121 books
—
46 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Reserved for Murder (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #2)” as Want to Read:
Reserved for Murder
(Booklovers B&B Mysteries #2)
by
More bloodshed at a bibliophiles' bed-and-breakfast as Victoria Gilbert's delightful series continues.
Meeting your favorite author in the flesh can be the chance of a lifetime. But for one unlucky fan, her plum place in line at a book signing will lead to her untimely demise.
Beaufort, North Carolina, is home to Chapters Bed and Breakfast, owned and operated by former schoo ...more
Meeting your favorite author in the flesh can be the chance of a lifetime. But for one unlucky fan, her plum place in line at a book signing will lead to her untimely demise.
Beaufort, North Carolina, is home to Chapters Bed and Breakfast, owned and operated by former schoo ...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 336 pages
Expected publication:
June 8th 2021
by Crooked Lane Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Reserved for Murder,
please sign up.
Be the first to ask a question about Reserved for Murder
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of Reserved for Murder (Booklovers B&B Mysteries #2)
I highly anticipated reading Reserved for Murder because of how much I enjoyed the first book in the series. But I was disappointed. Charlotte owner of Chapters Bed and Breakfast was welcoming a new author to spend the weekend there with three of her biggest fans.to have one of her fans murdered was an exciting plot.
But the subplot was dull and not as exciting with Charlotte's ex-spy neighbor being involed
In espionage and bringing another innocent friend into it was not exciting.Bringing in a n ...more
But the subplot was dull and not as exciting with Charlotte's ex-spy neighbor being involed
In espionage and bringing another innocent friend into it was not exciting.Bringing in a n ...more
Checked in for another author visit at Chapters B&B, but things go awry when an attendee gets snuffed out leaving Charlotte wondering if she was once again sleeping with a murderer under her roof! The characters are rich in personality and well developed to add flavor to a well thought our plot wrought with potential suspects. This cozy mystery will keep you entertained for hours as you gleefully devour the pages to see who did it and what is in store for the characters! I absolutely must put th
...more
Drinking game: take a shot every time someone says "he/she softened their tone."
From the synopsis of Reserved For Murder, I was really excited to start reading it! A BnB, and bookstore sounds like the perfect setting for a mystery!! One problem I had with this book is that the story was dominantly the characters speaking. There needed to be more 'showing'. Everything was being explained and I found it frustrating because the I can-along with every other reader, can read between the lines and un ...more
From the synopsis of Reserved For Murder, I was really excited to start reading it! A BnB, and bookstore sounds like the perfect setting for a mystery!! One problem I had with this book is that the story was dominantly the characters speaking. There needed to be more 'showing'. Everything was being explained and I found it frustrating because the I can-along with every other reader, can read between the lines and un ...more
2 1/2 stars. A solid mystery based on the cut-throat writing and publishing industry. It was interesting to see fanfiction being mentioned as a factor in writing and publishing. I enjoyed the characters.
However, the subplot involving spies and a short-lived love affair decades ago seemed far-fetched. Also, I didn’t like how some characters voiced that a stalker ex-husband really loved his wife when he attempted to find out who killed her. So what. That doesn’t diminish the terror and danger of p ...more
However, the subplot involving spies and a short-lived love affair decades ago seemed far-fetched. Also, I didn’t like how some characters voiced that a stalker ex-husband really loved his wife when he attempted to find out who killed her. So what. That doesn’t diminish the terror and danger of p ...more
I think the premise and the plot of the book were quite intriguing, but overall it fell flat for me. Much of the story was moved along via dialog, and I think it would have benefited from some more world building. I received a free ARC from NetGalley.
A lovely B&B, a woman looking for a new start after tragedy, a senior retired CIA operative and her adorable Yorkie , a decades old case of spy intrigue , a handsome mystery man and a present day murder are not quite what Charlotte Reed had in mind for a new quiet life. Now, she and her friend Ellen and Yorkie Shandy are in the middle of a romance author's murder!
What a great book! So many things to like - Charlotte who is. a relatable main character, quirky and likable supporting characters, a ...more
What a great book! So many things to like - Charlotte who is. a relatable main character, quirky and likable supporting characters, a ...more
I honestly couldn’t put this book down. What a whirlwind story, beginning with a wonderful stay at the lovely Chapters, and of course, ending in murder.
There’s nothing I love more than reading a well written book filled with colorful characters who always make me smile.
I’m anxious to see what will happen next.
There’s nothing I love more than reading a well written book filled with colorful characters who always make me smile.
