BLOG TOUR – Engaged in Trouble – SPOTLIGHT

Large Banner: Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours Presents: Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones - July 10-July 23, 2017 - includes a photo of the author and the book cover

Today, I’m happy to be hosting a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Engaged in Trouble by Jenny B. Jones, the first in the Enchanted Events Mystery series!

I was supposed to be doing a review, which will come at some point down the road, probably towards the end of next week, but I had to change this post to a spotlight post due to having issues with migraines this week. Dang migraines.

Book Cover: Engaged in Trouble, an Enchanted Events mystery by Jenny B Jones - Night sky background with a cityscape a silhouette of a couple standing on a bridge

Add to Goodreads button

Purchase Links: AmazonB&NKobo

Rafflecopter Giveaway

birthdaycakeline
©Graphic Garden

Synopsis

When a washed-up pop star inherits a wedding planning business, it’s all bouquets and bliss until a bride turns up dead.

Paisley Sutton shot to stardom as a teenage rock sensation, but ten years later that star has fizzled out, just like her bank account. When she unexpectedly inherits her aunt’s wedding planning business, Paisley leaves the glamour of Los Angeles for a charming small town in Arkansas. Thinking she’ll arrive in Sugar Creek and liquidate the moldy property, Paisley’s shocked to find Enchanted Events has experienced a major makeover and is now the place for brides. She’s got two months to keep Enchanted Events afloat if she wants to sell and rekindle her music career with the profits.

Paisley’s tossed into a world of vows and venues, but her most difficult challenge comes in the form of one demanding bride. When this Bridezilla’s found facedown in her cake, all fingers point to Paisley as the prime murder suspect. And she does not look good in prison orange.

This former pop princess will need the help of her gun-toting, ex-CIA grandmother and her handsome neighbor, Beau Hudson, to unravel the mystery and clear her good name. As she and her unruly posse dig into Bridezilla’s life, she discovers the woman had a long list of enemies. The closer Paisley gets to the truth, the more her own life is in danger.

Love is in the air this wedding season, but before Paisley can help the ladies of Sugar Creek say, “I do,” she’s got to unveil a killer. Or find herself the next target.

Engaged in Trouble is the first book in the long-awaited Enchanted Events cozy mystery series by award-winning author Jenny B. Jones. If you like laugh-out-loud adventures, small-town romance, unforgettable, sassy characters, and a mystery to keep you guessing, then you’ll love this new page-turning series.

weddingrings

Praise for Engaged in Trouble:

Funny and fast-fast paced, this is a great cozy.
~The Book’s the Thing

Engaged in Trouble was a super fun and quirky cozy mystery!
The story/plot fast paced full of twists and turns and surprises that kept this reader captivated from the very beginning.
~My Reading Journeys

This book is a combo of chick lit and cozy mystery. Humor is spread throughout the book with mystery and a touch of romance. It’s a quick read with “laugh-out-loud” fun.
~Socrates’ Book Reviews…

Sylvie and Frannie might be two of my favorite characters ever.
~Bubby at Bubble Bath Books

Paisley was really funny, down to earth, and relate-able. Beau was a great character also. I enjoyed his sense of humor and he brought a level of mystery to the book in addition to the murder mystery.
~Bookworm Cafe

wedding-clip-art4

About the Author

Author Jenny B. Jones - Young white woman with dark brown hair stopping just above her shoulders sitting on cement steps wearing a grey and white striped cardigan, grey shell, and pants

Award-winning, best-selling author Jenny B. Jones writes romance, cozies, and YA with sass and Southern charm. Since she has very little free time, Jenny believes in spending her spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits, such as eating ice cream, watching puppy videos, and reading celebrity gossip. She lives in the beautiful state of Arkansas and has worked in public education for half of forever.  She loves bluegrass, a good laugh, and strong tea. She adores hearing from readers.

Author sites and social media:

Webpage: www.JennyBJones.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jennybjones/
Twitter: @jenbjones

Instagram: @JennyBJonesAuthor
Good Reads: www.goodreads.com/JennyBJones

birthdaycakeline
©Graphic Garden

Thanks for joining me on today’s stop! I’ll try to get the review up as soon as I can next week! If you wish to visit other stops on the blog tour, click on the banner below! It will take you to the main tour page where there is a list of participants!

 

 

 

 

Dying on the Vine – SPOTLIGHT

Today I’m happy to be hosting a spotlight for “Dying on the Vine” by Marla Cooper! I’ll be reviewing this book either later in the week or early next week!!

Dying on the Vine
by Marla Cooper

Dying on the Vine: A Mystery (Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries)
Series: Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries (Book 2)
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Minotaur Books (April 4, 2017)
Hardcover: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1250072559
E-Book ASIN: B01L7BD9VM

Purchase Links: AmazonB&NKobo

Rafflecopter Giveaway!

Synopsis

When wedding planner Kelsey McKenna goes to the Wine Country Wedding Faire, the last thing she expects to do is take on new clients. After all, she’s just there to help out her friend Brody and maybe score some free cupcakes. But when a young couple in a pinch asks for her help, she just can’t say no.

There’s only one problem: they’d been working with Babs Norton, the self-proclaimed Queen of Wine Country Weddings—and things did not end well. Kelsey wants to make sure there are no hard feelings, but unfortunately she never gets the chance. When she goes to Babs’ office, she finds the wedding planner dead on the floor.

