Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle

 Coffee We Spill by Chelsea Michelle
4 Stars 

Ok, this one had the cozy mystery I was looking for! :) This is the 3rd book in the Novella Mini Mystery Series - you need to read their full book though, Transactions We Expose probably before this one, I didn't and I think I can see where I was spoiled a smidge on some things but by the time I get back to the full novel, I will probably have forgotten that info, haha.

But I have had fun with these mini-mystery novellas. This one is my favorite of the 3 I have read. I like how this one really focused on the mystery of someone missing and Michelle being a possible suspect. 

Essentially, Michelle’s coffee shop is doing well but a a new coffee truck competitor rolls into town and then the owner suddenly goes missing. Blood stains are discovered on Michelle’s back door, she becomes the prime suspect, and her sister Chelsea jumps in to help prove her innocence. 

The pacing really worked well, it was fast and engaging and I liked the mystery part the best. Looks like Michelle's love life is hopefully settling down too, we will see about that.

This has good faith and prayer content too with the sister's struggles as they learn to trust the Lord.

Looking forward to more in this series and I will eventually go back to the full length story before this one. :) 

Thank you to the author for a complimentary copy of this book to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7832841164
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3W2rPdv

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Chaos We Unravel by Chelsea Michelle

Chaos We Unravel by Chelsea Michelle 
Book 2 in A Watson Twins Mini Mystery Series
3 Stars

Like the first novella, we have a light, faith centered mystery that can be read in one sitting. This one centers around the 4th of July celebration in Maple Springs with a mysterious fire that turns the picnic into a lot of chaos. The sisters Michelle and Chelsea work together to try and figure out what's going on in their amateur sleuthing. I like this doesn't have any murder in it, just them trying to figure out the happenings in the town. 

The cozy mystery element here is fun because it has the small-town charm, family moments, and that wholesome “faith and family” tone that makes the series generally easy to enjoy. Novella length makes this easy to read quickly and just enjoy it for what happens. 

Where the book is starting to lose me a bit was the ongoing romantic subplot with Michelle. After breaking up with her boyfriend of two years for seemingly no clear reason other than she isn't sure what she wants or if she still loves him anymore, she really needs to make up her mind for me. She is entertaining attention from another guy after her break up with Kyle, and Kyle is still hanging out as friends all the time with her and she still has these mixed thoughts throughout so it's just she now seems a little inconsistent or frustrating. With the aftermath of that potential relationship, I found myself wanting her to either take time to reflect or make up her mind or something. It’s hard to root for her romantically when she feels so directionless in that area. I know that's realistic but still a bit frustrating. I am hoping book 3 clears some things up :)

Overall, this one was a quick Christian cozy mystery with a fun summer setting and family-driven plot. While the mystery side holds up, I’m hoping the next one bring more clarity and maturity to Michelle’s romantic storyline.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7982939926
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4hh3c6D

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Hours We Regret by Chelsea Michelle

 

Hours We Regret - Chelsea Michelle
Book 1 in the Watson Twins Mini Mystery Series
3.5 Stars 

So I have an advanced copy of book 3 in this series, so I figured, when the books were on sale for .99, I would pick the series up to read before I review book 3! This is an author duo under the name Chelsea Michelle. It is a Christian Cozy Mystery Mini Series, meaning the books are short novellas. This one is meant to be a very fast, prequel introduction to the series and characters. While it's short, we are introduced to Chelsea and Michelle, twin sisters in this small town and danger arises when one of them goes missing and they have been discussing the serial killer on the loose so the stress arises when one of them went missing. There is a bit of romance drama too with one of the sisters throughout.

I liked the overall setup, especially the way the story explores fear versus faith and the close twin sister relationship. The pacing kept me engaged and I certainly wanted to keep reading to figure out what happened. But because it's a novella/shorter story, you do want to keep going and wish it had a more closed ending, but it's meant for you to move on to the next one I suppose, haha.

That said, it’s clear this story is meant to introduce readers to the series and characters, so I’m curious to see how things develop in the next installments.

If you enjoy small-town Christian cozies with light suspense, family themes, and nice faith moments with prayer, this is a nice, easy read to kick off the series.

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7982896989

Amazon: https://amzn.to/474wKQi

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