Cozy Mystery Book Review of Mrs. Morris and the Ghost (A Salem B&B Mystery #1) by Traci Wilton

Title: Mrs. Morris and the Ghost (A Salem B&B Mystery #1) 

Author: Traci Wilton

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source: Netgalley

Reviewed by: Laurie

Rating: 4

Charlene Morris knew Salem, Massachusetts had a spooky reputation. But when she decided to open her B&B there, she expected guests--not ghosts...

A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start--so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore--and explains that he used to live here--when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won't be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting houseguest out of the way, she'll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her . . .

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost grabs you right from the first page and will leave you in shock when you find out who done it just before the end.

Charlene moved into a home full of surprises. One surprise is the resident hot ghost of course, and the second surprise, she finds a new cat, which Charlene is not a total cat lover so this becomes interesting as she tries to solve a murder to get the ghost out and deal with a cat she doesn’t want.

The only downside to the story for me was it seemed like every man and ghost was hot after Charlene so by the middle of the story, it was on my last nerve. Other than that this is a good read that will leave you wanting more. 

Book review of How to Create Your Website: For Writers and Other Clueless Souls (Book 3 in Self-Publishing Made Easy) by Mateja Klaric

Title: How to Create Your Website: For Writers and Other Clueless Souls (Book 3 in Self-Publishing Made Easy) 

Author: Mateja Klaric

Source: NetGalley

Genre: computer technology, 
Reviewed by: Laurie 
Rating: 4

Dealing with things such as website hosting and finding the best platform for setting up your website can be a daunting and overwhelming task. This book will show you how to navigate the world of websites, domains, emails, hosting services, and SEO* fast, easy, and at the lowest cost. It will also help you avoid many pitfalls so that you'll be able to make your website secure and cost-efficient.

*Don't know what SEO is? Then that's yet another reason why you need this book!

This is a good book for those that are clueless and want to start a website. The only downside is I wished the author would have covered a large range of free websites such as blogger. I have had a blogger for years and by first looks, you cannot tell is a blog, other than that she covers a few different providers for a website so you should be able to find one to fit your bill.

This book will get you started on SEO, but there is a deeper level for SEO for authors and all other kinds of business out there so make sure you keep digging and learning SEO after you get the hang of the simple steps this book can give you. If you can get your SEO right when anyone is searching for an item that you have to offer your website will be on the first pages of searches.

This book is very detailed so anyone will be able to understand and follow the author’s steps.  

I recommend this book to any aspiring author, aspiring blogger or new handmade sellers.

Cookbook review of Char-Broil Grilling for the Family: 300 Delicious Recipes to Satisfy Every Member of the Family by Editors of Creative Homeowner

Title: Char-Broil Grilling for the Family: 300 Delicious Recipes to Satisfy Every Member of the Family 

Author: Editors of Creative Homeowner

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cookbook

Reviewed by Laurie

Rating: 4

Let's Get Everybody Together for a Family Grilling Fiesta!

The best part of grilling is the shared experience of cooking and eating great food. Welcome to the definitive cookbook and how-to guide for memorable outdoor family meals, packed with recipes from America's favorite grill brand. Inside you'll find 300 mouth-watering ideas for delicious appetizers, main courses, salads, vegetables, and even desserts, all with easy step-by-step instructions and color photos. We've made sure to include plenty of suggestions on ways to include everyone in the family--from the youngest to oldest--when making a grilled feast.

- 300 flavorful new recipes for epic family cookouts.
- Backyard cooking tips for perfect hamburgers, drumsticks, kebabs, steaks, chops, ribs, fajitas, wings, sliders, skewers and more.
- 47 ways to use The Big Easy(R) for delicious fried turkey, rotisserie chicken, BBQ pork, roast beef and grilled vegetables.
- Tips on getting the kids involved with simple child-friendly tasks that they can do to help.

It’s that time of the year where we get our grills out and start cooking and you know you need a cookbook to help you with that right? LOL.

