Introducing ‘doggie-yoga’ instructor Elle Pressley, in the first Paws & Pose Mystery – featuring canine cuties, Florida sunshine, a sexy Irish PI . . . and murder most horrid
Doggie-yoga instructor Elle Pressley just wants to teach her classes at Moon Key’s Pampered Pet Spa & Resort in peace and save money to move out of her crazy mother’s house. But when her deceased childhood dog, Angel, shows up, she knows she’s about to be in danger. Sure enough, one of her clients winds up dead, and Elle is pulled head first into the investigation. For the prime suspect is Dr Ira Craft . . . the husband of Elle’s best friend, Hope.
Elle is determined to clear Ira’s name, for Hope’s sake, and she enlists the help of Irish private investigator Devon Burke. But someone is determined to stop Elle from uncovering the truth. And now that Devon’s involved, it’s not just Elle’s life that’s in danger: her heart is too . . .
Shannon Esposito lives in a magical Gulf Coast town with fluorescent sunsets, purple dragonflies and the occasional backyard alligator. Her mysteries transport readers to Florida without the hefty price of airfare. Although she knew from the age of five she wanted to be a writer, she briefly entertained the idea of being a scientist, until she found out it involved math, which gives her hives.
She shares this little corner of paradise with her husband, twin boys and dogs. If she's not writing, you'll find her coddling one of the above, hiding with a book or daydreaming with her toes in the sand.
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I chose this book solely because there was a puppy on the cover, knowing it would be a silly mystery/romance. There were (almost*) no surprises and the story gave me (almost*) what I was looking for. 35-year-old Elle had her heart broken in college and has sworn off men. Along comes stunning, smart, kind and flirty private eye Devon. Elle doesn't know what to do. Her heart is saying, "Be careful", but her body is not cooperarating. His touch is electrifying. His eyes are magnetic. Etc. Elle finds herself caught up in a murder in her workplace and she and Devon join together to solve the crime. Devon has just one rule in life and it is "no commitments". Meanwhile, Elle is so beautiful, soft, funny and vulnerable. How will these two cope? Hint: skimpy bikinis and bare chests and hot tubs play a role.
* Regarding the almost, the reason I had to give this perfectly acceptable summer fun read two stars is because Elle's deceased dog, who is cleverly named Angel, appears when Elle is in danger or needs a little guidance. I tried to think of Angel as her subconscious. Nope. I had to let go of that theory because Elle's current live dog Buddha can also see Angel. So now I'm just left scratching my head. I guess Angel is just a dog ghost and I need to deal with it.
This is the first book in what promises to be a series. Will Angel continue to be Elle's guardian angel or will she get phased out? Another concern I have is that old Jessica Fletcher conundrum. How many murders can one person stumble upon? The setting for this one was an exclusive island off the coast of Clearwater, Florida so they may have to move to the mainland but still! I personally have never stumbled across a murder (fingers crossed) nor do I know anyone who has. I can't wait to see how author Shannon Esposito plans to handle these issues. Of course I plan to read the next book, wouldn't you!