I’m anxious to see what will happen next.
r/suggestmeabook: I want a cozy mystery steeped in publishing and fandom focused on solving a murder.
First, let’s get the disclosure out of the way: I didn’t read the first book, so some of my issues might be solved by reading it. But it won’t cure all the ills I perceive in this cozy mystery.
tldr: Flat characterization; tell, don’t show; hard-to-swallow situations
Victoria Gilbert has posed a good puzzle. Most of the clues are there at the beginning, although the key clue isn’t given until towar ...more
First, let’s get the disclosure out of the way: I didn’t read the first book, so some of my issues might be solved by reading it. But it won’t cure all the ills I perceive in this cozy mystery.
tldr: Flat characterization; tell, don’t show; hard-to-swallow situations
Victoria Gilbert has posed a good puzzle. Most of the clues are there at the beginning, although the key clue isn’t given until towar ...more
Amanda Nobel is a bestselling author of romantic fantasy series turned into a hit TV series. She has scheduled a stop of her book tour at Chapters, a B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina that is run by Charlotte Reed. Amanda is also staying at the B&B along with Tony, a manager from her publisher and three winners of a contest for her fans. One of them, Lisette is the head of the Amanda Nobel fan club. Molly, another guest, is known to Damien from high school as a woman with a bad temper. The third g
...more
Reserved for Murder is the second in Victoria Gilbert's charming Booklovers B&B series, set at the Chapters B&B in Beaufort, North Carolina. Owner Charlotte Reed is a hosting popular author who is queen of the historical romance scene , but when another of the guests, who happens to be not just head of her fan club, but also secretly the ghost writer for the latest instalment of her best selling series, winds up dead, the hunt for a killer begins. It seems like there are plenty of people with a
...more
I was given a free e-copy of this novel by Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
I have not read anything by Victoria Gilbert before, and this is the second of her Booklovers B&B Mysteries series.
Charlotte Reed is the owner of Chapters Bed and Breakfast in Beaufort, North Carolina. She agrees to host a famous author, who is trying to also relax, and three of her "super" fans while the author is on a book tour. However, things go awry when the president of the author's fan club is found de ...more
I have not read anything by Victoria Gilbert before, and this is the second of her Booklovers B&B Mysteries series.
Charlotte Reed is the owner of Chapters Bed and Breakfast in Beaufort, North Carolina. She agrees to host a famous author, who is trying to also relax, and three of her "super" fans while the author is on a book tour. However, things go awry when the president of the author's fan club is found de ...more
Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert
After reading the publishers blurb and seeing that this book takes place in Beaufort NC, one of my favorite places to visit and it’s only about 2 hours away, I had to read this book. Set in the beautiful old money part of NC sits a bed and breakfast that was built in the 18th century and owned by a former teacher Charlotte Reed.. There are usually many people who love to read booking rooms there due to the many events planned throughout the summer that brin ...more
After reading the publishers blurb and seeing that this book takes place in Beaufort NC, one of my favorite places to visit and it’s only about 2 hours away, I had to read this book. Set in the beautiful old money part of NC sits a bed and breakfast that was built in the 18th century and owned by a former teacher Charlotte Reed.. There are usually many people who love to read booking rooms there due to the many events planned throughout the summer that brin ...more
I had high hopes for this book- a book-themed B&B, an author's retreat, a fun coastal town, murder, nosy neighbors... It had the all of the elements to make a great cozy mystery. Unfortunately, the story fell flat for me.
The author writes books similar to the Outlander series, and our protagonist Charlotte, along with several of her book club members, mention several times that they don't care for romance novels. It's always said in a way that feels a bit snooty and judgemental, as though roman ...more
The author writes books similar to the Outlander series, and our protagonist Charlotte, along with several of her book club members, mention several times that they don't care for romance novels. It's always said in a way that feels a bit snooty and judgemental, as though roman ...more
I think I've read all of Gilbert's mysteries and I think this one was my favorite so far. This book involved a famous writer visiting Chapters. Charlotte puts on a retreat of sorts where the author, Amanda, does an event, attended by several fan club members as well as many locals. Unfortunately one of the fan club members ends up dead and it's up to Charlotte, Ellen, and Ellen's "cousin" Gavin, to solve the mystery.
The previous book in the series didn't really have anything to do with books and ...more
The previous book in the series didn't really have anything to do with books and ...more
Jan 25, 2021
K.T. Egan
added it
Definitely a cozy mystery for a cold day.