Char-Broil Grilling for the Family feathers over 300 recipes that will help you be the master griller with recipes for drinks, breakfast foods, meats, seafood, vegetables, salads, desserts and of course, great marinades, sauces, and rubs that will help you this summer and beyond.

The starting of the book gives you inside on different types of gills, woods to use, tools, and much more to help you make the most of your grilling. What I really liked best was the heating and temperature setting for different methods of grilling.

I would have given this book a 5 rating, but the images seem very generic for the time they spent on the recipes, but it could be because I have an ARC copy.

Cookbook review of The Keto All Day Cookbook: More Than 100 Low-Carb Recipes That Let You Stay Keto for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner by Martina Šlajerová

Title: The Keto All Day Cookbook: More Than 100 Low-Carb Recipes That Let You Stay Keto for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner  
Author: Martina Šlajerová
Genre: Cookbook
Source: Netgalley
Reviewed by Laurie
Rating: 4

In The Keto All Day Cookbook, best-selling author and creator of the KetoDiet blog Martina Slajerova compiles her best recipes for every meal of the day (even snacks)—plus 17 new ones, accompanied by nearly 40 gorgeous new photos—to help you stay the keto course, deliciously!

Keto is the top-trending supportive diet. Bolstering its reputation is research that strongly suggests that a keto diet may help reverse diabetes, obesity, cancer, and the effects of aging. However, in order to reap the benefits, you need to stick to the keto plan at every meal. That can be challenging when eating breakfast during your commute or figuring out what to eat for dinner after a long day. And what to do about lunch? Especially when your lunch "hour" maybe 10 minutes at your desk. With Keto All Day you won't be tempted to blow your keto diet on a carb-filled snack or a processed convenience meal simply because you are tired, rushed, or just don't know what to prepare.

Enjoy tasty, flavorful recipes for snacks and meals, such Breakfast Egg Muffins, Pizza Waffles, Carrot Cake Oatmeal, Southern Duck Deviled Eggs, Eggplant Parma Ham Rolls, and Taco Frittata. Keto All Day even has recipes for delicious drinks and desserts, including Cookie Dough Mousse, Boston Cream Pie, and Raspberry Lime Electrolyte Cooler.

Reap the benefits of the amazing keto diet in a delicious way with Keto All Day.

After watching the video on Netflix about the Keto diet, I wanted to see how easy or hard it was to live off of this diet, I must say even as easy as this cookbook gave instructions, there is no way, I could do it daily. I guess I am a huge grain eater. LOL

Martina Slajerova knows how to make recipes easy to read and follow, each recipe is very detailed and explained very easy, so anyone could follow and the book has great pictures.

Now, as for the diet itself, there are ingredients in here I have never heard of or even seen before in my lifetime and that is saying something because I have always used harder recipes with ingredients that made me Google or look up in books, but quite a few of these are just really questionable. I am sure Amazon has every ingredient that is offered in this cookbook, but the thing is I am not an online grocery shopper so if my local Kroger doesn’t carry the ingredient then it’s a no go for me and some of these ingredients are not at my local market.

I would definitely recommend this for experienced Keto cooks.

Cozy Mystery book Review for Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village Mystery #4) by Carlene O'Connor

Title: Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village Mystery #4) 

Author: Carlene O'Connor 

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Length: Novel

Reviewed by Laurie

Rating: 4

When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O'Sullivan’s quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of Hangman . . .

In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi’s Bistro, managed by the many siblings of the lively O'Sullivan brood. For a pint or a game of darts—or for the poker tournament that's just come to town—it’s the pub you want.

One player’s reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley’s fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death.

With conflicting theories on the crime—not to mention the possibility of a proposal—tensions are running high between Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game . . .

New author and series to me and I enjoy the story and mystery, it kept me guessing all the way.

I also, enjoyed how clean this book was of cussing and I how the author used terms real Ireland people would use today it made me feel as if I was right there.

What I would have loved to read more of is setting descriptions and a bit of background of the characters even though it can become respective to the people who have read the series but to those of us who just randomly pick a book up, it helps to keep a bit on track of who is who and what they are doing even though it is respective to some. So, if you haven’t picked up this series I would suggest starting with book one to make sure you don’t get lost like I did a few times.