This book is a new series called The Paws and Pose Mysteries. As I am sure you have guessed, it has to do with Yoga. But it has a delightful twist, it is actually doga:) I enjoyed this book from the beginning and couldn't put it down. So when you start it make sure you have enough time to finish because you will not want to put it down. I loved how the author got you settled into the main character so quickly. You become drawn to Ella from the start. She is the doga instructor at the Pampered Pup Spa and Resort on the island of Moon Key in the Gulf Coast. It is an island for the rich of the rich only and full of women with pampered pets that have way to much money and time on their hands. Ella is a very down to earth girl but does have anxiety attacks. Her friend at the Pampered Pet Spa and Resort, Bonnie is her go to person when they occur. She really helps her to calm down and do her breathing exercises. Ella comes from the poor side of Clearwater Florida where she grew up with a single mom. Let's just say that her childhood was not picture perfect. Although she does have one good memory of her beloved childhood dog Angel who by the way she still sees once in a while before something is about to happen in her life. Whether that is good or bad is to be seen?? She loves her life and job and is finally looking toward the future when one of her clients is found dead in a pile of Dead Sea mud with her pampered pooch Princess shaking in the corner. Everything starts to go down hill from here for Elle. Her best friend in the world, Holly now has to deal with people thinking her husband is a suspect and of course the whole doga class is a suspect too. The world is spinning out of control. Then she finds out through the grape vine that the women that was killed happened to have a PI looking into her ex husband for some dirt about an affair. This leads Elle to find and meet the PI, Devon Burke. From this point on Ella is determined to help clear her friends husband if it is the last thing she does. This book was so much fun to read. I love the adventure and mystery that take Elle and Devon on a quest to find the truth. Will Elle find a way to help before the killer gets to her first? Or will someone get away with murder on Moon Key? And what will happen if she is taken out of her comfort zone, will she have a full blown anxiety attack or will she find a way to overcome her fears? I can't wait till the next book in this series. I love how the author ended this one, now I want more:)
Great beginning to a new cozy romance series! Pets, beach island setting, cozy murder, and I was hooked! Elle Pressley lives on beautiful Moon Key island, near Florida, where only the very wealthy can afford to live and play. She teaches doga classes---yoga classes where rich women bring their dogs along---to be pampered right beside them at the Pampered Pup Spa and Resort. Seems like paradise until one of the women is found dead in the spa's mudbath room. Unfortunately, Elle's best friend's husband, Ira, a plastic surgeon, is the main suspect, and Elle will do anything to help clear his name---even put herself in grave danger. Devon Burke, a P.I. Elle seeks out, does his best to help Elle find the merciless killer. Elle and Devon's attraction and romance is both tender and sexy. Both have emotional baggage from their pasts; especially Elle. This story moves at a rapid pace, and the suspense builds to a stunner of an ending!! Wow! I was totally caught off guard.
Despite a couple of loose ends left dangling with regard to Devon's past and Elle's mother, I rated this book 4-1/2 Stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to end. Lots of humor, too!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
This was just okay for me. I like the story and the setting. It just did feel like a series kind of story. I felt that the background setting might get oil. I just have way too many books I want to read to put into another series that just doesn't do it for me.
Introducing ‘doggie-yoga’ instructor Elle Pressley, in the first Paws & Pose Mystery – featuring canine cuties, Florida sunshine, a sexy Irish PI . . . and murder most horrid
Doggie-yoga instructor Elle Pressley just wants to teach her classes at Moon Key’s Pampered Pet Spa & Resort in peace and save money to move out of her crazy mother’s house. But when her deceased childhood dog, Angel, shows up, she knows she’s about to be in danger. Sure enough, one of her clients winds up dead, and Elle is pulled head first into the investigation. For the prime suspect is Dr Ira Craft . . . the husband of Elle’s best friend, Hope.
Elle is determined to clear Ira’s name, for Hope’s sake, and she enlists the help of Irish private investigator Devon Burke. But someone is determined to stop Elle from uncovering the truth. And now that Devon’s involved, it’s not just Elle’s life that’s in danger: her heart is too . . .(Amazon)
Review:
This is the first book in the Paws and Pose Mystery series and it is a good one. All of the things that I look for in a cozy mystery are here: romance, animals, mystery, great characters and best friends.
The characters are well developed, well rounded and three dimensional. I thought Elle was a great character, she seemed so real to me. She does not have the best family situation and she suffers from full blown anxiety attacks that she struggles with. This made her seem more human to me and more vulnerable, which I really liked. Devon is a good guy and he tries very hard to always do the right thing. He is suffering from the trauma of losing his parents and that is why he became a private investigator. So neither Elle or Devon have a picture perfect life, but then again, who amongst us does. They were two characters that were very easy to like and want to get to know better. I really enjoyed reading about them and look forward to seeing how their relationship will progress or if it progresses at all. Her best friend, Hope and Hope’s husband, Ira, were also great characters and added a lot to the story.
