Welcome to my little corner of the interweb! I am a southern girl who loves fashion. I've been on a journey of self love and finding my style and I am enjoying the trip. My hope is that as you follow me I inspire you to love yourself as you are now! Be Bold, Be Beautiful, Be Confident!
Hello book lovers especially mystery lovers everywhere! I hope y’all’s week has been a really great week so far. I just want to take a moment to recognize International Women’s Day and celebrate the women all over the world who are having an impact in this world in every area of life especially those fighting for women’s rights.
So I thought instead of my usual round up of what cozy mysteries I’m reading I thought I would recommend some great biographies and autobiographies of some pretty awesome women!
Hello Southernistas! Well we made it through February and March has arrived! For many of your March has indeed come in like a lion and a very angry lion at that but here in North Carolina the month like a lama…ahhhh!
When February rolls in I start to eagerly anticipate March which to me means Spring! Spring! Spring! Which I’ve mentioned many, many times is my favorite season. I look forward to seeing the trees bud, the flowers bloom and really just seeing the Earth wake up from her long winter’s nap. The longer days lift my spirits and then there’s the Spring fashion that puts a little pep in my step. It means sitting outside with a great book and soaking up sunshine and getting out the rain boots. It is dealing with those blustery days and loving it because in the right dress or skirt you get to have a “Marilyn” moment without standing over a subway grate…LOL.
This is the month Daylight Saving Time begins which is my only quibble because after getting an extra hour of sleep you now loose it! March is also Women’s History month with March 6th being International Women’s Day and who can forget Saint Patrick’s Day in which we all wear a little green, dance an Irish jig, drink a Guinness or whatever for those who drink and celebrate being Irish! This month in a nod to St. Patrick’s Day I’ve created a reading list of mysteries that are set in Ireland.
So weather you celebrate March like I do or bemoan the start of pollen season aka hay fever season here is hoping to a totally awesome, amazing, blessed and fashionable March!
Happy March 1st booklovers! I am looking forward to reading lots of cozy mysteries set in Ireland this month in honor of St. Patrick’s Day! I mean aren’t we all Irish when March rolls in…LOL? I am always excited when March comes which means Spring is getting closer and closer although the signs of Spring are appearing early this year due to the warm winter we had in North Carolina this year.
February was a great reading month! I read ten great cozy mysteries and with the exception of two I gave 4 or 5 stars. Most of the books I read were new to me authors which is always fun to discover a new mystery along with some of my favorite authors. Read some Valentine’s Day themed mysteries too.
Plus my mom’s birthday is in February and it was so much fun to celebrate her birthday the entire weekend and she was tickled beyond pink.
How was your February? What great books did you read?
I kicked off the month with Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigleythis is the first book in the Deep Dish mystery series and I can’t wait to read the second book. Delilah O’Leary has relocated to Geneva Bay, WI to open her gourmet pizza restaurant after years of working in some of Chicago’s best restaurants. What she didn’t foresee was breaking up with her fiancée & business partner and a murder happening at the soft opening. When her aunt’s live in nurse is shot and killed at the soft opening and her aunt is the prime suspect Delilah knows she has to do everything she can to prove her aunt’s innocence. I really enjoyed this first book and while there were times I felt it dragged overall I felt there were plenty of suspects, a decent amount of red herrings, and the author did a great job overall. My one con is there was a lot of body shaming but my hope is that there will be less of that as the series progresses.
I followed up with Killer Cupid by Laurien Berenson the 29th Melanie Travis mystery and by the title you can guess it set during Valentine’s Day and outside of Connecticut. This was a novella and as far as I’m concerned you can never go wrong with this series. I couldn’t put the book down!
My other Valentine theme mystery I read was Mulled to Death by Kate Lansing the 3rd book in the Colorado Wine mystery series. When Parker Valentine is whisked away on a romantic weekend with her hunky chef boyfriend and her brother and his girlfriend who is Parker’s best friend. All she is looking forward to is lots of skiing until murder happens. Great plot and pacing and I was totally blown away when the killer was revealed! Can’t wait for book 4.
Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flowersthis is the first book in the Emily Dickinson mystery series and I read this book in 24 hours! I just couldn’t put it down! Amanda Flowers is an amazing author and she doesn’t disappoint with this newest cozy mystery series that features the poet Emily Dickinson as a sleuth helping her maid Willa Noble find out who killed Willa’s brother. My hats off to Amanda who did an amazing job with all the historical facts! Can’t wait for book 2.
Against the Currant by Olivia MatthewsI absolutely loved this first book in the Spice Isle Bakery mystery series and this is a new to me author. This was another page turner and I really enjoyed seeing Lindsay Murray grow and become confident. Loved her family especially her grandmother and cousin and looking forward to seeing how these characters grow. It is so great when you can connect with the characters and become involved in the story as you read
I am a huge fan of V.M. Burns and it is my goal to read all of her cozy mystery series. I discovered this author two years ago after hearing her on a bookish podcast and immediately ordered the first book in her Dog Club series and her Mystery Bookshop series. I finally read The Plot is Murder the first book in her Mystery Bookshop series and OMG it was so good! In fact I’ve already reviewed this book. You can click on the link to read my review if you haven’t already.
I loved the second book in Abby Collette’s Ice Cream Parlor series A Game of Cones which was even better than her first book. This is another book I read in 24 hours. I am always happy when the second book is even better than the debut novel of an author. The plot, pacing, suspects, and red herrings were perfect. Loved Win’s family especially her Grandfather. My one problem is I didn’t really like the portrayal of her Aunt Jack (Jacqueline) and if possible her best friend Maisie was even more immature than she was in the first book. so far there are three books in the series but I am really hoping there are more books coming.
Wine and Punishment by Sara Fox is the first book in her Literary Pub mystery series and has set on my TBR for well over a year and I am kicking myself! I’ve heard and read so many great reviews about this series and I now understand why. The main character, Sadie Coleman, is starting over in the little town of Shady Creek, VT but when her ex shows up looking for another chance but ends up murdered Sadie puts on her sleuthing hat. The book started off a little slow for me and at first I didn’t know if I would even finish but the story picked up momentum and before I knew it I was staying up late to read just one more page.
With Midnight Spells Murder by Mary Angela I did something I rarely do and that is read the second book of a series but in this instance it happened because this was my Facebook book club pick for February but I do plan to read the first book in the Happy Camper series. This is a new to me author and I am always excited to discover a new author. I enjoyed the book and I was all for the secondary mystery that is running through the book too as Zo begins the search for her birth mother.
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry is the first book in her By the Book mystery series that features Tess Harrow who is a best selling mystery author. I was really excited to read this first book in this series (there are 3 so far) especially after reading and hearing all the rave reviews about this series so imagine how excited I was this was the Cozy Mystery Book Club February pick. Sadly I didn’t like this book at all! I didn’t like Tess I found her beyond obnoxious and there were not too many likeable characters I could connect with. Tess seemed to think she was more knowledgeable than the police and I found her incredibly arrogant and entitled and she kept comparing her fictional detective to the Sheriff and found the fictional dectective so much better than acutal law enforcement. I know I always advise to never dismiss a series based on one book but I just don’t see myself reading the 2nd book in this series unless it is offered through Kindle Unlimited (free).
I ended this month with the first book in Jessica Thompson’s A Caterer’s Guide to Love & Murder book 1 in her Caterer’s Guide mystery series. I actually downloaded this book when it was offered on Kindle Unlimited and actually started reading it last month but it just didn’t hold my attention. Finally finished it yesterday only because I didn’t want to start a new paperback book until today. The murder happened several chapters in and I loved that Violet worked with the police but I just had trouble connecting with any of the characters plus there were just some parts of the book I felt could have been cut out all together.
Happy Friday fellow cozy mystery & book lovers! I hope you’ve had a great week! For me it was a long and stressful week but it was still overall a really great week and now Friday is here and I am looking forward to a great weekend:).
For this author spotlight I thought instead of highlighting one author in honor of Black History Month I would turn the spotlight on few of my favorite African American cozy & not so cozy mystery authors.
