Tag: Hallmark Publishing

REVIEW: Behind the Frame by Tracy Gardner

REVIEW: Behind the Frame by Tracy Gardner

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Carson has won the privilege of hosting the area Art in the Park Festival for this year. As an artist and art teacher, it makes sense for Savanna to be on the planning committee.

The first sign of trouble is the damage to a statue at the community park. It’s tagged with “Never Carson,” and the head of town founder, Jessamina Carson, has been severed from the body of the statue.

Then one of the other committee members, local councilman John Bellamy, is killed. When a family friend is arrested, Savanna and her sisters are certain the man could not have committed this heinous crime.

The question is, who did? And why? Is it tied to the art event? Folks from the town that hosted the last three years seem testy about the change of venue. And John did disqualify an entry for the $50,000 scholarship and other prizes. Or maybe it has something to do with Bellamy’s run for mayor. Or could it have been Bellamy’s son, back in town after a falling out with his father years ago?

Savanna and her sisters are fully invested in finding the killer, clearing their friend, and ensuring the festival goes off without a hitch.

Review

This was fun! I love Savanna and her sisters. It’s not often that I read a cozy that uses a team of sleuths, and I really enjoy the change up. Savanna is primary, but she and her sisters work together to bring different skills to the case. Also, the local LEO walks the fine line between cautioning the sisters and embracing their input and insights. I love it. And I thoroughly enjoyed the developments in Savanna and Aidan’s relationship. There are several fun developments on the personal side for all three sisters.

The mystery was great and had me guessing all the way to the end. The escalation was nicely paced. I could absolutely see this story play out on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries on TV.

Book one in the series is Out of the Picture (♥♥♥♥½). I really enjoyed both books. And I hope there are going to be more. This is the style of cozy I love – great characters and community balanced with a well-plotted and engaging mystery. Do not miss this series. Other mysteries from Hallmark Publishing so far are Dead-End Detective and The Game Changer.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥= Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Game Changer by Jennifer Brown

REVIEW: The Game Changer by Jennifer Brown

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Hollis Bisbee moved to Parkwood, Missouri after losing her newspaper job in Chicago and her boyfriend (and his dog) in one fell swoop. She’s trying to make the best of her new small town life. She has a job at the town paper, writing local interest stories like the new gravy recipe at the diner and the new hot dog roller at the high school stadium. She has a new best friend, Daisy, mother of four and baker extraordinaire. And if she can talk Daisy into it, she also has a true crime podcast.

Both women have an interest in true crime. And Hollis is watching her reporting skills atrophy with the work she is getting at the Parkwood Chronicle Weekly. So they launch the Knock ’em Dead podcast. Hollis is responsible for the tech side and the crime details while Daisy provides baked goods for sustenance – and baking tips for their listeners!

They don’t have to look hard for crime material as the town high school’s rival football coach was recently run down after a controversial game. Was it an accident? Or did the star quarterback – son of the local police chief – mean it when he said he’d kill the man if he kept stealing their plays? Could it be the man who owned the car the coach hit earlier that day? What about the assistant coach who wanted the man’s job?

But with the police chief insisting the man just had a heart attack, and Hollis’ editor refusing to investigate because of her friendship with the chief, Hollis is going to have to investigate this one on her own.

Review

This was so fun! I loved Hollis and Daisy as a team. They made me laugh a lot, and Daisy’s recipes all sounded amazing! (There is one recipe included in the book.) The writing is smart and funny; this was a treat to read!

The mystery in this was good, too. I was so frustrated that no one but Hollis was really taking the crime seriously. But the sleuthing and the solution all came together well. I enjoyed the budding relationship between Hollis and one of the local officers.

There were so many fun pieces to this – the description of Daisy’s family and her management of four high energy kids, the bad takes on the podcast, the banter over whether it’s a baking podcast or a true crime podcast, Hollis’ mom and aunt in Chicago, and so much more. I so enjoyed reading this, and I can’t wait to read more in this series. Cozy mystery fans should NOT miss this one!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

BONUS REVIEW: An Unforgettable Christmas by Ginny Baird

BONUS REVIEW: An Unforgettable Christmas by Ginny Baird

Posted on by Jaymie

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

Summary

Sam owns Singleton’s Jewelers. He’s something of a workaholic. First in, last out. He has great ideas for holiday promotions that have crowds at the shop door. He teaches his employees the ABCs of salesmanship – assertiveness, buying opportunities, and closing the deal – and keeps his expectations for himself and others high.

Angie is a single mom who lives in an apartment with her mom and grandmother. It’s the perfect set up for their family. She works for Sam as the shop’s accountant and sales person, a salaried position. Which means when Sam needs her to put in extra hours, or if reports need to be run, there’s no extra pay for her extra time. Angie likes her job, and even likes working for Sam. But he can be uptight, and he doesn’t always recognize how his choices impact his employees, especially an employee with a family.

But everything changes when Sam falls on some ice and cracks his head on the ground. Angie’s there and takes him to the hospital. Sam is essentially fine – but he has no memory of his life. He’s a little ashamed to realize he has no one to help him as he recovers – his father isn’t in good enough health, and he doesn’t seem to have any close friends or a girlfriend. So Angie says Sam can come home with her. While he hopes to get his memory back soon, this arrangement gives Sam a chance to see what a treasure Angie has been all this time.

Review

I was so excited to see Hallmark Publishing releasing books this fall – original stories and novelizations of their movies. Unfortunately, this book didn’t live up to my hopes.

The story is fine. It holds together and fits the pattern fans have come to expect from Hallmark. I rated this 3 stars because the story is solid, but that is a generous rating for my personal enjoyment of the story. I am sure other readers will find this to be a delightful and sweet holiday story. But for me, it had no spark and felt predictable.

Angie and her family were sweet. Sam was uptight – but that was it. He went from uptight to warm. It wasn’t a big shift. His relationship with his dad and his old friend lent some more weight to the idea that there’s a personality change, but it was still too low key for me. And I felt no chemistry between Sam and Angie.

I would say Hallmark fans who are intrigued by the premise should try this one out. Many other reviewers have loved this. YMMV.*

Rating: ♥♥♥

*Your mileage may vary