I'll Be Home For Mischief by Jacqueline Frost

 

Book Review: I'll Be Home for Mischief by Jacqueline Frost - 5 Stars
Book 5 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series

Yet ANOTHER 5 Star cozy from this author! LOVE all of her books and pen names, seriously! If you want a fun holiday escape to a cozy Christmas town with a dash of romance and mystery, this series truly is a must read. In this one, Holly and her husband Evan get roped into a mystery where a local mistletoe farmer is accused of a man's murder who ended up in the batter during a baking contest. 

Again, love the characters - they are HILARIOUS and just some of my most favorite characters of 2024! I really don't have much else to say with this being book 5 in the series, but just check this cozy mystery series out asap if you want something fun for Christmas. 

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7128858027
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3PeLmnt

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Southern Comfort Reading Challenge Book Recs: January 2025 Prompt - Southern Homecomings - A Character That Goes Home

 Hey yall!

I have a YouTube video up recommending many books for the

Southern Comfort Reading Challenge this year!

Here is the video: https://youtu.be/dstmC5i3Glo 

January's Prompt: Southern Homecomings - A Character That Goes Home

Here are the links for the books!

Truth is a Whisper - Mandi Blake:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/09/book-review-truth-is-whisper-by-mandi.html

Almost Everything - Mandi Blake:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/09/book-review-almost-everything-by-mandi.html

Unyielding Hope - Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/10/book-review-unyielding-hope-by-janette.html

Echoes Among the Stones - Jaime Jo Wright:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/04/book-review-echoes-among-stones-by.html

Counter Attack - Patricia Bradley:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-counter-attack-patricia.html

Fatal Witness - Patricia Bradley:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-fatal-witness-by-patricia.html

The Shadows of Swanford Abbey - Julie Klassen:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/05/book-review-shadows-of-swanford-abbey.html

Submerged - Dani Pettrey:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-submerged-by-dani-pettrey.html

Wild Montana Skies - Susan May Warren:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/04/book-review-wild-montana-skies-by-susan.html

Memory Lane - Becky Wade: 
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/02/book-review-memory-lane-by-becky-wade.html

Embers in the London Sky - Sarah Sundin:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/02/book-review-embers-in-london-sky-by.html

The Women - Kristin Hannah:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/04/book-review-women-by-kristin-hannah.html

The Long March Home - Marcus Brotherton and Tosca Lee:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-long-march-home-by-marcus.html

In A Far Off Land - Stephanie Landsem:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/11/book-review-in-far-off-land-by.html

My Hope Next Door - Tammy L Gray:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/02/book-review-my-hope-next-door-by-tammy.html

Assaulted Caramel - Amanda Flower:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/05/book-review-assaulted-caramel-by-amanda.html

The Summer of Yes - Courtney Walsh:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/07/book-review-summer-of-yes-by-courtney.html

Live and Let Chai - Bree Baker:
Review with purchase links: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2023/06/book-review-live-and-let-chai-by-bree.html

Others not mentioned in the video:

Crime and Poetry would also work by Amanda Flower - here is that review:  https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/01/book-review-crime-and-poetry-by-amanda.html

The Summer of Keeping Secrets by Jill Lynn would also work - here is that review: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/06/book-review-summer-of-keeping-secrets.html

IF you are still in a Christmas mood, this was a favorite that works 

Home For Christmas by Courtney Cole. Here is that review: 
https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/2024/12/book-review-home-for-christmas-by.html

Long Way Home by Lynn Austin would work! I forgot that one. Here is the review link for that too. I still need to add all my 2022 reviews to my blog, but here is that Goodreads review. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4621956826 

Love y'all! Thank you for participating!

