Tag: friend for hire

REVIEW: A Perilous Pal by Laura Bradford

REVIEW: A Perilous Pal by Laura Bradford

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Emma’s newest client in her Friend for Hire business is Kim, a middle-aged woman whose husband left her for a younger woman. Kim’s children have recently “left the nest,” and she is feeling adrift. She reaches out to Emma out of desperation. She needs help finding some things to give her life meaning in this new season.

But when Kim’s ex is found dead, she’s the police’s first suspect. And when Emma inadvertently hands the police evidence against Kim, she becomes their ONLY suspect. And Emma is devastated.

If Emma is going to redeem herself after her mistake, save her new client from wrongful imprisonment, and salvage the burgeoning relationship she had with Deputy Riordan before this murder, she and her friends are going to need to start investigating.

Review

Another fun mystery in this cozy series! I loved the set up – Emma’s new client and the tie in with a murder. Emma continues to develop relationships with all of her clients while she works on Kim’s situation, and it’s all brilliantly woven together and kept in balance.

And then one other mystery, teased mid-book, also starts to swirl together, culminating in a final moment that had me exclaiming “No! I need more!” in the end. I cannot wait to dig into book 3 in the Friend for Hire series so I can see this extra tidbit play out completely!

Newcomers to this series should read these first two books in order just to enjoy the development of Emma’s business here at the start. Overall, I think the romance and character pieces will be more satisfying if read in order, but the mystery definitely stands on its own. I highly recommend this series. Observant readers will catch references to some of the author’s other series. Reading some of those books could be a great way to pass the time while waiting for book 3.

 

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

 

REVIEW: A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford

REVIEW: A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Emma Westlake’s travel agency wasn’t as lucrative as it had once been. In fact, as more and more of her clientele starting handling their own arrangements, she was starting to consider how she was going to pay her bills.

The Friend for Hire idea wasn’t Emma’s but it seemed to be working. She had the older woman she had tea with every week. Then there was the elderly man who wanted a date for a Senior Center dance. And the middle-aged woman who needed a workout/accountability partner.

If only Emma had stopped there.

But no. She agreed to attend open mic night and clap for the writer who was going to read first. But right after telling her about the folks in the audience who wanted him dead, Brian keels over in the middle of his poem.  Now, Emma is a murder suspect. And she’s going to have to find her own way out of trouble because the good-looking deputy is looking at her far too suspiciously for her comfort.

Review

Such a fun series launch from Laura Bradford! The set up is clever – I liked the business idea of Emma being a “friend for hire.” It builds her circle and pulls people in for this mystery – and will keep launching new stories and characters and situations for the future.

I got a huge kick out of Emma getting pulled into sleuthing by her cozy mystery-loving friends! The wink-wink nature of a few moments in the book really added to the fun.

The mystery was excellent, with questions and reveals all the way to the end. The set up for the crime and suspects was great. The only wrinkle for me in the whole thing is my fear that the author is setting up two potential love interests for Emma. Love triangles are not my jam. But I’ll have to wait for book 2, A Perilous Pal, to see how things develop. And I will definitely be reading book 2 since this was such a delight. This is a series I’ll be sticking with!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

REVIEW: The Wedding Ringer by Kerry Rea

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Willow caught her best friend and fiancé in bed together, and it was like someone yanked a rug out from under her feet. Losing her fiancé was awful. But losing her best friend was devastating.

So yes, she’s lonely. Yes, she’s living in a spare room at her sister and sister-in-law’s house. She dresses up as a princess for birthday parties for spoiled brats. But that doesn’t mean she’s ready to be a friend for hire.

But Maisie is lonely and desperate. And she’s offering Willow big money to pretend to be her long-time friend and be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

The idea of anything wedding-related makes Willow want to throw up. But Maisie’s money could be just what she needs to leave town and make a fresh start somewhere new.

Review

This was so good! It’s like a fake relationship romance, except the fake relationship is a friendship. And bridesmaids for hire seems to be a thing we are hearing about more lately – I’ve seen that set up in a couple other books recently. And I love both “tropes,” so this was a must-read for me. But what makes this special – more than just a collection of story features I like – is the HUMOR! This literally made me laugh out loud. The writing is great as are the characters. Willow is dealing with her crushing losses with withdrawal and self-protection. But she’s still someone you empathize with. You long to see her find her way through the darkness to true friendship – and maybe even love.

This book really has everything I am looking for in a great story. I was completely in sync with these characters from the start. I loved the deep dive into friendship questions. Sure, there’s a romance I enjoyed. But the relationship between Willow and Maisie is the focus – and the star – of the novel. And I loved that. It’s also an identity story as Willow tries to find herself and re-define herself after her losses. And finally, this is FUNNY! Snappy and sarcastic and self-deprecating. And I loved it!

I highly recommend this one! (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.