Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: Sunset Kiss (Sunset Island, #2) by Cherie Bennett

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Young Adult Book Series


Young Adult Book SeriesThe second book in the Sunset Island book series by Cherie Bennett, Sunset Kiss (Sunset Island, #2), is a great sequel to the first book in the series, Sunset Island (Sunset Island, #1). Unlike the first book, Sunset Kiss features Carrie Alden's point of view of being an au pair and working for a celebrity. When Carrie Alden decides to shed her responsible personality and be like other young adults, she finds out quickly that being a wild child isn't all it's cracked up to be.

What I love about this book in this series is that it actually teaches a lesson . . . being a responsible person and that there could be dire consequences if you aren't responsible. The lessons are that you should never leave the children you're watching alone at the house and to drink responsibly. There is even a secondary lesson . . . be yourself! If you want more details, you'll have to read the book!

The first time I read this book series made me want to be an au pair, and I wished that I had friends like Carrie, Emma, and Sam. Although, Sam is my least favorite character of the three and Emma was my favorite character. I remember not being able to wait to get my hands on these books and read the next installment. I was always surprised at how things turned out. Reading it as an adult, it was a lot more predictable but still very enjoyable. It actually made me nostalgic rereading Sunset Kiss.

I definitely would recommend this book to tweens and teens between the ages of eleven and eighteen. In my opinion, much of the subject matter is still very relevant today. My rating is four out of five stars.


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