Rating: 3/5
Reserved for Murder is the second book in the Booklovers B&B Mysteries series, and the first I've read from Victoria Gilbert. It was a quick, cozy mystery about a book themed B&B, ex-spies (?) and the cut throat world of publishing. I enjoyed the overall plot, but found a lot of characters (especially our main character) to be really... dry. And I found it hard to believe that some of the subplots were actually meant to be a part of the book, ...more
Rating: 3/5
Reserved for Murder is the second book in the Booklovers B&B Mysteries series, and the first I've read from Victoria Gilbert. It was a quick, cozy mystery about a book themed B&B, ex-spies (?) and the cut throat world of publishing. I enjoyed the overall plot, but found a lot of characters (especially our main character) to be really... dry. And I found it hard to believe that some of the subplots were actually meant to be a part of the book, ...more
Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of RESERVED FOR MURDER (Book 2 of A Book Lover’s B&B Murder Mysteries) by Victoria Gilbert in exchange for an honest review. In Beaufort, North Carolina, Charlotte Reed continues to offer special book-related events at Chapters Bed and Breakfast. This time, one of the most successful romantic adventure authors his hosting some of her fans at the B&B on the eve of her newest book tour, which will commence with a book signing at the local bookstore. When o
...more
Tana French, the wonderful author of the Dublin Murder books, recently said she is reading a lot of Agatha Christie these days, because she likes to know that the bad guys will be caught and all will be right with the world by the end of the book. This is how felt about Reserved for Murder. (Not that I'm comparing it to the great Queen of Crime, very few come close) but you kind of know that by the end of the book all will be well with minimal blood spilt.
But that's about it. Overall, this was ...more
But that's about it. Overall, this was ...more
Reserved for Murder is the 2nd in the Book Lovers B&B Mystery series, though it is the first book I have read by Victoria Gilbert. The setting is a book themed B&B named Chapters, in Beaufort, North Carolina . Charlotte, the owner, has booked a well known romance author and her fans for a book talk as part of the author's book tour. Emotions run high as the book discussion turns to ghost writing, historical accuracy, and fan fiction. It is after the explosive talk that the murder occurs. Added t
...more
A popular author is hosting a week-long retreat for herself and three fans at Chapters. While the author is doing for her Romance series, murder seems to be the theme of the week when one of the three fans who are spending the week with her is murdered. Charlotte and her neighbor Ellen are on the case and it turns out Ellen’s cousin has plans of his own as well.
With a slew of suspects, the ladies have their hands full trying to narrow it down to who had motive, means and opportunity. Slowly and ...more
With a slew of suspects, the ladies have their hands full trying to narrow it down to who had motive, means and opportunity. Slowly and ...more
Whilst this is the 2nd book in the series, it is the first time I’ve read anything written by this Author. Despite not reading the first book, it was easy enough to pick up the back story of the characters and place that they lived in.
This story had the makings of a great mystery, a quaint and quirky inn, interesting characters, a delightful small town with history, ex spies and enough characters with plausible motives. The story itself had a good premise that a famous Author is visiting on a sp ...more
This story had the makings of a great mystery, a quaint and quirky inn, interesting characters, a delightful small town with history, ex spies and enough characters with plausible motives. The story itself had a good premise that a famous Author is visiting on a sp ...more
A Booklovers B&B Mystery #2
Chapters Bed and Breakfast in Beaufort, North Carolina is owned by a former teacher, Charlotte Reed. The lovely old home is a draw for those who love to read and attend her special events with authors.
The author in question really wants nothing but some downtime but has agreed to a tea and a few small functions with a few of her fans who won a contest to meet her.
But when they all arrive Charlotte’s senses are tingling. Something isn’t quite right. And when the preside ...more
Chapters Bed and Breakfast in Beaufort, North Carolina is owned by a former teacher, Charlotte Reed. The lovely old home is a draw for those who love to read and attend her special events with authors.
The author in question really wants nothing but some downtime but has agreed to a tea and a few small functions with a few of her fans who won a contest to meet her.
But when they all arrive Charlotte’s senses are tingling. Something isn’t quite right. And when the preside ...more
Having enjoyed the first book in this series I was looking forward to this one. Overall I felt that it was just okay as if the author didn't really put a whole lot of effort into it. It was one of those books that I would look up in a few months and not remember if I had read it or not. There was nothing particularly engaging about the story line. It was fine if you want a story to be just mindless entertainment for a few hours. My main issue with the book was that the author gave one character
...more
Charlotte Reed inherited a B&B from her great aunt . The name of the guest house is Chapters and it has a library and hosts literary events , an author Amanda Nobel comes to visit with three of her avid fans. A murder occurs and Charlotte begins to investigate.