Now, I need to go pick up book one so I can get all the happens, of who is who from the beginning. 

Cozy Mystery review: Dead as a Door Knocker (House-Flipper Mystery #1) by Diane Kelly

Title: Dead as a Door Knocker (House-Flipper Mystery #1) 

Author: Diane Kelly 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source: Netgalley

Length: Novel

Reviewed by: Laurie

Rating: 

The first in a brand-new cozy series from Diane Kelly set in Nashville—where the real estate market is to die for.

WILL THIS KILLER DEAL LEAD TO A DEAD END?
Meet Whitney Whitaker. A hopeless romantic when it comes to real estate, she knows what it takes to find—and flip—the home of one’s dreams. A fixer-upper is like catnip to Whitney: she can’t resist the challenge of turning an eyesore into a priceless work of art. So when one of her clients decides to liquidate a crumbling property, Whitney seizes the opportunity to purchase it for a song. But soon a curious incident of the cat in the night-time leads to a change in tune. . .

Sawdust is the name of Whitney’s cat—of course. Whitney’s passion for gut-renovation may be a mystery to him but one thing Sawdust knows for sure is this: Dead bodies don’t belong in flower beds. So why is there one in this new, albeit old, house? Now it’s up to Whitney, along with the help of hot-and-cold Nashville Police Detective Collin Flynn, to find the truth about what happened before the mortgage property forecloses and Whitney loses her investment. . .and maybe her own life.

Living 20 minutes east of Nashville, I had to try this series, and while it had a slow beginning for me, it did not disappoint very solid mystery.

This is the first mystery I read where you have to wait for a few chapters before the murder happens and I think this is why I felt it being slow, but during that time you get to know more about the characters so while I did enjoy it I was still waiting and waiting for the murder to happen. LOL

Things I really enjoyed, Sawdust personal chapters and yes, the cat has his own mini-chapters so cute, the story settings, characters and since I was never able to guess who done it, I will be on needles waiting for the next murder to happen in Nashville so I can see Whitney in action again. 

Cozy Mystery review of Deceased and Desist (A Tallie Graver Mystery #3) by Misty Simon

Title: Deceased and Desist (A Tallie Graver Mystery #3) 

Author: Misty Simon

Source:Netgalley 

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Length: Novel

Rating:4

Reviewed by: Laurie 

Window of opportunity . . .

Most housecleaners don’t do windows, but Tallie Graver loves leaving a pane of glass streak-free and sparkling. After a dirty divorce from a filthy-rich jerk, she's started her own cleaning business to make ends meet. On her latest job, prepping a renovated bed and breakfast for a grand re-opening, she's standing outside on a ladder, wiping off a grimy pane, when she spies a man on a bed through the glass. But the B&B isn't open for business yet—and the man's not sleeping. Her family owns the Graver Funeral Home, so Tallie knows a corpse when she sees one.

The victim is a shady building inspector with a reputation for handing out passing grades for a greased palm. With the local police resistant, Tallie launches her own investigation, before she gets a rep as a town crank. But it's going to take more than a squirt bottle and a squeegee to clean up this mess. With the help of her gal pal Gina, Tallie searches for a killer's motive. But she'd better be careful, or it'll be curtains for this window cleaner . . .

My first book by this author and I really liked it, it was a bit different read to me as in I have never read a cleaning lady sleuth before so it was quite enjoyable. I liked Tallie she didn’t let anyone stop her from doing what she does best snooping and finding the murder. The author kept me guessing all the way so kudos to her on creating a great mystery.

The only downside is a few of the characters in the story really seems to pick on Tillie and her getting involved with this being the third book this leaves me to wonder if they don’t do it all the time and if they do, this would get my goat.  

This being my first book from the series I never found I was missing anything important enough to have to go back and read the first of the series. 

