Book Review: The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss

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The Escape Game  by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss  opens on the set of a reality television show called "The Escape Room" where one of the season four contestants, Alicia Angelos, is found in a coffin on set ... dead. Fast forward to season five where Sierra Angelos, the murder victim's younger sister and suspected killer, has been brought back to the show and paired up with Beck, Adi, and Carter. Sierra wants to find justice for her sister, but when Sierra and her teammates start uncovering clues about the true killer, they must figure out how to survive the game. A huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for approving my request and providing me with a digital copy of The Escape Game  for free in exchange for my honest review. I was immediately drawn to the title and cover of the young adult novel. Throw in the plot being about an escape room, and I was completely sold on the story before even reading it. The story is told from the perspective of fou...
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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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