Abby L. Vandiver aka Abby Collette is the author of several cozy mystery series and she also writes women fiction under the name Cade Bentley. Abby’s books are well written and real page turners. The characters are fully developed and the mysteries are well crafted with plenty of red herrings. Her newest cozy mystery series features fraternal twins Keaton & Kolby who were separated but have reunited to open up a bookstore and soul food restaurant together. I was introduced to Abby via her Logan Dickerson mystery series which was a spinoff of her sci-fi , a early cozy mystery series, via my Facebook book club last year.
V.M. Burns aka Valerie Burns is the author of the Mystery Bookshop series, Dog Club series, RJ Franklin series and as Valerie Burns the Baker Street mystery series. If you are looking for a fun mystery series you can’t go wrong with V.M. Burns! The very first book I read by this author was In the Dog House book 1 in her Dog Club series and from the first paragraph I was hooked. I’ve since read her newest series Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder and pre-ordered the second book in this series. My TBR pile is loaded with her books.
Olivia Matthews writes the Sister Lou mysteries, Peach Coast Library mysteries (for Hallmark Publishing), and her newest series the Spice Isle Bakery series (on by tbr pile). As Patricia Sargent and Regina Hart she writes several romance novels.
Walter Moseley is considered the godfather of Mystery writers. He is also one of the founders of Crime Writers of Color. He is the author of the long running Easy Rawlins mystery series which was also a movie starring Denzel Washington. He is right up there with James Patterson, David Baldacci, and other mystery writers!
Kelly Garrett is the author of the Detective Day mystery series which is cozy adjacent so far there are two books in this award winning series. She is also one of the founders of Crime Writers of Color.
Hello Southernistas and Happy Thursday! Also Happy February to y’all! I know I haven’t posted in a while but I spent the rest of January very sick and overloaded with work. Working while sick is not fun but I was under a two week deadline and had to get it done so with plenty of cold medicine, soup, ginger lemon & honey tea and as much rest as I could get I pressed on an met the deadline. Thankfully by the end of January I started feeling better and I am feeling great now!
So while I was home sick I kept seeing this one weight loss commercial from one of the big weight loss companies and of course they were showing the before and after with the person saying one day I’m going and you can fill in the sentence from there. As I watched this commercial all I kept screaming NO NOT ONE DAY TODAY! First let me say you do what is best for you! This is not an anti diet rant but it is a don’t put your life on hold rant! I spent so much of my life saying that same thing one day I’m going to wear that swimsuit, that dress, be happy, etc. You know what? After years of hating my body and myself I finally realized I don’t have to put my life on hold until I reach a certain size and since then I’ve indulged my love of fashion, traveled, and just enjoy life.
It is so important that you don’t put your life on hold but live your life as you work towards your weight loss goals (or not). I have learned that I am not a before I am Regina and I don’t have to wait for one day to wear or do anything because I am fat. In the words of Aunti Mame “life is a buffett and most poor suckers are starving!”
Enjoy the buffett! You are allowed to be happy and to live your life at any size!
HAPPY NEW YEAR SOUTHERNISTAS! I hope that 2022 was a good year for you. If 2022 was a tough year for you I am sorry but by God’s grace you made it to 2023 and that means saying good bye to 2022 and looking forward to a do over with 2023. If you lost a loved one I am so sorry for your loss and that you are starting this year without that love one in your life.
When a new year comes I always experience a sense of excitement and look forward to all the things a new year brings. It is like hitting the reset button and getting to start over or tackle that thing you didn’t get to last year. To heal, get healthy, drop toxic people, learn something new, change careers or whatever it may be January 1 is the reset. Or like me just be even more fabulous and fashionable.
This year I have decided to have a word for 2023 and that word for me is HOPE! I’ve entered 2023 with hope in my heart and my outlook on life. I know what it is to live with no hope and as 2022 winded down this word was whispered ever so softly to me last week while I was enjoying my Christmas break. I know that it the Holy Spirit whispering the word hope to me and I do have hope for this year.
