Agitare per bene

Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries #9

by Steffanie Holmes, Barbara Dalla Villa (translator)

Le campane nuziali suonano alla Libreria Nevermore!

I misteri della Libreria Nevermore sono ciò che si ottiene quando tutti i nostri amori letterari prendono vita. Unitevi a un cupo antieroe, a un maestro del crimine, a un corvo impertinente e a un’eroina con un cuore grande (e una collezione di libri ancora più grande) in questa appassionante serie di gialli paranormali a reverse harem dell’autrice di bestseller USA Today Steffanie Holmes.

Genres: Mystery, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Why Choose, Romantasy

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 13, 2024

About the author

Steffanie Holmes is the author of steamy historical and paranormal romance. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, wild shifters, cunning witches and alpha males who get what they want.

Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.

Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.

Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD

Reviews

[Alyson Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried like the weird, cat owing auntie at this wedding 😢
Minas story started out as light relief for me between 'heavier' books, but, as the series went on, I found myself craving another instalment of this world over the other books.

I think it's clear to see that SH put a large slice of her own experiences/feelings into this book, and this shines through this series.

All the characters are so well written, fleshed out, and have developed beautifully in the course of the series.
Some may say that this shows a clichéd world view of the experience of people with similar disabilities as Minas, but I disagree. My partner has vision problems, and just like Mina, he has experienced some horrid people, but overwhelmingly, alot of those who seek to support, extend, and justify the necessary changes to assist towards a full life regardless of disability.

Yes, there are grammatical errors in this edition, but if you've made it this far into the series, I'm sure you don't care as you are here for the feels.

I'm not sure what or how a polyamorous wedding would go down, but SH wrote this in a way that showed love and respect for a relationship that isn't to societies norms.

The crimes are delicious, light-hearted, and just perfect for an 'easy' read.

Bring me more by SH, I guarantee I'm gonna read it. ♥️ nothing but love for this series.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate saying goodbye. I hate last books in series. I'm one of those people with countless unread last books in series on the shelves. So, despite the fact that I'll surely get the paperback once it releases I wanted to force myself to read this book as soon as possible. Luckily the author and BookSprout helped me with that and provided me with a review copy. And since I want my review to be up today, it was finally time to start reading this week.

I didn't expect to be touched by this book so much. I didn't expect the author to dive this deep into Mina's inner feelings in a book about her wedding. However, as a woman with a disability all Mina's inner doubts were so relatable. Just like Mina I wanna write a book with a girl like me as the main character and just like her I'm afraid no one will love and read it. Just like there is this part of me that will always fear that I'm just unloveable in general.

Of course, the book wasn't just emotions and doubts. These can't exist without a nice mystery and this one had two. The case of the missing duck Mina was trying to solve while distracting herself from her wedding and book presentation. And the case of the wedding ruiner her husbands to be tried to solve without Mina realizing that someone was threatening their wedding and ruining every surprise her guys came up with.

My biggest complaint is that I wish this book had been a little bit bigger. Not because there was that much more story to tell. I think the author did an amazing job wrapping everything up. I just wanted to spend a little more time with Mina and my favorite trio of fictional boyfriends. Luckily the author isn't ready to say goodbye to this universe either and I already can't wait to discover what is waiting for us in the next series about a new bookclub in town.

[Shiny Ruins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was a disappointing end.

My love/hate relationship with this whole series is definitely more on the hate side.

I don't think I'll read her other works. Life's too short for frustrating books.

[Krystin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this series overall but as the conclusion, this was pretty anticlimactic and just really didn’t follow the same format as the others. I feel like the author tries to give us an emotional send off but instead we got an FMC who was suddenly as insecure as she was in book 1 and a lackluster mystery plot. We didn’t even get a good wedding and where did the spice go?! I don’t know, the whole book just felt very rushed.

[Vanessa Wetherill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been 4 stars if it wasn't for the typos, grammatical errors and formatting issues. I'm pretty sure there were a few missing sentences also.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 3.5. Cute HEA.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ 🎧

[Sara Emme · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davvero una bella conclusione per questa serie! ❤️

[Angela Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a perfect ending to Mina, Heathcliff, Morrie and Quoths story. Loved these characters and I'm going to miss them. Such a fun and twisted ride to their happily ever after.