Cookbook review of Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes for One-Pan Meals for Any Time of the Day by Lucy Vaserfirer

Title: Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook: More Than 150 Recipes for One-Pan Meals for Any Time of the Day  

Author:Lucy Vaserfirer

Source:Netgalley

Genre: Cooking

Rating:4

Reviewed by: Laurie  

The cast-iron renaissance is heating up, and Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook is here to show you how to make the most of these great pans!

Modern cooks are realizing that grandma's had it right when she cooked with the big cast iron skillet. Cast iron has the incredible ability to spread heat quickly and evenly to create a crispy, seared surface that locks in freshness and flavor.

Author Lucy Vaserfirer knows how to work magic on cast iron, and in Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook she shows you how to prepare more than 150 recipes that are definitely not the kind of fares your grandmother cooked up. You'll get to see how to cook up vegetables (something previously thought to not be possible on cast iron); see how cast iron is the perfect vessel for cooking all types of fish and shellfish; and even how you can use your skillet for baking.

Not Your Mother's Cast Iron Skillet Cookbook is loaded with recipes that keep up with specialty diets like paleo and no meat, and even includes unique ways to bring your cast iron directly to the table as a serving vessel. So don't wait, just because your grandmother swore by her cast iron doesn't mean it's boring!

This book works for great for a beginner and an advance cast-iron cook. The first part of the book introduces you to how to care and use your cast-iron then comes the great recipes from breakfast to dessert this cookbook will give you a recipe for every meal.

Let me just say the biscuit recipe alone is totally worth the kindle price that is how amazing they were. I am not a newbie to cast-iron and have backed several different recipes of biscuits in my cast-iron but nothing like the amazing taste of these.  

Recipes are easy to follow the only downside to the books was it just needed more pictures of the finished products. 

Cozy mystery review of Death and Daisies (A Magic Garden Mystery #2) by Amanda Flower

Title: Death and Daisies (A Magic Garden Mystery #2) 

Author: Amanda Flower

Genre: Cozy Mystery 

Length: Novel

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Laurie

Rating: 4  

Florist Fiona Knox left behind her gloomy life for a magical garden in Scotland, but a murder on her shop’s opening day spells doom.

Fiona Knox thought she was pulling her life back together when she inherited her godfather’s cottage in Duncreigan, Scotland—complete with a magical walled garden. But the erstwhile Tennessee flower shop owner promptly found herself puddle boot-deep in danger when she found a dead body among the glimmering blossoms. One police investigation later (made a trifle less unpleasant by the presence of handsome Chief Inspector Neil Craig), and Fiona’s life is getting back on a steady, though bewitched, track. Her sister Isla has just moved in with her, and the grand opening of her new spellbound venture, the Climbing Rose Flower Shop in Aberdeenshire, is imminent.

But dark, ensorcelled clouds are gathering to douse Fiona’s newly sunny outlook. First, imperious parish minister Quaid MacCullen makes it undeniably clear that he would be happy to send Fiona back to Tennessee. Then, a horrific lightning storm, rife with terribly omen, threatens to tear apart the elderly cottage and sends Fi and Isla cowering under their beds. The storm passes, but then, Fi is called away from the Climbing Rose’s opening soiree when Kipling, the tiny village’s weak-kneed volunteer police chief, finds a dead body on the beach.

The body proves difficult to identify, but Kipling is certain it’s that of the parish minister. Which makes Fiona, MacCullen’s new nemesis, a suspect. And what’s worse, Isla has seemed bewitched as of late…did she do something unspeakable to protect her sister? The last thing Fiona wanted to do was play detective again. But now, the rosy future she’d envisioned is going to seed, and if she and Craig can’t clear her name, her idyllic life will wilt away in Death and Daisies, national bestselling author Amanda Flower’s second enchanting Magic Garden mystery.

I enjoy the mystery sounding the minister’s death and Fi’s sister being added in the story brought a good hominess to Fi and I enjoyed her continued love interest with the chief inspector, they seem so great together, but I missed the whimsical elements that were in the first book surrounding the garden. You do get a few clues about the mystery of garden in this instilment but the garden was not center of the mystery as it is in the first book.

All, in all, the story is very entertaining I just missed reading and learning more about the garden and the magic it holds in the town and I look forward to the next installment.