- Amanda

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bookloveramanda
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bookloveramanda 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookloveramanda/

Stalking Around The Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost - 5 Stars 
Book 4 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series

Once again, I loved this one! We have innkeeper Holly White back with her fiancé Sheriff Evan Gray trying to figure out who killed a ballet dancer that was performing in a Nutcracker show. Tiffany, the lead ballerina, shows up dead on a float during the parade. More sleuthing skills are underway as they try to figure this one out......Tiffany had more than a few secrets so her and Evan try to work together and solve the murder. Before Holly once again becomes the target for putting her nose where it doesn't belong.

I just feel like this series has the best mystery and romance blend - especially in these later books in the series. So fun to binge read these back to back during the Christmas season! The humor is also AMAZING and will have you hee-hawing!

Highly recommend.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7123544093

Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3PeLmnt

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Slashing Through The Snow by Jacqueline Frost

 

Slashing Through The Snow - Jacqueline Frost - 5 Stars 

Book 3 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series

Love continuing in this series! Such a good cozy mystery series. This was the first 5 star I had so far because the ending with the romance was chef's kiss! I loved the developments there. In this one, we continue to follow Holly and Evan in the backdrop of Mistletoe, Maine! Holly dates the Sheriff and runs the inn with her family. We see a B&B critic drop in that could make or break its success -- until they find her body dead in the gift wrapped toy donation box.... With a long list of suspects, Evan and Holly try to figure this one out and clear their friend Cookie's name.

Cookie was a HOOT in this book yall! She is one of my favorite characters. This author knows how to really write fun characters and settings in a good cozy mystery series and I love it! Perfect Christmas vibes too. Recommend!

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7108386412
Amazon Series Link: https://amzn.to/3PeLmnt

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

In The Manger by Max Lucado

 

In The Manger by Max Lucado - 4 Stars

A wonderful advent devotional - easily read in a day or two. Short devotions - inspirational - the true meaning of Christmas shared and encouragement provided. Each day ends with a short prayer that helps you focus of the Lord. He really makes you think in each day and while I would have liked them a bit longer, I feel like these were really encouraging short devotions for each day leading up to Christmas. I have a vlog where I read some of my favorite parts here:  https://youtu.be/t7QmJf_W1fY 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7067382021

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41Hqih3

Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost

 

Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost - 4 Stars
 (Book 2 in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery Series)

What another great book in this series! I am working my way through this one and really enjoyed it y'all! Solid clean cozy mystery series with a smidge of romance. Here we continue to see Holly from book one "up to her jingle bells in holiday shenanigans" as the synopsis says. When a body turns up in a dumpster behind Caroline's Cupcakes, the store's owner is the main suspect. Holly helps out at the cupcake place so she is trying her luck at clearing Caroline's name. We see Sheriff Evan back with his budding romance with Holly too, which I love. 

This one is full of holiday charm and Christmas cheer yall! Pick it up.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6841531477
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4grtZMd

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

Hope for the Hero by Mandi Blake

 

Book Review: Hope for the Hero by Mandi Blake - 3 Stars

This one is part of the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series. I have loved all of the Mandi Blake books I have read so far, but this one wasn't quite my fav. I just didn't connect to the couple as much and wished their enemies to lovers was a bit less of them fussin with each other for so long. 

We have Tessa and Adam - Tessa wants to get a job at her brother's security company and when she gets the job, her and Adam are working together and he is so grumpy lol. His boss says he needs an assistant to help him since he works a lot but they do not get along whatsoever. They eventually come to care for one another but it just wasn't a fav. While I liked the faith portions with Adam as he tried to figure out his beliefs as he worked through the emotions of his mother passing away years ago and his Dad not being around, I wanted more from the romance itself. I also wish Tessa was a bit more compassionate about what Adam was going through.

Overall, while this one isn't a fav and it was an average Christmas read for me, I still LOVE and support Mandi in her writing - her newest Healing the Cowboy knocked it out of the park for me, so it's hard to compare and beat that one for me. I will say I also didnt love the narrator in this one so that mayyyyy have caused some issues for the enjoyment for me too.

Goodreads Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6926060564

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3BJORzi

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.