[Melanie Floyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Happy to read Mina get her happy ending. Overall the series was a fun cozy read. Interested to read some of the other works by the author.

Would recommend an additional review prior to publishing for the sole purpose of some formatting issues (lack of punctuation and weird paragraph staggering in the middle of sentences).

[savage_book_review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book #82 of 100 - 'Plot and Bothered' by Steffanie Holmes

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice-o-meter: 🌶🌶🌶
Feelings: 😊😬🫣🥹

Total pages read: 24,430
Total hours listened: 240.97
Total money saved: £242

Saving the best for last, the story of Mina, Quoth, Heathcliff and Morrie reaches its wonderful conclusion with one more madcap mystery to solve before their big day. Full of moments that make your heart grow and your smile widen, while still giving you magic, murder and a mild heart attack or two, this book draws on everything you've come to know and love throughout the series and presents the reader with a satisfying and sweet happily ever after.

The emotion of this piece is what drives it; even though the reader "knows" it's all going to work out and that Mina has her boys there to support her no matter what, it's so easy to feel Mina's self-doubt and fear about what might lie ahead. It rings so true to me; she has people coming from all angles telling her how much they love her and her work, and yet all it takes is one less than positive comment, or a discovery that someone hasn't told her the complete truth, to send her into a tailspin. And yet, when she is happy, her joy radiates from the page. Likewise, the boys working together to lift her up (and other things 😉), protect her and give her everything they think she deserves is just perfect. I head hearts in my eyes pretty much the entire way through this.

Of course, it wouldn't be Argleton if there wasn't a mystery or two for our crew to solve. One is slightly ridiculous, the other may ruin everything. And you spend the entire story searching through your brain to try and work out just who might be the culprit. It's well done, because the clues are there almost from the off, but it takes a moment for your brain to get into gear. And even if you do guess correctly, the crescendo remains an absolute highlight. At this stage though, the mystery isn't really where the reader's interests lay, and it feels like the author knew that. So while the thread runs right through the centre of the book, it somehow manages to remain unobtrusive; there's enough detail for you to enjoy the crime-solving shenanigans, but it doesn't pull focus from the characters and the culmination of their relationship.

I'm running out of superlatives and praise to heap onto this series, but this finale is seriously everything I wanted it to be. It's definitely going to become one of my 'pick me up' books (and series); when I don't want to think and just need something to bring some light into my dark, this book and the whole series are perfect candidates. Yes, overall, there are a few flaws that could be worked on to make it an objectively "better" series, but for this reader, whose jaded heart and mind need to run away into magical places when things get tough (so, always), there are few places better.

[AuDHD_Anxiety_Smurf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great end to a series, although I found myself getting a little annoyed with the main characters throughout the book, because they were all being irritatingly silly and behaving out of character, by lying to each other and having self doubt that just didn’t really fit with their previous character development. The wedding went off with only a few enormous hitches, and the scene is now all set for Fangs For Nothing - which ironically was the first book I read which was set in this world.

The Americanisms persisted throughout this book too. I have no issue with American spellings or phrases, but it bugs me when they are used in conjunction with English spellings and in a story supposedly set in the UK. I don’t know whether that’s because the author is Kiwi rather than English, or whether it’s due to the social blurring between American and English language, but I’m personally not a fan of it.

[Mallory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, this series isn't a literary masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination. There have been moments of good writing, an interesting if not very well executed underlying premise, cute characters, and a little spice. On the whole, an easy and enjoyable enough read.

Unfortunately, this book in particular leaned more into corny territory and it detracted from every aspect of the book. A kidnapped, horny duck? A murder takes place and all the MCs are worried about is a sabatoged wedding? This book felt a bit phoned in, honestly. Mina was annoying and played the victim. The "drama" in the relationship felt manufactured and out of character. The mystery was underwhelming. And the sex scenes felt basic.

