Beautifully written romance/mystery
596027
Beautifully written romance/mystery. I really enjoyed it and have purchased the next novella and following book in the series.
4677208
Murder on the Mountain is an excellently crafted, well-balanced blend of intriguing murder mystery and budding romance. The combination made this near un-put-downable, and I read the last 75% in one day. This is something I love about Jamie Fessenden's writing - in his books like this, Billy's Bones, and Murderous Requiem, the non-romance plot elements are done so well and dovetail nicely with the romance/sexual ones.

For this book in particular, it was great to read the perspectives of both main protagonists, and I was fond of them both. I love the ways in which Kyle's previously barely explored bisexuality was addressed throughout, it felt very realistic. And I appreciated how Jesse subverted the common trope of younger lovers being less sexually confident and experienced in relationships with an age gap (mind, the gap is only seven years here, but at least Kyle sees it as significant). Though some readers may want more relationship building and sex in their M/M books, the amount in this really worked for me and didn't feel lacking, especially because of the timeline of the story.

The murder mystery kept me guessing, and the cast of characters who were possible suspects were quite an interesting, varied group. I also loved Kyle's partner Wesley, who bought a bit of the comedic relief.

Great book, wonderfully written, and I sense it'll be one I reread!
2826325
A great comedy/mystery/romance novel.  I enjoyed the story's plot and comedy as well as the writer's style of storytelling.  The storyline flows easily.
525976
This was a beautifully written mystery with fascinating characters, wonderful plot twists and turns, delightful descriptions of travel locations.  I am afraid I'm overselling this but I obviously loved it.
1474550
Riley Jordan has returned home to North Carolina after years away. Riley has dissociative amnesia and cannot recall many memories from her childhood. As soon as she sees the Radisson estate she starts to remember snippets of her past.
Meetings and messages from childhood friends help her remember moments in time but not why she forgot. Riley isn't the only person to return and now there are murders from now and the past that need to be solved and Riley may by the piece that ties them all together.
Will Riley remember her past? Will Detective Keys find the murderer? And will Riley find her peace?
I was planning to read this book over several nights but once I started I couldn't stop and stayed up until the early hours to finish. Ann Carpenter manages to write in such a descriptive way that you get lost in the story and characters. Riley is beautifully written and it is great to watch her journey.  Alex I thought was a complex character struggling with his personal feelings whilst trying to solve a crime.
I had some predictions while reading and only a few were correct. The twists and developments kept me totally engrossed. I completely enjoyed this book and would be happy to recommend it to anyone that loves a murder mystery.
Independent Review for Romance Authors that rock on
3560016
This is a sweet, clean romance that really left me with a good feeling at the end. I found the characters to be well-developed and likable. The mystery involved - who's placing "leavery" in the gift shop - is intriguing. I did think that it was a bit slow in plot development as far as they mystery part went. However, this book is a romance, not a mystery, and the romance edge was done well.

What makes Gayle Roper such a good author is that she can develop a plot, create memorable characters, and do great dialogue without filling pages with bad language or steamy scenes. I like a book that I can fully enjoy and not cringe while reading it. I got it with this one. I feel that Gayle Roper has done a wonderful job with "Seaside Gifts" and I look forward to her next offering.

*I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion.*
2009968
Well written mystery with lovable characters. Just enough angst to keep things interesting.  I couldn't stop reading.

Totally fresh and original characters. Engaging mystery. Strong, interesting writing style.

If you like mysteries then you really need to give this story a chance.  I was pulled in right from the beginning by both the characters and the mysteries woven through the story.  There are several OMG moments and I was surprised by how everything played out.  This is one story that would make a great series, and I plan on re-reading it soon.