Cozy Mystery review of Premeditated Peppermint (Amish Candy Shop Mystery #3) by Amanda Flower

Title: Premeditated Peppermint (Amish Candy Shop Mystery #3) 

Author: Amanda Flower 

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Length: Novel

Rating: 4

Reviewed by Laurie 

Someone’s sweet on revenge . . .

Christmas is Bailey King’s favorite time of year. For her first Yuletide in Harvest, Ohio, the former big-city chocolatier is recreating a cherished holiday treat: peppermint combined with molten white chocolate. But her sugar high plummets when her former boyfriend walks into the candy shop she now runs with her Amish grandmother. New York celebrity chef Eric Sharp and his TV crew have arrived to film an authentic Amish Christmas. Bailey’s not about to let her beloved town—and Swissmen Sweets—be turned into a sound bite. Unfortunately, she gets more publicity than she bargained for when Eric’s executive producer is found strangled to death—and Eric’s the prime suspect.

With Bailey’s sheriff deputy boyfriend out to prove Eric’s guilt, her bad-boy ex tries to sweet-talk her into helping him clear his name . . . and rekindle their romance to boost ratings for his show. Now, between a surplus of suspects and a victim who wasn’t who she seemed, Bailey’s edging dangerously close to a killer who isn’t looking to bring joy to the world—or to Bailey—this deadly Noel . . .

Amish Candy Shop Mystery has become one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series I love the characters and settings.

Amanda Flower is a very talented author. You don’t find many authors that can create different worlds and different characters in different series. Most of the time when you read different series by the same author you’ll read either the same likeness of characters or somehow the storyline will feel like you’ve read it before. This is one reason I love reading books by Amanda Flower because you don’t feel like you read the same book or characters before.

So far, this story is my favorite book in the series, the twist and turns in this mystery had me coming back for more until I was done and shocked as to who done it. Bailey relationship picks up more as she and Aiden get close, but with Bailey’s new job offer we are left with a lot of questions as what is going to happen next, which leaves me with I can’t wait for the next installment. 

Health and fitness reference book review of The Healing Powers of Superfoods by Cal Orey

 

Title: The Healing Powers of Superfoods
Author: Cal Orey
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Health and fitness 
Length: NoveL
Rating: 4
Reviewed by: Laurie 

Did you know the keys to a long life and vibrant good health can be found on the shelves of your local supermarket?

Apples, leafy greens, shellfish, yogurt--even ice cream and pasta. The latest scientific studies reveal that many of the classic foods you've always loved are superfoods that can supercharge your health! Not only are they delicious, they're affordable--plus these essential farm-to-table favorites can work with any diet plan, from the balanced Mediterranean Diet to the hunter-gatherer Paleo plan.

With over 50 recipes for both cooked and raw dishes, including smoothies and soups, a detox juice fast and a jump-start pounds-off diet, this down-to-earth guide will show you how to get healthy and stay healthy with body-friendly superfoods.

*Boost your immune system with citrus and nutrient-dense berries, including fresh, frozen, and dried.

*Enjoy the healthy fats in eggs and nuts, including nut butters, to fight inflammation, slow the aging process, and lower your risk of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.

*Trade white sugar for antioxidant-rich sweeteners like maple syrup, the newest superfood!

*Create home remedies designed to ease anxiety, improve sleep, boost brainpower and enhance energy.

*Keep your home spotless for kids and pets using eco-friendly superfood-rich formulas.

*Pamper your mind and body with the same food-based treatments that health spas use, including ingredients like seeds and seaweed.

Now you can indulge in a Pesto Pizza or Berry Basil Smoothie, a Chicken Bone Broth or dark chocolate gelato, while chilling with an ancient-oats facial or relaxing in a warm, herb-scented bath. Infused with heartwarming stories and inspiring legends, The Healing Powers of Superfoods will take you to a world of wellness that starts at home with our favorite foods from Mother Nature--enjoyed in a new way with an exciting twist!