[Katy Blacksmith · Rating 3 out of 5]

voto: 3,4
Se volessi essere stringata: frettoloso e piagnucoloso.
Mancano anche le parti argute alle quali la Holmes mi aveva abituata e i misteri sono poca cosa.
Non il migliore della serie, persino peggio del precedente, che già mi aveva stupita per il calo di comunicazione empatica con il lettore. Eppure la traduzione è a cura della stessa persona, dunque immagino che sia l'originale ad avere un problema.
È strano che dopo aver scritto così tanto di questi personaggi li tratti in modo superficiale, come se non avesse accesso alla loro anima. Il tutto è incentrato sulla figura della protagonista (e fin qui è ok) che però stavolta si piange addosso. Non la solita Mina, come non sono i soliti Quot, Morrie, Heatcliff.
Non sono soddisfatta.

[Shawna Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌶️ The murder and mystery behind who is sabotaging the wedding of Mina and her three fictional fiancés is simplistic and yet it’s still fun watching the boys try to keep Mina in the dark about it and to stay focused on her book release party. Of course they completely muck it up, each in their own way… but then they also rise above the chaos and manage to save the day at the end, just when all hope seems lost.

It’s the wedding we never knew we always wanted, although I am a little surprised the boys didn’t all take on Mina’s last name, rather than everyone keeping theirs unchanged. Maybe it’s different in the UK so you can’t just arbitrarily change your last name if the wedding isn’t officially recognized?

But who cares, because even if the marriage isn’t formally legal, it’s real to them, and it’s a happily ever after that leaves us completely satisfied here at the series’ end.

I’m going to miss my Quoth, but I still have Bree’s series to read and I saw that the Nevermore gang has plenty of cameos… so, yay!

Yes, this one and the others are fairly smutty, and the storylines are campy with an almost Scooby Doo feel to it, but that’s the charm. Even the errors, which happen even with traditionally published books, grew on me after awhile.

The decision to have a series heroine lead suffering from a seriously progressive eye disease and going blind fairly quickly in is a breath of fresh air to the genre of amateur detectives. Disabilities are prevalent throughout society, whether invisible or not, and yet they are never really a part of any stories unless they are the damsel needing rescuing by some big strong man, or a side character briefly trotted in on occasion for “diversity”.

For our heroine to be fragile at times and open about her fears and then seeing her not backing away from hardships and not listening to those who tell her she can’t do something… someone please hand this author an award or something for championing a character who is different from the mainstream, because that takes a lot of courage.

I enjoyed the series immensely and will happily move in to her other works (especially now that I see she also has a steampunk series under her belt as well as SC Greene!)

It’s a quirky series and filled with deliciously flawed characters, so if you like mysteries filled with witty banter and smut, this is one to reach for. Hope you enjoy!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ninth and final outing for Mina, Heathcliff, Morrie, and Quoth. It should be a sad moment given such a long series and the MC's still fresh. Nothing has gone stail in this series.

But it is not a sad affair at all. But why you may ask?

There is plenty of scope remaining where we leave off for a what happened next spin off, maybe from a different angle or a mix of characters from other series joining the cast list and a new aspect to go forward with.

Steffanie is so talented at what she does, mingling characters from other books that she writes into this story seamlessly. She does the same with Mina and Quoth having cameo roles elsewhere. This adds a certain plus to this story that is exciting and quirky all on its own. Somehow, if you have read the books that these characters come from, is so comfortable a fit, like an old pair of slippers.

I have to say, the issues Mina was having in this book around publishing and agents pressure strikes so true with me. I am at the searching for an agent v self-publishing position myself, and everything that happens to Mina and how she feels about it rings so true. This gave this story such a huge smile and lift for me.

So, what we have here is an end of run book that feels like it is at a height with a long way to go yet. In a way the best way to bow out - leave them keen! But I am sure this is not the end of the characters and we will all meet again.

If you like Steffs stile, you will just love this book, so don't hesitate and take the plunge. And I bet you will do a mammoth sit and read, not letting go till it says The End.

Enjoy.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[brii | brii (three months behind...) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really do love the titles of the books in this series. If anything, Steffanie Holmes got that down to a T.

Moving forward…

One of my biggest pet peeves in any book series is when we suddenly switch things up at the very end. UGH. The last 8.5 bok have been told from Mina's point of view, and now… NOW after 8.5 books, we get a mixed pov. No. Nope. I don't want to start seeing into the minds of the guys. It changes the way I view them and the way I think of them. It does feel like the same characters, and it throws me all out of whack.