A deliciously plotted murder mystery with a great cast of characters and believable relationships.
44794
A beautiful, eloquent mystery novel that incorporates romance and many more elements that make it all the more interesting and hard to put down!
2649138
I found this to be a wonderful, well written, and romantic novella. The characters are very likable and fill in the story with mystery, intrigue, and romance. Its a quick read that is at once light hearted and yet has a strong story line. It left me with a smile and a desire to read more from this fine author.
3802472
I just love mystery and romance together. This book has plenty th of both. The suspense kept me turning the pages, there were so many people that could have been the culprit, you just had to keep reading to find out who it was.

Cooper is the sheriff and Jessa is the district attorney in town to put his mother in jail for murder. Then a kidnapping attempt on her son takes the story in a totally different directions. It forces them to work together to keep her son safe. As it turns out her adopted son is the son of Cooper that everyone thought was dead. The whole mystery revolves around the illegal adoption, now they have to figure out what happened and who is responsible. Cooper and Jessa definitely have chemistry but neither is willing to admit it. It's a sweet romance story and the characters were well developed. The set up of the secondary characters seems to be a great arc into the next book of the series. I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

I was given a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
1225589
Beautifully written.  I am an avid fan of detective fiction / mysteries, and this novel not only had an engaging plot, but the language challenged my mind (I had to look up several words).  The way that many phrases in the book were written, made me smile ... I had to figure out how to highlight on my kindle ... I never had the urge to highlight anything before.  I recommend, and will be getting the next book in the series.
1947207
Very well written and interesting! Loved the story involving mystery and romance.
2559310
Good plot and beautiful writing. The time, the place, the characters---all perfect. I enjoyed the town and everyone in it, even the unsavory ones. An unusally good plot with just the right amount of humor (lot of it) and romance (not overdone) to keep me reading. I read a lot of mysteries and this one was the perfect break from the ordinary. I bought Marriage Can Be Murder in 2016, but didn't read it til 2018. I think it was the cover and the title. Don't let that stop you like it did me.
900772
Something's Cooking by Joanne Pence is the first in the Angie Amalfi mysteries. I would definitely consider this to be more of a cozy than a hard-boiled mystery, although honestly I personally would classify it more as romantic suspense, with romance being the primary genre and the suspense/mystery being secondary.

It started off really well and got me hooked quickly. Angelina Amalfi is the youngest daughter in a very wealthy and well-known family. One day she receives a package that turns out to be a bomb. The package was addressed simply to "occupant" so in the beginning she has no idea if it was even meant for her or if it was, who would have sent it or why. She then meets inspector Paavo Smith, who is assigned to investigate her case, as well as a murder case that happened in the same neighborhood on the same day.

Throughout the rest of the book, there are a bunch of twists and turns and the cases end up being linked. Also throughout the rest of the book, a romance develops between Angie and Paavo, and in my opinion, takes over the book a bit too much. Don't get me wrong, the writing was very good and the plot and characters were solid and relatable.  I was pleasantly surprised that Angie was such an easy to relate to character, even though she was from a very privileged background.

However, I like a little romance with my mystery, not a little mystery with my romance. In a book that is categorized primarily in the mystery category, I expected more mystery and less romance. Now I personally don't really care for the romance genre, but I know a lot of people do. So I can see where people who really enjoy both mystery and romance genres would probably love this book. Alas, that's just not me. BUT that is a personal preference and like I said the writing was solid.
3799063
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  It had both romance and mystery.  It kept me  intrigued the whole time.  I would recommend it to my friends or anyone who likes to read

Would rate this book as 5 star

I
3411023
My first book by this author and it was really good! I enjoyed the suspense and mystery as well as the romance in this novel. It was very well written. I cant recommend it enough!
3700433
I bought this book thinking it was a mystery with a little romance thrown in.  After reading it, I consider it to be a romance novel with a little mystery thrown in.  Not my kind of book, but if you like both romance and mystery, it could work for you.  It was well written and and interesting story and I was captivated enough to read it through the end.  It is about a woman who loses her fiance right before her wedding day under mysterious circumstances and her efforts to find out what happened.  It takes place mostly in Los Gatos, California and partly in Mexico.  There are also threads of the story relating to building back a life after a tragedy and establishing a successful restaurant.