I know what is going on in this world and in my country but I have an abundance of hope and expectation regardless of what life hands me ultimately all of my hope is in Jesus. I take comfort and joy in knowing that He is with me and He is my hope.
So Happy New Year and here is to 2023 being the year of HOPE!
HAPPY NEW YEAR book lovers! I hope you had a great holiday I certainly did! It helps that my department was closed for the entire week so yesterday was my first day back at work and it wasn’t easy to get back in the grove of things LOL.
I have to say 2022 was a great reading year for me I exceeded my Goodreads goal by 48 books!
Well it’s a new year and with a new year comes new reading goals! My reading goals for 2023 is to read books that have been on my TBR for over a year. Since it is the first month of the new year I decided that I would kick off January reading the first book in series that are on my TBR. While I know I want be able to read ALL the books on my reading pile I have set an ambitious goal of 10.
What are your reading goals this year? Are you planning to binge a series you’ve been wanting to read forever?
Whatever your goals are I hope all your reads this year are 5 star reads!
Currently Reading:
There are five books in this series and I am really enjoying this first book in Debra Sennefelder’s Food Blogger mystery series.
My January TBR (these are all the first book of the series):
Happy Wednesday and Happy Hanukah book lovers! Well Christmas is almost here and 2023 is coming fast I mean where did 2022 go?! For me it has been a really good reading year all around. I’ve been seeing a lot of my favorite books of the year list and I don’t want to be left out (smile).
First I met my Goodreads reading goal this year and exceeded it by 30+ books so yeah me. Second I joined two additional online book clubs which has really expanded my TBR and at the same time help me try and make a dent in my TBR. The two book clubs I joined are on Facebook and I feel like I’ve discovered even more cozy mystery lovers while still a part of the Cozy Mystery Book Club that is on YouTube I look so forward to the end of every month. Third this is in no way a conclusive list because I read so many great books this year!
This will be my last post of 2022 so I want to wish y’all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope your books were all 5 star reads and your adventures were exciting, magical, and wonderful.
What are some of your favorite books you read this year please share.
With that being said here are some my favorites of 2022
The Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series by Darci Hannah: Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop, Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-Off, and Murder at the Blueberry Festival
I discovered this series and it is definitely takes the #1 spot of my favorite books of 2022. I literally read all three books in the month of July and each one was better than the last. Darci Hannah knows how to write a mystery that will keep your attention and cause you to loose sleep. I’ve been stalking her website to see when the next book in this delightful series will be out.
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder by Laurien Berenson this is a spinoff from the very popular Melanie Travis series and it doesn’t disappoint. I love a book that features seniors who are active and living life and Melanie’s aunts Peg and Rose are that and so much more. This was a great first book and I ‘ve already pre-ordered the next book
Meet Your Baker (A Bakeshop Mystery #1) by Ellie Alexander I now have to binge this series!
Trouble in Paradise Series by Carrie Doyle: It Takes to Mango (Book 1), Something’s Guava Give (Book 2). Book 3 will be out in 2023
Bayou Book Thief (Vintage Cookbook Mystery #1) by Ellen Byron this was such a great debut series and it will make you want to immediately get on a plane or in your car and head to NOLA
A Christmas Candy Killing (A Killer Chocolate Mystery #1) by Christina Romeril
Mountain Town Murder (Jackson Holes Moose’s Bakery Mystery #1) by Sue Pepper
Crime & Punctuation (A Deadly Edits Mystery #1) by Kaitlyn Dunnett
Fresh Brewed Murder (A Ground Rules Mystery #1) by Emmeline Duncan
Twelve Slays of Christmas (Christmas Tree Farmy Mystery #1) by Jacqueline Frost
Apple Cider Slaying (A Cider House Mystery #1) Julie Anne Lindsey
Arsenic and Adobo (A Tita Rosie Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manansala
A Deadly Inside Scoop (Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #1) & Body and Soul Food (A Books & Biscuits Mystery #1) by Abby Collette
Happy Wednesday book lovers! Wow Christmas is getting closer and closer and for those of you who celebrate Hanukkah it’s even closer than Christmas!