We also went backward in this series when it comes to Mina and her self-confidence. I really enjoyed watching her grow after getting her diagnosys, leaving the fashion industry, and her vision deteriorating. It was wonderful to see her get into writing and find something that makes her happy. The last book we saw her kind of be hard on herself, but then with this one starting with the book launch, I thought we moved on. We didn't. She put herself down the entire book. I found this rather frustrating because we had already moved past this in the series, and it felt like a full circle. I also really dislike it because she's literally writing the first novel of this series, and it just… I don't know. It didn't feel genuine to me.

We spent too much time chasing a duck. The guys spent too much time hiding shit and lying to Mina, and the dude that was actually murdered didn't get enough attention.

Honestly, also really bloody obvious who the killer was in the first, is dunno, dozen pages.

Considering this is the last one, I'm quite upset I didn't enjoy it more.

[Gulshan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultima avventura alla libreria Nevermore (almeno per il momento). Faccio una recensione unica per questi ultimi tre volumi iniziando da Molto rumore per un omicidio, che mi è piaciuto di meno: dopo averlo chiuso sono rimasta un po' male perché la storia non mi aveva presa per niente e sembrava un in più dopo aver chiuso la storia di Dracula; infatti, in questa seconda trilogia non accade niente di paranormale.
L'ottavo libro è stato quello che mi è piaciuto di più perché la parte gialla era super coinvolgente e interessante e diversa dal solito e finalmente la parte romance è stata un po' ridotta, confermo che a volte le scene di sesso le ho saltate perché noiose e ripetitive.
Questo ultimo volume, invece, è carino: oltre al pov di Mina ci sono anche quelli di Morrie, Quoth e Heathcliff: è stato interessante vedere la storia anche con i loro occhi, anche se devo dire che la santificazione di Mina dopo un po' ha iniziato a rompere: solo lei è brava, perfetta e nessuno deve criticarla; questa visione mi ha un po' stancata sono sincera: è ovvio che le persone che ci amano non devono buttarci addosso continuamente, ma neanche dire tutto il tempo quanto siamo brave, ci deve essere un po' di equilibrio. E avrei voluto leggere della cerimonia tra i quattro, avrei voluto sapere come hanno fatto a rendere legale una simile unione e avrei voluto leggere le promesse!
Detto questo, leggerò con piacere la Novella natalizia e anche il seguito, quando uscirà; non credo che leggerò la saga dedicata a Bree perché come personaggio non mi ha detto niente. Forse quando vorrò qualcosa di leggero.

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

With their wedding day rapidly approaching, and Heathcliff in charge of the preparations, Mina is concentrating on her book release. Mina is beginning to have doubts about her book launch, so when a local asks her to help find her missing duck, Mina jumps on the chance to solve the duck’s disappearance in an effort to distract herself. Unfortunately, her sudden lack of confidence in her writing talent is not the only disaster that will threaten to derail the wedding. Heathcliff, Morrie, and Quoth are desperate to find out who is trying to sabotage their happily ever after. Destroyed chair covers, dance lesson debacle, unexpected visitors, threatening messages, a disappearing duck, and a murdered officiant will have Mina’s men at their wits end trying to identify the saboteur and save their wedding to Mina.
I absolutely adored all of the characters in this series of books. Let’s face it, even the bad guys made me laugh. Mina, Quoth, Heathcliff, and Morrie are preparing to get married and of course, anything that can go wrong does, but not without the help of someone from their past. As always, these characters are well written, engaging, and made me laugh. Mayhem, murder, mystery, laugh out loud funny, surprising twists in the plot, and a happily ever after. I highly recommend this book and series to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Hermioneginny · Rating 3 out of 5]