The mystery is carried on well throughout the book and there were plenty of clues to direct the reader to the truth. There were also enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, which I like in a mystery book. The ending was plausible and well thought out.
I was so excited when I started reading the book because Elle had a visit from her deceased childhood dog, Angel. I thought to myself, “wow, what a great idea, a ghost dog”. I do not recall reading any books where there is a ghost animal involved. There may be books like that but I do not believe I have ever seen this. So I was a little disappointed when Angel only made a few appearances. I thought this was such a great idea and I hope in future books Angel plays a bigger role.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick, easy read. The author is very talented with her descriptive writing and for much of the book I felt like I was right there, watching everything happen all around me. One thing that began to bother me was that fact of how many time Elle thought how “hot” Devon was. I got the concept after reading it a few times, I did not need to keep reading about it. But I will say that this improved in the second half of the book. This is only my opinion and it may not have bothered other readers at all.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I am definitely looking forward to reading more books in the series when they are published and I hope it is a long series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review. I would like to thanks NetGalley and Severn House Publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Faux Pas by Shannon Esposito is the first book in the Paws & Pose mystery series. I found it to be a delightful book and an easy read.
Elle Pressley is from a poor neighborhood in Clearwater, FL She is a complex character with anxiety attacks, self-esteem issues but a big heart that truly wants to help others. She has been practicing yoga for a decade to help herself. With her best friend, Hope's help she got a position as a "doga" instructor at Moon Key's Pampered Pet Spa & Resort. Although still living at home with her mother, she has found a contented life until she has to go home to her mother each night. I liked Elle but I had trouble connecting to her at times in the story. I felt like I was missing a part of her backstory.
Devon Burke is an Irish private investigator on Moon Key. His mom and dad had owned one of the mansions on Moon Key before they died under suspcious circumstances. He has traveled the world as a photographer and never really thought he would ever settle down. Now he's on Moon Key because of his parents death and he will do everything possible to find out what really happened.
One of Elle's client's is murdered and Hope's husband is accused. Elle promises Hope that she will investigate; but since she knows nothing about investigating a murder, she hires Devon to help her. There are little twists and turns as the story moves along. There are some interesting insights into the wealthy and their attitudes toward life, pets and relationships. There is also some very nice romantic scenes between Elle and Devon that give the reader an opportunity to enjoy their developing relationship. The secondary characters do help to move the story along and provide the clues to the murder. The reveal was dramatic,in more ways than one. The end of the story was quite romantic.
A promising start to a new series and I will be looking for more in this series. I was given an ARC from NetGalley and Severn House Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
On the face of it, this shouldn't work. Elle is a Doga (yoga with dogs) teacher in an exclusive resort aimed at the very rich and their pooches. But it does work, And works very well.
There is a death and the victim writes B O in mud. Elle's friend's husband looks to be guilty so Elle and a PI called Devon (and their dogs) attempt to prove his innocence. I'm not sure there would be quite as much exchanging of information between a PI and the police in real life - but hey ho, this is fiction :)
The developing plot works very well alongside the developing romance between Elle and Devon. They are both believable characters and I liked their scenes together very much.
The twist at the end was unexpected (although I had an inkling who it might be at the beginning).
All in all a very enjoyable read with some nice touches. I'll definitely look for the next one in the series when it is published.
