ARC Review: Buried to the Brim

Title: Buried to the Brim
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Recommended If You Like: dogs, England, romance, dog shows, fun lively characters, clever mysteries

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

The Book:

Scarlett Parker is loving working at their hat shop in London with her cousin Vivian and their friend Fee. When her beloved fiancee Harrison comes to the shop with his Aunt Betty, who is seeking matching hats for her and her dog Freddy, Scarlett suddenly finds herself drawn into the competitive and intense world of dog shows. When a murder occurs, Scarlett must save the day in more ways than one.

What I Liked:

This is such a fun cozy mystery! Scarlett is a great main character, tenacious and smart, and her relationship with Harrison is absolutely adorable. The supporting characters are unique and full of life themselves, not just there as background props-and two even have a developing romance that I was really rooting for. The group reads as this wonderful, quirky, always there for each other family that I couldn't help but love.

I loved the dog show setting as well. I'm a dog mom, and reading about all the adorable dogs and the fascinating aspects of a competitive dog show drew me even more into the story.

The mystery was a clever one, and I did not see the solution coming, which is always fun for me.

Anything I Didn't Like?

Really, there wasn't anything not to like about this fun, light read.

So...?

This book has me wanting to go back and read the rest of the series, which to me is always a very positive sign!

ARC Review: The Tenant

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

I liked this book, mostly.

I almost gave up reading it multiple times in the beginning, but something made me think it was worth continuing.

The idea of a killer basing his murder(s) off a novel has always been a fictional trope that I've found interesting to read, so maybe it was knowing this was part of the story that kept me reading. Maybe it was that, despite the slow start to the book, it still seemed like everything was building to something worth finding out.

About a quarter of the way in, something clicked for me and it felt like things were picking up. The two main detectives have a strange, strained, yet affectionate relationship that feels real, and they are  smart and determined despite how lackadaisical they may sometimes come across as. The case they are trying to solve-the brutal murder of a young woman, in an apartment building owned by an older woman, who is writing a mystery novel the murder was seemingly based off-is a unique one with high stakes. And the unexpected multitudes of ways the pasts of the characters come into play made for some highly unexpected twists and turns.

So my final verdict? To be honest, I don't see a need for anyone to run out and grab a copy of this book to read. That said, if you happen to have a copy, or come across a copy, give it a try. If you can make it through the slow start, you might just find a mystery you need to know the answer to.