* Heathcliff aveva deciso che avrebbe cercato di ricreare le scene di uno dei film Disney che Mina preferiva: La Bella e la Bestia. Lei diceva spesso che la Bestia che regalava una biblioteca a Belle era una delle cose più romantiche che avesse mai visto.
* «Speravo che Morrie potesse aiutarmi con un piccolo furto con scasso, stamattina.» Morrie mi strinse una spalla in segno di approvazione. «Ma che bello, stai parlando la mia lingua dell’amore.»
* Heathcliff ignora il telefono, oppure chiama direttamente, in modo che le persone sentano ben chiaro il suo disprezzo.
* Se riesco a fare anche una sola cosa per bene, almeno saprò di non essere inutile.
* «Vuoi che io, una ninfa, una vera e propria mezza dea, vada in giro per il quartiere a caccia di un gattaccio randagio?» «A giudicare da tutte quelle grida sotto la nostra finestra e dalla cucciolata di gattini tra i piedi, a te piacciono i gatti randagi.»
* Ero rimasto nascosto nella mia soffitta, a dipingere una tela dopo l’altra, mentre fissavo fuori dalla finestra e desideravo ardentemente essere qualcun altro, un individuo normale, che non soffrisse di quel dolore che mi faceva essere diverso.
* A volte pensiamo che le nostre cicatrici siano guarite, ma basta una sciocchezza per farle riaprire, fresche e doloranti come appena inferte.
* L’oscurità non è una cosa da temere.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book in the Nevermore Bookstore Mystery series gives us the unconventional wedding of Mina, Heathcliff, Morrie, and Quoth. As usual, things are going to go anything but smoothly. Mina is trying to juggle her upcoming nuptials and the publication of her first book, and she is not keeping her balls in the air. None of her contacts in the publishing world are RSVPing for her book launch party and she can't seem to stop rereading and revising long enough to get any books printed. Heathcliff has taken charge of the wedding and is being very secretive. Something is going on and her guys are determined not to let her find out what it is. Is her blindness more of an issue than she thought it was? Is she no longer an equal partner in their convoluted relationship? Should she forget her aspirations of being an author and just be satisfied with running the bookstore?

There's an apparent ducknapping, a cake frenzy, a stalker, a murder, and a bridal breakdown. Don't miss a minute of the mayhem. And don't be too bummed about the series wrapup since Nevermore will get a whole new series in the future. I wonder where they ended up on their honeymoon??

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Valarie Gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Plot and Bothered" by Steffanie Holmes is the final installment in the Nevermore Bookshop Mysteries series, where the characters Mina, Heathcliff, Morrie, and Quoth are preparing for their extravagant wedding at Nevermore Bookshop. However, their celebrations take a dark turn when someone sabotages the decorations and sends a threatening note to Heathcliff. As events escalate, the situation becomes more dangerous when a murder occurs, and the wedding saboteur's actions turn deadly.

The book weaves together a mix of mystery, humor, and romance as the characters navigate through wedding misadventures, including a duck-napping, disastrous dance lessons, and unexpected visits from both friends and enemies. Mina finds herself facing challenges not only in organizing the wedding but also in solving the mystery and ensuring her safety amidst the chaos and carnage.

With a blend of suspense and wit, the story promises an engaging and entertaining read as readers follow along to unravel the mystery and discover whether Mina and her fictional men will be able to exchange vows amidst the mayhem. "Plot and Bothered" offers a satisfying conclusion to the series, leaving readers intrigued and entertained until the very end.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The insecurity and repetitive interpersonal conflicts are exhausting. Mina was always a little annoying, but her overall personality and the dynamics with the other characters made it work. Her insecurity was blown up to 11 in this one and so much of this one was spent just in her head (even with the extra POVs from the guys). It was nice to get the extra POVs, but even that wasn't enough to salvage this one for me. In fact it almost made it worse because it made Mina's chapters feel even more annoying. Honestly this one is really coloring my overall opinion of the whole series. I was really hoping for a strong finish, but this was incredibly disappointing. I was mostly able to overlook the amount of stupid shit supposedly smart people do in this series, but this one was too much. The BLIND LADY runs off on her own, knowing she's a target and a murderer is on the loose. FFS. Also the fact that they checked on the people that were in prison and conveniently forgot the lady they put into a mental health facility when someone was on the run from that same facility...come on! I had this one solved from the moment they only mentioned the people they've caught that were in prison and conveniently left her out of the discussion.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been obsessed with this series, and this was a perfect ending.

