Book Review: Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3) by Benjamin Stevenson

-
Image
Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret (Ernest Cunningham, #3)  by Benjamin Stevenson opens with the main character traveling to a magic show prove his ex-wife's innocence in a murder. It involves ruling out the different people in the show. Will Ernest prove that his ex-wife is innocent without ruining things with his fiance? First and foremost, a big thank you to NetGalley for approving me to read this book. I received a copy for free in exchange for my honest review. The approval for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) came after the book was already published and being busy with the holidays both contributed to the delay of me reading and reviewing the book. The synopsis intrigued me, and I wasn't sure what to expect from this author as I haven't read anything by him before. However, it feels like Benjamin Stevenson is following a step by step guide provided to him in a writing class because the main character keeps mentioning how things should go according to "the norm...
Post a Comment

Book Review: The Shop on Royal Street (Royal Street, #1) by Karen White

-

book review the shop on royal street royal street 1 karen white

The Shop on Royal Street (Royal Street, #1) by Karen White is the first book in a spin off series from the Tradd Street book series.  Nola Trenholm is looking for a fresh start in New Orleans after having some hiccups in her personal life.  However, that's proving to be more difficult than she realized it would be with her house renovation.

This book was the October book selection for the book club I belong to.  After hearing a couple of people say it was a little slow in the beginning, I was worried that I wouldn't like the book.  When I finally sat down to start reading The Shop on Royal Street, I had to agree that it was slow to start.  However, once I got two or three chapters in, the storyline really started to pick up making it hard for me to put it down, and I can't wait for the next installment to come out.

I loved the fact that this book took place in New Orleans, Louisiana.  It's one of my favorite cities to visit.  Add in the paranormal elements, and it was the perfect book to put me in the mood for Halloween.  It's super creepy without being scary.  I completely creeped myself out one night after reading part of the story.  

The situations and predicaments the characters got into were realistic to me, especially for the characters ages.  There still is so much drama in one's life when you're in your twenties.  Most of the characters were likable, but my favorites were Nola, Jolene, and Beau.  I even liked Melanie and Christopher.  However, I didn't care for Mimi as I found her to be a bit suspicious, and I really didn't like Michael. 

There isn't really much I can complain about other than it took a long time to get all of Nola's backstory.  I wish I had known this was a spinoff series prior to reading this book so I could've potentially read the original series first.  It's not necessary to do so, but I think I would've enjoyed The Shop on Royal Street a lot better if I had, or if the author simply hadn't taken so long to give the reader all of Nola's backstory, it would have made me happier.

All in all, The Shop on Royal Street (Royal Street, #1) by Karen White was fantastic.  I gave it four out of five stars, and I can't wait for the next installment.  I might have to tide myself over by reading the Tradd Street series in the meantime.

 

Follow Us On Social Media

https://www.facebook.com/runningbibliophile/https://www.instagram.com/therunningbibliophile/https://www.pinterest.com/therunningbibliophile/youtube the running bibliophile

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Product Review: Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist - Gain Scent

-
Image
One particular weekend night, I was watching television, and a commercial came on advertising Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist. In the ad, it mentioned that it would take off grime and dirt after spraying it on the surface and wiping it off with a simple swipe. It went on to mention that it could be used in the bathroom, and I thought, "I really need to try this product on my bathtub." Excited, I couldn't wait to buy it and looked for it at the grocery store the next day while I was getting my weekly groceries. I wasn't expecting to actually find it in stores yet because it usually takes the stores in my area a few weeks to get products in stock after I see it advertised on television. Much to my surprise and delight, my local Kroger Grocery Store actually had the Mr. Clean: Clean Freak Deep Cleaning Mist in stock and in no less than two scents. I grabbed the Gain Scent bottle and stuck it in my grocery cart. Eventually, I decided to use it to cle...
Read more

Book Review: Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross

-
Image
Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross is the story about Julia and her mother Jacqueline attending a memorial service on Chipmunk Island for Ginny, who was an old friend of Jacqueline.  When something seems off at the memorial, Julia decides to delve into the cold case of Ginny, and in the process of the investigation, a murder takes place on the island. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for the Advanced Readers Copy of Hidden Beneath (Maine Clambake Mystery, #11) by Barbara Ross in exchange for my honest review.  I first became familiar with this series and author while reading a collection of short stories that included one from the Maine Clambake Mystery series.  I was excited when I was approved to read this newest book and was not disappointed. This newest edition can be read as a stand alone as the author does a fantastic job of recapping the backstories of the characters from previous books in the series.  I found all the mai...
Read more

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

-
Image
Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the Stephanie Plum book series and opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog sit his dog Bob while he is out of town testifying at a trial.  The typical chaos ensues when Stephanie has to bring Bob along to apprehend all of her FTAs and has her asking herself if she wants to be married. Each book in this series typically follows the same formula and is wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow at the end.  It's because of this that I enjoy the series . . . I always know that Stephanie is going to get herself into some sort of trouble and need Ranger or Morelli to help her, and the bad guy is always caught.  Sometimes, I just need something familiar and predictable to read.  And, I don't mean that in a bad way either because it allows me to escape reality and gives me a few chuckles along the way.  It's like the comfort food of books for me. The last few books I felt like someone had g...
Read more