Book Review: The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

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A huge thank you goes out to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens . I was provided a copy free of charge in exchange for my honest review, and I was ecstatic about it because Chevy Stevens is absolutely one of my favorite authors and is a must read in my humble opinion. The story opens with Alice and Tom, who are husband and wife, taking their newly bought RV from Seattle, Washington and take a road trip through Canada where they will end up at the 1976 Olympics in Toronto. As they pull into their first stop of the trip, a campground, Alice and Tom see a young couple named Simon and Jenny walking in their direction and offer them a ride to the next town. However, the young couple aren't as they seem and take their hosts as their prisoners. Chevy Stevens, a Canadian author, does not disappoint with her latest novel aptly named The Hitchhikers . From page one of this story, I was immediately suck...
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Book Review: Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31) by Leslie Meier

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31) by Leslie Meier
Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31) by Leslie Meier opens with Lucy Stone rushing home to clean house for Zoe who is bringing home her boyfriend Chad. While there, Zoe and Chad announce their engagement but want to keep it a secret for a bit.  When a nosy busybody named Janice gets the best of Lucy, the mother of the bride blurts out Zoe's secret. Chaos ensues with a murder and an overdose.

NetGalley, thank you for approving me to receive an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Bridal Shower Murder.  I've come to love Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone cozy mystery series and know that I will automatically read any book in this series without reading the synopsis.

I have to say that this was one of the best stories in the series for multiple reasons. The first reason is that Lucy's husband isn't quite so sexist, which is refreshing for a change. I dislike it when he acts like a caveman who expects Lucy to be a housewife and wait on him hand and foot. What really surprised me was how he reacted to Sara's news. I didn't expect him to be so accepting based on his attitude in previous books. On the other hand, I didn't expect Lucy to be so blindsided by the news and have trouble accepting it. I suspected this about Sara for a few books now and don't understand how a mother can be so oblivious to this, especially when the rest of the town and her other children knew.

Additionally, I couldn't stand Chad's parents. His mother is a despicable, overbearing woman who is super fake and spoiled on top of it all. I wouldn't have let her take over the way she did. Chad's father is a piece of work to put it mildly, and I wanted to tell him off.  I wouldn't have put up with his comments or attitude.

With this series, it's a given that there will be a murder to solve, but what I didn't expect was another death to happen. For most of the book, I suspected one character to be the killer and was surprised when that character was ruled out. However, I quickly figured out who the killer was after that.

I loved all the different controversies and drama because it actually gave the story more depth and realism. It also really brought to life that there are still injustices in the world that need to be righted and that there are still bigots everywhere, no matter where you live.

Five out of five stars is what I gave Bridal Shower Murder (Lucy Stone, #31) by Leslie Meier. I can't wait for the next installment!
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