"Peach Pies & Alibis" (Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery #2) - Ellery Adams

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope everyone has recovered from their Thanksgiving feasts and Black Friday shopping! I had a fun-filled weekend with friends and then decorated my apartment for Christmas!! I ended my night wiping down my kitchen counters to somehow randomly stab my figure with a small piece of glass. Needless to say typing right now is not an easy task with two fingers taped together :( Alas, it is not holding me back! Today's review is the second book in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series by Ellery Adams. I stumbled across this cozy mystery series one day while shelf perusing at my local library. You can find my review of book one HERE!

Ella Mae LeFaye's Charmed Pie Shoppe is wildly popular in Havenwood, Georgia--which is not surprising since Ella Mae can lace her baked goods with enchantments. The shop's extraordinary success seems destined to continue when Ella Mae meets an engaged couple who hire her to handle the dessert buffet at their wedding.

But Ella Mae has a lot on her plate. She is also searching for the origin of her magical powers--and hoping to determine if the spark of attraction she feels for the handsome Hugh Dylan is authentic or just her new abilities gone awry.

Then Ella Mae discovers a high-standing member of the community dead, and a wedding guest becomes seriously ill at the event she's catering. Now she'll have to use all her sleuthing skills and culinary talents to prove her pies don't contain a killer ingredient...

Due to the throbbing finger issue at the moment, I'll keep this review short and sweet for you! I really enjoyed this book. The characters have great layers with parts in the main storyline, as well as, their own side stories that I am sure are being set-up for parts in future books. The mystery aspects of the books are well developed and I was kept guessing until the end. I love the "charm/magic" part of the book! This book explains that part of the storyline in a lot more detail. Questions I had left over from the first book were answered and new were brought to light. I'm intrigued to keep reading! Check out Adams other cozy series at elleryadamsmysteries.com ! As always feel free to share any comments, suggestions, and recommendations!

Happy reading fools :)

"Tricky Twenty-Two" - Janet Evanovich

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone has a great time with friends and family while stuffing your faces with delicious food! Today's review is the newest installment in the Stephanie Plum series. The perfect cozy mystery to curl up with as the weather turns cold. If you haven't read any of her previous books in the series, don't worry about spoilers! Evanovich breaks down all of the characters and their roles in the story at the start of each book. While there are some relationship developments better understood by having read from the start, you can still get a good idea without having read the other 21 books.

"Something big is brewing in Trenton, N.J., and it could blow at any minute.

Stephanie Plum might not be the world's greatest bounty hunter, but she knows when she's being played. Ken Globovic (aka Gobbles), hailed as the Supreme Exalted Zookeeper of the animal house known as Zeta fraternity, has been arrested for beating up the dean of students at Kiltman College. Gobbles has missed his court date and gone into hiding. People have seen him on campus, but no one will talk. Things just aren't adding up, and Stephanie can't shake the feeling that something funny is going on at the college -- and it's not just Zeta fraternity pranks. 

As much as people love Gobbles, they hate Doug Linken. When Linken is gunned down in his backyard it's good riddance, and the list of possible murder suspects is long. The only people who care about Linken's killer are Trenton cop Joe Morelli, who has been assigned the case, security expert Ranger, who was hired to protect Linken, and Stephanie, who has her eye on a cash prize and hopefully has some tricks up her sleeve."

Once again Stephanie is up to her normal tricks. Hunting down "bad guys," constantly reconsidering her life choices, and forever in an epic love triangle between Ranger and Morelli. I have a big fan of this series for a few years now. I loved the first 8-9 books. But like any series with this many books, I felt the series started to get repetitive after that. I could always figure out exactly what was going to happen. The story lines were all the same. I feel though that Evanovich has made a resurgence with the last couple books. While much of it is still "repetitive," I think the book overall was still good. I enjoyed the story line of the "FTA's," Lula and Grandma Mazur continue to crack me up constantly, and I was continually hoping that the triangle between Ranger, Morelli, and Stephanie would FINALLY come to a conclusion (I won't ruin that debate for you!). If you have read any of my previous reviews, you will know that once I start a series, I continue reading through to the end no matter what. I can't help it. Good or bad, I will continue reading. I think you should pick up this series if you haven't already! They are great cozy mysteries. Exactly what Evanovich does best! Check out her other series and books as well. They're great! I highly recommend her books if you are looking for an easy, light read.

As always, feel free to share any recommendations, comments, or suggestions. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Have a safe holiday!

Happy reading fools :)

"An Ember In The Ashes" - Sabaa Tahir

Hello fellow bibliophiles! I hope everyone has had a great weekend. I have a page turner for you with "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir. This book was unbelievable! I originally had my doubts when I began hearing about this book on various outlets that provide advanced reader's copies to reviewers. Boy was I wrong! First off, let me just say that this book is the first book in a series. I, the ill-informed reader, did not know this until I was reading the last word and literally yelled. What. A. Cliffhanger. You've been forewarned fellow readers!

"Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. Under Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Empire risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. 

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire's impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They've seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia's older brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from the rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire's greatest military academy. 

There, Laia meets Elias, the school's finest soldier - and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he's being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined - and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. "

What a about a description! While I did find the beginning of the book a bit difficult to follow due to the amount of information given, (new worlds, caste, ranks, names) it was impossible to put down after the first 40 or so pages. Tahir writes the book from both Laia and Elias's perspectives, switching back and forth between the two. I liked being able to see the two different sides and while they were raised completely different, they have similar views and ideas. Tahir gives depth to all of the characters and does a great job of bringing their two stories together all the while keeping the reader holding on by a thread, grasping for more. Great start to a new young adult series. Perfect for ages 12 and up. I cannot wait for the next book!

As always, feel free to share any comments, suggestions, or recommendations! I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on the book!

Happy reading fools :)