Babs’ high-strung assistant Stefan knows exactly who killed Babs: Kelsey. At least, that’s what he very publicly accuses her of at Babs’ funeral. When Kelsey decides to do a little sleuthing to clear her name, she uncovers a myriad of secrets and lies. And when a second wedding planner is attacked, Kelsey begins to wonder if she might be next.

Set against the stunning backdrop of California wine country, Marla Cooper’s Dying on the Vine is a mystery brimming with gossip, wine, and, of course…murder.

marla cooper

About The Author

As a freelance writer, MARLA COOPER has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku. But it was while ghostwriting a nonfiction guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her current series starring destination wedding planner Kelsey McKenna. Originally hailing from Texas, Marla lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and her polydactyl tuxedo cat.

Author Links

Webpage – www.marla-cooper.com

Blog: www.chicksonthecase.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Marla.Cooper.Author/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kindacozy

Tour Participants

March 28 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW

March 28 – Valerie’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – Blogger Nicole Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

March 29 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT

March 30 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW

March 30 – Author Annette Drake’s blog – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

March 31 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW

April 1 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

April 1 – Bibliophile Reviews – GUEST POST  

April 2 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

April 2 – Mystery Playground – GUEST POST

April 3 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

April 3 – Back Porchervations – REVIEW

April 4 – Book Babble – REVIEW

April 4 – T’s Stuff – REVIEW

April 5 – Shelley’s Book Case – REVIEW

April 5 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT

April 6 – Varietats – REVIEW

April 6 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

April 7 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW  

April 7 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – REVIEW

April 8 – MysteriesEtc – REVIEW

April 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

April 9 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

April 10 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – INTERVIEW

April 10 – My Journey Back – REVIEW

Have you signed up to be a Tour Host?

Click Here Find Details and Sign Up Today!

Terror in Taffeta – REVIEW

3.5 out of 5 stars

Today, I’m reviewing Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper. Terror in Taffeta is the first book in the Destination Weddings series. It’s a solid beginning to the series and I’m looking forward to reading more from the author.

A mystery: Terror in Taffeta by Marla Cooper - book cover has blue background with stylized flowers and Day of the Dead skulls. There's a bride holding a bouquet with a few petals dropping

Add to Goodreads button

Purchase Links: AmazonB&NKobo

Brief Synopsis

Wedding planner Kelsey McKenna is just a few hours away from wrapping up her latest job: a destination wedding in the charming, colonial Mexican town of San Miguel de Allende. The reception is all set up, the tequila donkey is waiting outside, and the bride and groom are standing on the altar, pledging their eternal love. But just as the priest is about to pronounce them husband and wife, one of the bridesmaids upstages the couple by collapsing into a floral arrangement. Worst of all, Kelsey discovers that she hasn’t just fainted – she’s dead. The demanding mother of the bride, Mrs. Abernathy, insists Kelsey not tell the wedding party; she paid for a wedding after all, not a funeral.

Losing a bridesmaid is bad enough, but when the bride’s sister is arrested for murder, Mrs. Abernathy demands that Kelsey fix the matter at once. And although she’s pretty sure investigating a murder isn’t in her contract, crossing the well-connected mother of the bride could be a career-killer. Before she can leave Mexico and get back to planning weddings, Kelsey must deal with stubborn detectives, another dead body, and a rekindled romance in this smart, funny cozy debut perfect for fans of Carolyn Haines.

Mexican Day of the dead sugar skull with hot pink, neon blue, and orange flowersLine of sand, cactus & sunshineMexican Day of the dead sugar skull with hot pink, neon blue, and orange flowers
Sun/Cactus line © Country Clipart by Lisa

Review

For the most part, I enjoyed this book.

As far as the characters go, I liked Kelsey’s character a lot and Brody, her friend and often the photographer for the weddings she plans/coordinates. They’re both complex characters, though we haven’t perhaps seen all of their complexity yet given the fact that this is book one in the series!  The mother of the bride on the other hand, I just want to slap silly. Some of that I believe is by design. She’s supposed to be obnoxious and overbearing. However, there were times when she seemed a bit over the top to me and I really just wanted to give her a “Gibbs’ slap” (NCIS) to the back of the head!

I enjoyed the Mexican setting. I perhaps would’ve liked a little bit more description of the setting and the foods they were eating, but it wasn’t like it was overly sparse. It’s actually rare for me to say there’s not enough setting description, but I felt like that quite often in this book. I just couldn’t quite get the scenes to be vivid in my imagination as I usually can.

The story line, in my opinion, moved just a bit too slowly. Now that I’ve finished the book, I see why a particular character was so important, but up until the end of the book I just kept thinking, “What the heck has this character have to do with anything?!”. I was tempted to skip to the end a couple of times, but I managed to resist the temptation.

Overall, I did enjoy the story. I’m looking forward to reading the second one in the series, Dying on the Vine. I’ll be hosting a stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for it on March 28th!

** I received an ARC of this title from the author. I was not compensated for my review. All opinions and conclusions are my own. **

Teddy bear couple with hugging with hearts surrounding them  Stylized word   lovecl9
All three images are © Graphic Garden

About the Author

Author, Marla Cooper - Middle-aged white woman with reddish brown short hair, oval shaped face, no glasses, wearing a sleeveless navy blouse with white dotsMARLA COOPER is the author of the Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries. As a freelance writer, Marla has written all sorts of things, from advertising copy to travel guidebooks to the occasional haiku, and it was while ghostwriting a guide to destination weddings that she found inspiration for her series. Originally hailing from Texas, Marla lives in Oakland, California, with her husband and her polydactyl tuxedo cat.