I'm sad to say goodbye to these characters, but hopefully they keep popping up again. I will admit - I was nervous for a bit during this one, that the wedding wouldn't happen, that there was too much turmoil - but I think it all came together perfectly in the end!

Also, a huge theme of this book was Mina being told that her writing wasn't relatable, or rather, SHE wasn't relatable. I thought her struggle was presented so well. I'm certain the experience comes from the Author's own life, and I'm so glad she never listened to those that told her not to write the stories. Especially because even though I'm not blind, or in any way vision impaired, I find Mina relatable in so many ways, and think others can as well. Anyone that's struggled with a chronic illness, or self doubt, or setbacks in their career and life, can find her relatable. Anyone that has great taste in literature and music can find her relatable!

So Steffanie - thank you for continuing to write!

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series has been a wonderful journey with such interesting characters. The relationship between Heathcliff, Morrie, Quoth, and Mina is so fantastic. I love them so.

This book made me question Mina, who seemed to want to do EVERYTHING NOW and with no thought to giving each thing its own place of honor and thought. Then she began spiraling. It was painful to watch her get in her own way and poison herself. She and her fiancés were all running themselves ragged.

I would have loved to have seen some of the designs for myself. The imagery was great.

I am glad that things worked out in the end - a little annoyed that they didn't let me in on the next adventure but all relationships have inside information. I guess I will let them live their lives.

Now to read the other series and see where they go.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mei · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nevermore Bookshop series has been my comfort read for awhile now. So it is extremely bittersweet to see it end. Mina, Heathcliff, Morrie, and Quoth are such great characters.

We get a happily ever after for our scooby doo gang with their impending wedding. It certainly gave me chills when they start referring Mina as their wife. SWOON. We get some crossovers with the Grimdale main characters and even a throwback to the designer Mina used to work for.

I do hope we get we get the a MMC POV book as teased.

Please read this series and especially listen to the audio books. They're phenomenal. So far there are 6 of them, I'm hoping the rest will be made as well. I look forward to reacquainting myself with these delightful characters again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's almost sad to see the end of the series with Mina and her men. As Heathcliff, Quoth, and Morrie are planning a huge wedding for Mina, she is finalizing her book. With the book launch the day after the wedding, nerves are frayed and anxiety is through the roof. Now with the missing duck and the wedding preparation being sabotaged will this wedding ever happen.

One last mystery for our four friends but will it be their last or maybe the last of them. Exciting as always, I couldn't even guess who the saboteur was but so happy to see that they all finally had their day. While I will miss our great amateur detective I hope to see them as spotlights in the future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

Why? 1. It always has mysteries to solve. 2. There are quirky town folk 3. Faced with physical disability our heroine has to learn to adapt. 4. Even though she experiences real emotional set backs, she pushes through and counts her blessings. 5. Diversity is accepted 6. Love, respect and kindness are valued 7. There is humor in everyday activities 8. The male heroes represent three different types of story heroes: the grumpy brute with a heart of gold; the suave debonaire gangster type with kinks; and the gentle romantic artist type 9. The chaos of communication failures 10. The realness of emotional pain from insecurities brought on by unresolved emotional baggage.

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am trying to finish this series up. I really enjoyed it at the beginning. Literary villains come to life, RH, spooky crime solving, I was all for it! I think that stretching it over 10 books may have been slight overkill as they started to get to be too predictable and redundant. I still enjoyed them and they are great to read in between the heavier stuff. They definitely kept to a comforting formula and would be good someone like me who occasionally gets spikes of anxiety and rewatches the same movie for the comfort of familiarity. I think I was able to enjoy it more because I broke them up over months instead of reading them one after the other.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

For people about to get married, there was a lot of no one communicating among themselves.

After all the other books having more mysteries incorporated alongside the growth of the relationships...this seemed lacking in that aspect. Not that the story wasn't good. I still read it, and I still enjoyed it. It just didn't seem to be on the same level as the other books.

I did appreciate seeing Mina struggling, which sounds strange to type, but it made her even more real. Everyone else was basically chaos in the background, running around without communicating to the FMC. It went backward in the group growth.