I had not read the initial book in the series, but did not find this an issue . All the aspects of this story, the book themed B&B and a cosy mystery / murder really appealed to me. Unfortunately I found it very lack lustre and missing som ...more
I had not read the initial book in the series, but did not find this an issue . All the aspects of this story, the book themed B&B and a cosy mystery / murder really appealed to me. Unfortunately I found it very lack lustre and missing som ...more
cozy mystery, murder investigation, Bed and Breakfast, widow, amateur sleuth, friendship, family dynamics, small business, small town, North Carolina, author, fans, retired spies****
The murder mystery centers on an author's book signing at the B&B and one fan's appropriation of things. The other mystery relates to past espionage by both Charlotte's deceased aunt and her current neighbor. The sleuthing on both counts was pretty good as was the character development, but something present in the f ...more
The murder mystery centers on an author's book signing at the B&B and one fan's appropriation of things. The other mystery relates to past espionage by both Charlotte's deceased aunt and her current neighbor. The sleuthing on both counts was pretty good as was the character development, but something present in the f ...more
This was a cozy mystery set at a B&B where an author was visiting to meet some of her fans, but one of them had sinister intentions. But, with more than one spy available, can Charlotte Reed find the truth before bodies start to fall?
The characters were intriguing, and the plot was good. The romantic undercurrent was interesting. The problem with the plot was that the main clue was not shown until the end of the book, which frustrated me because I always try to figure out whodunnit. Also, the pa ...more
The characters were intriguing, and the plot was good. The romantic undercurrent was interesting. The problem with the plot was that the main clue was not shown until the end of the book, which frustrated me because I always try to figure out whodunnit. Also, the pa ...more
I'm in between on my feelings towards Reserved for Murder. It was nice to be back with Charlotte & her neighbors, but something was just a bit "off". The story moves along just fine, the murderer is revealed at the end (perfect, so as to not have to read a story knowing the entire time who it was). The characters just seemed to be a bit at each other, disjointed in a way. I'm hoping Ms. Gilbert is not being pushed along as the author in the story was! A new interest in Charlotte's life will add
...more
Back to Chapters B&B, where Charlotte has an event involving a romance author and 3 die hard fans. When one fan is found dead, everyone is a suspect and Charlotte and her trusty neighbor Ellen investigate. There is a secondary storyline involving Ellen which also brings a romantic option into Charlotte’s life. But overall, the main mystery seemed less interesting than Book 1 and I was able to figure out the main suspect halfway through. It’s a nice cozy mystery but it didn’t wow me like I hoped.
...more
Good enough to finish, but unmemorable. The same problems I mentioned in my review of the first book continue here. Unengaging characters and the use of over the top, as in strange, elements. A new, probably re-occurring, character gets introduced and the reason for him being there is really implausible and he doesn't add much. Charlotte's helping the police the way she does is off the charts, though a bit acceptable in a mystery, yet they don't seem to do anything but mop up.
I'm going to call i ...more
I'm going to call i ...more
in this story Charlotte is hosting an author and some of her fans. her neighbor Ellen has a visitor but is he who they say he is. lots of mystery. then one of the fans is killed but by who? this is a well written story , the romance author says she wants to write other types of book but does she , then they find out that there was a ghost writer and then the guy in charge of her tours is quitting . what new info does Charlotte find out about her aunt that passed? if you like mystery and intrigue
...more
Jan 19, 2021
Nicki
marked it as to-read
A good clever murder mystery in a small town. I thought the story was great! Clever names for the B&B and the book store. Nice steady pace to the story. Police are part of the story so there isn't the idea of beating the police to the answer that is so often a part of cozy mysteries. The author is nice but a bit quiet. She needs a break from the book tour. Her publicist is not likable. Charlotte makes a good main character. She is likable, personable, calm and steady. Ellen and Gavin added inter
...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Readers also enjoyed
Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountain, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian.
When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.
Victoria is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of Ameri ...more
When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and some very spoiled cats.
Victoria is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of Ameri ...more
Other books in the series
Booklovers B&B Mysteries
(2 books)
News & Interviews
Happy Women's History Month! One of the undisputedly good things about modern scholarship is that women’s history is finally getting its due....
73 likes · 11 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