My December kicked off with a bang with Cozy Mystery Club’s 12 Days of Cozy which is always fun. It’s a time to interact with my favorite authors, get the chance to win a book or two, and discover new authors and I absolutely love it! It’s also a chance to get in a lot of reading during the reading sprints and I’ve gotten in a lot of great reads.
I hope you are taking the time amongst all the shopping, holiday gatherings, and busyness of the Christmas seasons to kick back with a cozy hot beverage of your choice and a good book to unwind, relax, and lose yourself in a another world.
Since it is the holiday season I’m sure it will come as no surprise that the majority of the books I’ve read, am currently reading, and will be read are Christmas themed.
Until next time Happy Holiday and Happy Reading!
Read:
A Christmas Candy Killing (Killer Chocolate Mystery) by Christina Romeril was a huge 4 stars for me! I really enjoyed this debut cozy mystery. Alex and Hannah are identical twins (thank you for name that don’t rhyme) and own Murder and Mayhem a mystery bookstore that sells poison themed chocolates (um yes please). When Alex finds her friend and fellow book club member Jane murdered and the weapon of choice is the chocolates from Murder and Mayhem which put her in the eye sight of the sheriff she is determined to clear her name, save her business, and find justice for her friend all before Christmas. This is my first cozy set in Montana and as I read the book I absolutely felt like I was there in Harriston. I couldn’t put this book down which lead to a lot of late nights because I just had to know what was happening. There were heaps of suspects and plenty of red herrings and I felt at time there were too many but I did get the killer right and I loved the reveal. I can’t wait to the second book in this series.
Mistletoe Murder (Lucy Stone Mystery #1) by Leslie Meier is a cozy mystery series that has been on my to buy list forever so I was super excited when this book was selected as the December buddy read for Cozy Mystery Book Club’s 12 Days of Cozies. This is a very popular series there are 20 plus books in the Lucy Stone series. As I read I had to remind myself that this first book came out in 1991 before cell phones were owned by everyone and the internet was a thing. Lucy discovers the body of the owner of Country Cousins (think Cracker Barrell) when she was taking a break she works as a customer service representative in the call center. She finds herself investigating his death mostly out of a sense of justice and she just can’t let it go. Overall I enjoyed reading the mystery and I liked that Lucy carried out her investigation around her life as a working mother and wife. I didn’t realize who the killer was until almost the end of the book and I was completely surprised. Now there were some not cozy elements in this book: there cat was killed by someone (never solved) and there was suicide so be warned which is why I gave this book 3 stars.
The Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost (aka Julie Anne Lindsey) is the first book in Christmas Tree Farm series and it is so good. I gave it 4 BIG stars. Holly White is back home in Mistletoe, Maine after her fiancé calls off their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go helping out her parents on their Christmas tree farm during the busiest time of the year for them and the whole town. When Holly comes across the body of Margaret Fenwick head of the Historical Preservation Society on the farm and the handsome Sheriff Gray closes the farm down Holly springs into action and decides to do her own investigation. As I read this book I couldn’t help but think of this author’s other series The Sea Side Café series she writes as Bree Baker. Holly reminded me so much of Everly Swan and I found myself smiling a lot as I read. This is another book I couldn’t put down and found myself reading way, way past my bedtime. At times I felt there were too many suspects since Margaret Fenwick seems to have upset just about everybody in Mistletoe and when the killer was revealed I was blindsided by the revelation because they were such a minor character. Having said that I can’t wait to read Twas the Knife Before Christmas.
I really love this series! I really enjoyed the first book A Side of Murder and the third book Murder is No Picnic (which I thought was the second book). I highly recommend reading these books in order as this book is referenced though out Murder is No Picnic.
I’ve just started reading but Samantha Barnes is just as funny as ever and I can’t wait to join her and her friends on her sleuthing journey and she if she survives her parent’s visit for the holidays.
Next:
I am excited to read books 2 and 3 of Jacqueline Frost’s Christmas Tree Farm mysteries:
Happy Wednesday book lovers! Well we are seven days into December and I hope you are getting lots of reading holiday or other wise accomplished. I am off to a slow start but I’m hoping to ramp up my reading as the month goes along.
