Book Review: Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3) by Heather Vogel Frederick

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Dear Pen Pal (The Mother-Daughter Book Club, #3)  by Heather Vogel Frederick  is the third book in a middle grade book series that is being rereleased. Chaos erupts in this third installment as the daughters in the book club get themselves into trouble. Each of the girls have big changes in their lives:  Jess is going to boarding school; Megan's grandmother comes to live with her; Emma starts a campaign against school uniforms; Cassidy has a lot of unexpected change coming to her family. Will the mother daughter book club stay together? I'd like to thank NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Dear Pen Pal  by Heather Vogel Frederick with it's upcoming rerelease to the public. I always love a good book that involves books, even if its target audience is children between the ages of eight and twelve. It wasn't until I reached the end of the book that I realized that it...
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Book Review: Clammed Up (Maine Clambake Mystery, #1) by Barbara Ross

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Cozy Mystery Book Review of Clammed Up (Maine Clambake Mystery, #1) by Barbara Ross
Clammed Up (Maine Clambake Mystery, #1) by Barbara Ross is the first book in a charming cozy mystery series set around a family-owned clambake business on a picturesque Maine island. When Julia Snowden returns to Busman’s Harbor to help her mother, sister, and brother-in-law run the family business, she discovers a shocking crime ... a corpse hanging from the banister of their summer home. The local police shut down the clambake, leaving everyone wondering: who is the killer, and can the Snowden Clambake survive while the investigation unfolds?

Barbara Ross proves herself as a phenomenal storyteller in Clammed Up. Her vivid descriptions and engaging narrative made me feel as though I was watching the story unfold like a movie. I was completely captivated by the Maine Clambake Mystery series from the very first page.

The book is packed with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Although I could rule out a few suspects who appear in later books, the identity of the real culprit still took me by surprise. Ross’s character development is excellent, and the backstories make the small town of Busman’s Harbor feel alive ... a tight-knit community cautious of outsiders, which felt authentic based on my own experiences visiting small towns.

Ross also does a beautiful job bringing Maine to life, from its rugged coastline to its cozy, community-driven towns. After reading Clammed Up, I’m inspired to explore Maine, especially its scenic coastal regions.

I give Clammed Up (Maine Clambake Mystery, #1) a full five out of five stars. This cozy mystery series is one of the best in the genre, offering suspense, charm, and a sense of place that’s hard to beat. Fans of cozy mysteries, small-town whodunits, and Maine-inspired settings will fall in love with this series just like I did.

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