A Date with Santa by Debbie Macomber (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/13)

A Date with Santa by Debbie Macomber (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/13) ⭐⭐⭐ This was sweet and cute and unchallenging. There’s no dramatic tension and no stakes. You sense everything will work out just fine and it does so it’s a fast and easy read, but not much substance. Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Return to Breakneck Island by Tom Ryan (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6)

Return to Breakneck Island by Tom Ryan (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6) ⭐⭐⭐ The writing was good, but this book suffered from jumpiness. Each chapter bounced among several characters, as well as two different timelines, which made it hard for me to stay with the story. It could have cut a few characters to allow a bit more focus, and probably cut 100 pages to sharpen the story. I did enjoy the ending and particularly the last 20% or so. Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Crime for the ARC.

Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6)

Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 I appreciated this historical mystery focused on Macy’s employees during the Great Depression, and centering around the Thanksgiving parade. It got off to a strong start, sagged briefly in the middle, but then came together nicely. I enjoyed the variety of layers, serious themes, solid character development, and a touch of romance, which made it feel like a balanced mystery with a holiday backdrop. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder by Jacqueline Frost (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6)

Deck the Halls with Boughs of Murder by Jacqueline Frost (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/6) ⭐⭐⭐ This book does a lovely job setting the scene for the holiday season in small town Maine. But it felt so formulaic, with the main character not just being an amateur sleuth but make stupid choices with predictable consequences. A cozy mystery requires me connecting to the main character and in this one I wasn’t able to.

The Joy of Cookies: New Classics and Old Favorites to Share by Joanne Chang (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/20)

The Joy of Cookies: New Classics and Old Favorites to Share by Joanne Chang (NetGalley ARC, pub 10/20) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is a good primer on techniques with a lot of classic recipes, but also some interesting twists thrown in. Oatmeal toffee, peanut butter miso caramel, chocolate cherry brownies, whole lemon bars, Danish butter cookies, Langue de Chat biscuits, meringue chicks (adorable!), and peanut butter sandwich cookies are now on my “to be baked” list! Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow | Harvest for the ARC.

The Holdfast (Seaside Mystery #2) by Christopher Mirabile

The Holdfast (Seaside Mystery #2) by Christopher Mirabile (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/15) ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Sometimes the procedural descriptions feel belabored and at times the descriptions of team meetings feel redundant, so I think it could use tighter editing (which would help get these books under 400 pages perhaps?) That being said, the characters (including Bandit, the dog!) are lovable, the setting is lovely, and the mysteries are multi-layered and interesting. Happy to hear a 3rd book is expected! Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

The Washashore by Christopher Mirabile

The Washashore by Christopher Mirabile ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (NetGalley ARC pub date 4/7) The first of two books in a new series released this year featuring a fish out of water new police chief in Provincetown. This book came in at over 400 pages but when I first picked it up just “to get a taste” I read 70 pages quickly. The first half lays out the mystery but focuses more on character development, then the investigation picks up in the second half. It is definitely not cozy but doesn’t veer into thriller - it mentions some hard things but doesn’t stay there long so it is a solid mystery with a good dose of romance thrown in as well. I’ll be proceeding to the next book in the series shortly! Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

Grim Tidings (Ghosted #2) by B.K. Borison (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/15)

Grim Tidings (Ghosted #2) by B.K. Borison (NetGalley ARC, pub 9/15) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This was a fun but thoughtful look at life and death, and life after death. I enjoyed the characters and themes, although I found the body lusting and open door scenes a bit excessive and somewhat distracting from the heart of the story. While this is billed as the second in the Ghosted series, it can definitely be read as a standalone - it takes place in the same city with different characters, and just a couple small Easter eggs. I also enjoyed the autumnal and Halloween backdrop. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager​ for the ARC.