationship, friendship and how they matured throughout the book.

The two narrators did an excellent helping the story to come alive for me. I felt very engaged as I listened to both and it helped me to keep everything straight in the two time-lines. The audio made the book for me.

Let’s Make a Scene by Laura Wood read by Heather Long and Sam Stafford is a great listen with a lovely ending. I was very invested and sad for the story to end. I highly recommend!

Thank you, Simon audio, for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own. 

Laura Wood is a bestselling author whose first novel won the Montegrappa Scholastic Prize for New Children's Writing in 2014. She also has a PhD in nineteenth century literature from the University of Warwick.​

Her middle-grade novels have been shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Awards and the Blue Peter Book Awards, while her YA novels have been shortlisted for the YA Book Awards, the Books are My Bag Awards and the Romantic Novelist's Association Awards.Her debut adult novel, Under Your Spell, published in 2024 and has sold into seventeen languages.

Laura lives in Warwickshire with her husband, and their dog, Bea. Her favourite things include: Reading romance novels, Fred Astaire films, cups of tea, fancy cocktails, recipe books, poetry, cosy woollen cardigans, crisp autumn leaves, Rufus Sewell's cheekbones, Being near

Holly and Nick Hate Christmas by Betsy St. Amant

Holly and Nick Hate Christmas by Betsy St. Amant is a feel-good romantic comedy. Holly Sinclair was born on Christmas and has not enjoyed the holiday for some time. This year her brother, Ryan, is bringing home his friend Nick Kinsley. She discovers he is a pity date and things go poorly from there.

This was a delightful story with such engaging characters. The story was told from Nick and Holly’s point of view and I enjoyed their banter, chemistry and humor. The Sinclair Farm in Ohio was a lovely place to visit and celebrate Christmas with the Sinclair family. The story kept me on my toes with each sibling arriving with a secret and their own agenda. It was a pleasure to get to know the family and the story had a satisfying happy ending. I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness, redemption, and self-sacrifice.

Holly and Nick Hate Christmas by Betsy St. Amant is a sweet Christmas story to read any time of year. The engaging characters, humor, and relatable themes made this favorite for me. I highly recommend.

I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.

Betsy St. Amant Haddox is the author of over twenty romance novels and novellas. She resides in north Louisiana with her hubby, two daughters, an impressive stash of coffee mugs, and one furry Schnauzer-toddler. Betsy has a B.A. in Communications and a deep-rooted passion for seeing women restored to truth. When she’s not composing her next book or trying to prove unicorns are real, Betsy can be found somewhere in the vicinity of an iced coffee. She writes frequently for www.ibelieve.com, a devotional site for women.

Betsy is proud to be represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency.

 

Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Starring Grant

Thank you Simon Books #SimonBooksBuddy for the #FreeGift

I have enjoyed reading Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home by Stephen Grant. His memoir gives you a slice of life of this time as a mail carrier and all the interesting stories that come with the job. It was fascinating to meet the people he worked with, watch his personal growth, and see the process of mail delivery. He also shares his thoughts on life, religion, and the state of the world. I always enjoy hearing people’s stories and enjoyed Mr. Grant’s story. I recommend.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free review copy. All thoughts are my own.

Blurb: Steve Grant was laid off in March of 2020. He was fifty and had cancer, so he needed health insurance, fast. Which is how he found himself a rural letter carrier in Appalachia, back in his old hometown.

Suddenly, he was the guy with the goods, delivering dog food and respirators and lube and heirloom tomato seeds and Lord of the Rings replica swords. He transported chicken feed to grandmothers living alone in the mountains and forded a creek with a refrigerator on his back. But while he carried the mail, he also carried a whole lot more than just the mail, including a family legacy of rage and the anxiety of having lost his identity along with his corporate job.

And yet, slowly, surrounded by a ragtag but devoted band of letter carriers, working this different kind of job, Grant found himself becoming a different kind of person. He became a lifeline for lonely people, providing fleeting moments of human contact and the assurance that our government still cares. He embraced the thrill of tackling new challenges, the pride of contributing to something greater than himself, the joy of camaraderie, and the purpose found in working hard for his family and doing a small, good thing for his community. He even kindled a newfound faith.

#SimonBooksBuddy #Mailman

An Irish Kiss by Carolyn Miller

An Irish Kiss Fairall Romance Legacy Book #1 by Carolyn Miller is a delightful romance! Aurora Fairall is passionate about Ireland, her bookstore job, and working at the family castle that is now a boutique hotel. She wonders if she will ever find love. Aidan Quinn travels from Australia to investigate the rumors of a castle lost in his family history. The two are brought to together, but how do you reconcile loving someone who wants to take away your home?

This is a wonderful start to a new series. I loved visiting Ireland and learning about its history and touring the country with Aidan and Rory. They were very engaging characters with good chemistry, banter, and the ability to work through obstacles. It was a pleasure to meet both of their families and I loved how they were integrated into the story. Rory’s sister, Aisling, was so endearing and I look forward to reading her story next.

This is a great read with good romance, faith, and takes place in the incredible setting of Ireland. I loved touring the castle and villages, getting to know the Fairall family, and look forward to the next book in the series. I highly recommend An Irish Kiss by Carolyn Miller.

I was given a copy by the author and not required to write a positive review.

Carolyn Miller is an Inspirational Regency romance author who lives in the beautiful Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia with her husband and four children. Together with her husband she has pastored a church for ten years, and worked as a public high school English and Learning and Support teacher. 

A longtime lover of romance, especially that of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer’s Regency era, Carolyn holds a BA in English Literature, and loves drawing readers into fictional worlds that show the truth of God’s grace in our lives. 

She loves reading, music, films, gardens, art, travel and international food, and really enjoy creating worlds where flawed people can grow in faith, hope and love.

Her Regency novels include the award winning The Elusive Miss 

Ellison, The Captivating Lady Charlotte, The Dishonorable Miss

DeLancey, Winning Miss Winthrop, Miss Serena's Secret, The Making of Mrs Hale, and A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh, all published by Kregel Publications.  

Carolyn is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube agency.