The Healing Powers of Superfoods, is more of a reference book than a cookbook although you will find quite a few recipes to indulge yourself in during each chapter and a whole chapter of recipes before the end of the book.

Cal Orey takes you through each superfood per chapter and she dives right into each nutrient, history etc of that certain superfood and before the chapter ends she gives you a recipe or two.

You will also find chapters for shelving life of foods, five-day menu plan, and much more. If you are looking for a book to help you figure out what superfood is best for you, this book will do the trick.

There has been new progress with superfoods over the past couple of years and I believe Cal Orey gives you an updated superfood reference book. 

Romance Review of Enthralled (Orion's Shield Book 1) by Elizabeth Jordan

Title: Enthralled (Orion's Shield Book 1) 

Author: Elizabeth Jordan

Genre: Romance

Length: Novel

Source: Purchased at Indie Romance Convention 

Rating- 4

Sexual- 1

Lady Caroline Alton is young, beautiful and in London for her first season. She is excited about her first foray into society, but family secrets seemed to be piling up around Caroline more and more each day. She thought she might discover the great secret in her own life one day, except when she did, she had a feeling that it just might change everything. When she meets Lord Thomas Steele at her home in London, she is immediately intrigued by the handsome, dashing young barrister, who is a friend of her father. Each time she sees him, she becomes more and more aware that he, too, is deeply involved in the secrets that surround her, and she sets out to prove to him that she has the courage to face whatever it is and to stand beside him as he confronts the evil that threatens him.

Thomas, the youngest son of a Marquis, has been fighting an uphill battle against vampires most of his life. London is under attack and Thomas is the captain of the guard of Orion’s Shield, a clandestine group of vampire hunters sanctioned by the Prince Regent himself. Having been attacked and bitten by a beautiful and seductive vampire at a young age, Thomas struggles against the forces of darkness that have never stopped trying to consume him. An ancient and powerful evil has come to England, and a physical battle, as well as a spiritual one, must be waged against it. If the battle is lost, it will leave Regency England vulnerable to hell on earth. And yet in the middle of the fray, two souls try to find their way both to the light and to each other before the darkness destroys whatever happiness they may find.… Can love truly conquer all, or will evil consume them both?

Enthralled is a true romantic gem, I couldn’t wait till my reading time each day so I could dig back into the story.

If you love the older type of vampires that enthralls humans, kills humans, drinks blood, you can kill them by stakes through the heart, you’re bound to enjoy this.

Elizabeth Jordan writes a loving yet harsh world where Lady Caroline and Thomas has to deal with lawlessness vampires and let me just say Lady Caroline is no dismal in distress, nope she knows how to handle herself around them even though she has no clue vampires exist beforehand.

My only reason for not rating it a 5 is the majority of the time I felt like the story was set in modern times by the way they talk to each other, but yet I am very picky so, some of you may never notice this.

I recommend this to anyone that loves action pack clean romance. 

DIY Book Review of She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own by Erika Kotite

Title: She Sheds Style: Make Your Space Your Own 

Author: Erika Kotite 

Genre: Craft Hobbies

Source: NetGalley

Reviewed by: Laurie 

Rating: 4  

With She Sheds Style, you'll browse ideas, step-by-step projects, and decorating tips from a variety of creative “she shed” owners—then add your personal style to your own shed!

It's no secret that the she shed revolution is underway and gaining steam. What is a she shed? It's simply any outbuilding that has been renovated, outfitted, redesigned, or otherwise reassigned into service as a refuge from the intense pace of modern life.

Consider it a woman's response to the “man cave” craze. Whether you already have that sought-after shed or are still in the dreaming phase, author Erika Kotite (She Sheds: A Room of Your Own, Cool Springs Press, 2016) will help you on your journey. You'll start by browsing the sheds and shed interiors, which range from modern and eclectic to rustic and shabby chic. Learn what architectural details play into a shed's look and consider how these elements work with your preferred decor.