I was given an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Great Book! This is a great book; this is the first book in the A Paws and Pose Mystery series by Shannon Esposito. Elle Pressley is a doggie yoga instructor, she just wants to teach her yoga classes at Moon Key’s Pampered Pet Spa & Resort so she can save enough money to move out of her crazy mother’s house. When the ghost of her childhood dog Angel, shows up she knows she is about to be in danger. When one of her clients ends up dead, she is pulled head first into the investigation. She gets the help from Devon Burke the Irish private investigator to help solve the murder. If you are looking for a great mystery that will keep you reading past your bedtime then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this wonderful series. A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
I read most of the glowing reviews for this book and I took a chance and bought not only this one, but the next book in the series, too. Mistake. I was looking for a book that featured some intelligent characters solving a murder. I got a silly Harlequin romance full of vain, shallow women and a "hunky" private detective. The book was full of over-the-top "sexual tension" between the heroine (who has severe mommy issues and panic attacks at the first sign of discord, yet figures she can solve a murder) and the hunky detective who has trauma of his own yet still finds time to "smolder". I skipped through much of the book because it was too silly to read all of it. I finished it only because I paid for it. I don't like writing bad reviews but I have found them helpful. If I'd read a bad review before buying this book, I might have been able to spend my money a little more wisely. If you’re wanting to spend money on a murder mystery where the characters actually try to solve a murder and also have intelligent adult conversation, this is not your book. If you're looking for sexual tension and smolder, you'll definitely find it here.
Fun read, great characters. I love how pets are included as characters. It's set on an exclusive island inhabited by the very rich and the occasional tourist.
Elle Presley is a "Doga" teacher, yoga for dogs and their owners. She is not at all wealthy, but lives and works among them. Her life is full of struggles, not the least of which is the fact that her mother named her Elvis because her last name is Presley and she was a huge fan of the singer. Then she discovers the murdered body of one of the residents.
The story is captivating as Elle works through her hang ups while also trying to prove her best friend's husband is not the killer. She convinced the local private investigator to help her in this endeavor. More problems ensue as this very handsome investigator helps her find the true killer.
Romance, paranoia, comedy, and lovable pets combine to entertain the reader throughout this page turner.
Combine yoga and dogs and you get doga. When Ellie sees her deceased childhood dog shows up she knows something bad is going to happen. She didn't expect to happen to one of her clients at doga. Then when her best friend's husband is accused of the murder she wants to find the killer as she knows he could not have done it.
This book may be for you if you like yoga, dogs, Florida, people who are stuck surrounded by entitled rich people and a predictable plot with some Euro-xotic romance thrown in. But I did find the portrayal of the protagonist's anxiety attacks somewhat compelling.
Elle teaches doga--yoga for wealthy ladies and their dogs--at a high-end spa. When one of her students, a wealthy recent divorcee, dies suddenly, people are all too willing to blame the victim's plastic surgeon Ira, who is married to Elle's best friend. To clear his name, Elle meets with a handsome Irish private detective, who seems very interested in her. Unfortunately, Elle's fear of abandonment and panic attacks are problems in building a relationship. Oh, and everyone has pet dogs, sorry I forgot to mention that, with Elle having not only her real, live pet, but also the ghost of her first dog.
The idea of a yoga class for dogs really appealed to me added to my fondness for ‘Who dunnit ’s made me want to read this book. On the whole it was a fun book with some interesting characters and an original setting. Maybe I’m getting a bit old and cynical but I did find the main characters, “Oh he’s so gorgeous’ stance pretty irritating at times which is possibly why I would give this book three stars. It’s worth a read but not in the top flight- but that’s just my opinion. Thanks to Netgallery for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
Adorable story.... I loved Elle, the main character. She is full of flaws (aren't we all) but is making the most of her life with her sidekick Budda (her rescue pup) They work on an island that allows dogs everywhere & it just sounds like heaven.... except for the murders. Loved this story & can't wait for more in this series. I was given a copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
A fun, fluffy cozy mystery with annoying grammatical errors that should have been edited out (apparently the author doesn't know the difference between "weary" and "wary", for example - this came up several times, along with other errors/typos).
I won't be going back for more. I could barely make it through. An author who doesn't have a good relationship with commas. A main character I never came to believe in.