I am having nothing but fun participating in the Cozy Mystery Club’s 12 Days of Cozies and all the fun Instagram and Twitter challenges and engaging with the cozy mystery community on a different level. Discovering new authors and love all the interaction with the authors who are participating.
Until Next Time! Happy Reading, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Finished Reading:
I started readingOn Skein of Death at the end of November but didn’t really finish it until December so I didn’t include it in my November wrap up since I had just started reading this first book in Allie Pleiter’s Riverside Knitting Mystery series. Libby Beckett is excited to host her first event at Y.A.R.N the main attraction is Perle Langager a celebrity knitter and everything is going great until Libby discovers Perle’s body. Perle has been strangled to death with a skein of read yarn. Libby didn’t know the young Perle very well but she feels obligated to find out who murdered Perle at her event. Overall I enjoyed this it was a well written mystery with great character development and just enough information about Libby but (you knew there was one) I knew who the killer was as soon as the body was discovered. The author tried to give red herrings but there were really only three suspects but it was obvious who the murderer of Perle was. There were really no tension as I read the book and since I already knew who the killer was it was hard for me to continue to read this book and I almost DNF’d (did not finish) it all.
Currently Reading:
A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril came out in October and I am so glad it is finally December so I could start reading this debut series and I have not been disappointed as I read this book. The amateur sleuths are Alex and Hannah identical twin sisters who own a mystery bookstore called Murder and Mayhem (love) and they sell poison themed chocolates (double love)! When Jane there elderly neighbor, member of their book club Sleuth (triple love) and friend of Alex is murdered and the murder weapon is the Veronal Chocolate from Murder and Mayhem. Alex and Hannah along with a few friends start sleuthing to clear Alex and handy man Zach from suspicion and find the actual killer. Jane had a habit of accusing various members of Harriston, MT of being a fugitive from justice after she watches a true crime show that she loves. I can’t wait for the killer to be revealed but I hope I can figure it out before then.
Future Read:
Mistletoe Murder by Leslie Meier is next on my Christmas cozy TBR and it is the buddy read for my book club. This is a long running cozy mystery series and one I’ve been wanting to read forever so I am really excited to read this first book.
Book blurb:
MAIL-ORDER MURDER As if baking holiday cookies, knitting a sweater for her husband’s gift, and making her daughter’s angel costume for the church pageant weren’t enough things for Lucy Stone’s busy Christmas schedule, she’s also working nights at the famous mail-order company Country Cousins. But when she discovers Sam Miller, its very wealthy founder, dead in his car from an apparent suicide, the sleuth in her knows something just doesn’t smell right.
Taking time out from her hectic holiday life to find out what really happened, her investigation leads to a backlog of secrets as long as Santa’s Christmas Eve route. Lucy is convinced that someone murdered Sam Miller. But who and why? With each harrowing twist she uncovers in this bizarre case, another shocking revelation is exposed. Now, as Christmas draws near and Lucy gets dangerously closer to the truth, she’s about to receive a present from Santa she didn’t ask for — a killer who won’t be satisfied until everyone on his shopping list is dead, including Lucy herself
Christmas has come to Fair Harbor, but when the town’s Santa is murdered, it will be up to Sam Barnes to find a killer in this newest installment of the Cape Cod Foodie Mysteries.
It’s Santa Claus, she says tonelessly. Santa Claus is dead.
Food writer Sam Barnes wants a lot of things: a quiet Christmas at home with her dog and the town’s handsome harbormaster, to never be in a viral video again, and to stop finding dead bodies. Unfortunately for Sam, her parents are coming to visit, she’s often around cameras for work, and she just found the town Santa dead in the storage room of the cocktail bar she was profiling.
Although she was only interviewing the owners of the Ginger Jar in hopes of getting the recipe for their Coquito Eggnog cocktail for the friends and family Christmas Eve dinner she’s hosting, Sam quickly finds herself taking on the role of investigator once again. She needs to find out who slayed this Santa — but with holiday stress already building, will Sam be able to pull off a perfect feast and nab a killer?
Regina the Southernista 