Once you're charged with inspiration, explore loads of DIY projects and ideas from some of the most creative she shed owners around the world. A variety of front entrance ideas provide inspiration for welcoming guests to your space. Ideas for re-purposing furniture abound, such as transforming an old door into a drop-down potting bench. You can even extend your shed's impact beyond the walls with garden features like stepping stones and string lights. Most projects are shown with detailed, step-by-step photos so you can see exactly how the work is done.

So get started and create your own she shed style! 

This book is great if you have a shed and are looking to spruce it up with a style to be all your own.

I bought a medium size shed a few years back with plans that it would be my garden shed all to only become a place to house my holiday junk and my daughters one day but never happening moving out junk for the past few years and I needed some inspiration so I could work on cleaning it out and creating my garden shed. So, when I noticed this book on Netgalley you know I had to give it a try and it had worked with all of the different styles, colors and simple projects I know this spring I will have my garden shed.

No matter if you looking for craft space, office space, writing space, garden space, or just a place to read your books, this book will help you want to change your shed into something you’ll enjoy for years to come all with the authors simple tips and step by step projects to get you on your way to designing that perfect space. 

Cozy Mystery review of Death on the Menu (Key West Food Critic Mystery #8) by Lucy Burdette

Title: Death on the Menu (Key West Food Critic Mystery #8)

Autor: Lucy Burdette

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Source: NetGalley

Length: Novel

Reviewed by: Laurie

Rating: 4 

When a killer strikes just before flan time, beloved food critic Hayley Snow is forced to sniff out the killer before someone else bites the dust.

Hayley Snow, fiery food critic for Key Zest magazine, has just landed a ticket to one of the most prestigious events in Key West: a high-brow three-day conference at the Harry Truman Little White House. Even though she’ll be working the event helping her mother’s fledgling catering business, there’s plenty of spicy gossip to go around. But just before her mother’s decadent flan is put to the test, Key West’s most prized possession, Hemingway’s Nobel prize gold medal for The Old Man and the Sea, is discovered stolen from its case. 

Unsavory suspicions point to Gabriel, a family friend and one of the new busboys working the event, who mysteriously goes missing moments later. Anxious to clear his name, Gabriel’s family enlists Hayley to help find him, but right as they begin their search, his body is found stabbed to death in the storeroom. 

Hayley has no shortage of suspects to interrogate and very little time before the killer adds another victim to the menu in national bestselling author Lucy Burdette’s delectable eighth Key West Food Critic mystery, Death on the Menu

I requested this one off of Netgally out of a whim and I am glad I did, I really enjoyed the story.

Let me start off saying I have never read anything from this author and this should also tell you I have never read any other books in the series so I was amazed that I never really felt as if I needed to start with the previous books. I do love hitting standalone in series.

 I enjoyed the characters, mystery, and the bit of politics that was added into the mix.  The author puts your imagination to work as you about a treasured Cuban award come up missing during the event. The author also gives you quite a few Cuban recipes in the back of the book for you to try.

I recommend this one to anyone that likes a good Cuba/US relations mystery.

Romance review of Happily Ever After, Again by D.F. Jones

Title: Happily Ever After, Again
Author: D.F. Jones 
Source: Author Request
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Length: Novel
Rating: 4
Sexual rating: 2
Reviewed by Laurie 

Happily Ever After, Again is electrifying, heart-pounding romance suspense melding sensuality, danger, and intrigue in this fast-paced page-turner.

Who killed Bratten Drake?

Bratten’s murder leaves Lauren grief-stricken while questioning the motives of his partner, his assistant, and his best friend.

Against Ever-After protocol, Bratten’s ghost mysteriously appears to help Lauren solve the murder, but places her in danger.

Will Lauren live Happily Ever After, Again?

If you like mystery, paranormal and romance this book is for you.

As a mystery lover, I was totally surprised as I kept turning the pages to try to find out who done it.

Lauren and Alex's romance is very different, you see, Lauren just lost her husband in death and Alex was her husband’s best friend. These two quickly find romantic connections with each other as they are forced together to find out who killed Bratten’s. Oh, and Bratten also comes to help them, hint, the paranormal elements in the story. The romance between these two starts rather quickly, but I have to say it’s done tastefully considering the turn of events that happens rather fast.