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: Shot Through The Book (A Lighthouse Library Mystery, #12) by Eva Gates

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First and foremost, I want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Shot Through the Book (A Lighthouse Library Mystery, #12) by Eva Gates. I received this cozy mystery for free in exchange for my honest review, and I’m delighted to have been selected to read it ahead of its release, even though I’m admittedly behind on my reading and reviewing.

The Bodie Island Lighthouse Library is gearing up to host a YA Book Festival, bringing in authors from far and wide. But when the festival’s most renowned guest author is found murdered in the home of one of the librarians, Lucy McNeil suddenly finds herself under suspicion. Determined to clear her name before the festival begins, she sets out to uncover the truth.

This was my first time reading a book from the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, and I thoroughly enjoyed the premise. Since I haven’t read the earlier installments, I did feel a bit out of the loop at first when it came to the characters. However, the author provided enough context and detail for me to quickly get a sense of the recurring characters.

Even though Shot Through the Book felt a little young in some moments and a bit over the top in others, I’d definitely pick up more books from the series. That said, there were points where the story dragged, and I found myself growing impatient, wishing the pacing would pick up or that something more engaging would happen.

The author really delivered with the conclusion, tying up the mystery in a fun and fulfilling way. I had a great time with this book overall, and I’m excited to give it a solid four out of five stars.

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