Category: Part of a Series

A Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

On By TracyIn Contemporary, Mystery, New To Me Author, Part of a Series, Re-Release / Updated Edition, Tracy's ReviewsLeave a comment

Murder at Cinnamon Falls (Cinnamon Falls, #1)Murder at Cinnamon Falls by R.L. Killmore

Tracy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Series: Cinnamon Falls #1

Release Date: April 7, 2026

When a heartbroken Nia Bennett left Cinnamon Falls six years ago, she had no plans to return. But now just a couple of weeks after finishing her graduate degree and landing a coveted research position at one of Atlanta’s most prestigious law firms, her life is upended once more when she learns the man she has been dating for the last two years, the man she thought was her future is married! She doesn’t even think, she bolts and returns to her family in Cinnamon Falls. She knows going home won’t be easy, she will have to mend broken relationships and figure out how to heal the wound that caused her to leave in the first place. But before she can even come to terms with the huge changes in her life, she is dealt yet another devasting blow when a woman who was like a second mother to her is murdered just hours after they were reunited. She will do whatever she has to do to find the murderer!

Jesse Shaw was left heartbroken when Nia, the love of his life, broke up with him and left without another word. For six long years, he has tried to move on, first by serving in the military and then returning to Cinnamon Falls and working in law enforcement. His well-ordered world is rocked when Nia returns and immerses herself in the murder investigation of Rosslyn Rose AKA Rosie, the owner of the town’s popular diner and the mother of Nia’s late friend Sienna. He has barely had time to wrap his head around Nia’s return and Rosie’s death when the killer strikes again. Will he be able to find the killer before anyone else is hurt?

This small-town mystery was not exactly what I was expecting. I enjoyed the mystery and thought the author did a good job of keeping the reader in suspense for most of the story. I wanted to love this book, but there were just some things that bothered me about this story, especially Nia, I found things about her almost impossible to believe. Add to that the author’s use of some very odd phrases that pulled me out of the story. Overall, it was a well-done mystery interwoven with a low-key second-chance romance, but the writing was a bit off, so this was a book that I am glad I read, but not one I would read again.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *

 

The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

On By TracyIn Historical Paranormal/Fantasy, Historical Rom-Com, Paranormal / Fantasy, Part of a Series, Romantasy, Top Pick - Highly Recommended, Tracy's Reviews, Victorian Era (1837-1901)Leave a comment

The Governess's Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses (The Parasol Academy, #2)The Governess’s Guide to Spells and Managing Misfit Marquesses by Amy Rose Bennett

Tracy’s Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Series: The Parasol Academy #2

Release Date: March 31, 2026

As a graduate of the Parasol Academy for Exceptional Nannies and Governesses, Hermina “Mina” Davenport will never let harm come to her charge, especially after making a deathbed promise to his godmother. So, when Christopher, the orphaned 7-year-old Viscount Fitzwilliam is being taken to the North Pole by his possibly bewitched guardian, Sir Bedivere Ponsonby, against his will, Mina has no choice but to intervene. She “te-ley-ports” onto the ship and they make their escape, but that is where things go terribly wrong. Instead of ending up in her room at her mother’s house, they end up on another ship – owned by an incredibly large and handsome Irish nobleman, Phineas “Phinn” O’Connell, the newly-minted Marquess of Kinsale. He kindly offers to take them back to Bristol and they part ways. After settling Christopher in her mother’s home, Mina returns to the Academy for a new assignment. Imagine her surprise when Phineas is her new employer!

Phinn O’Connell is not a typical nobleman, raised in Ireland he survived the Great Famine by becoming a prizefighter, but even that was not enough to save his family, who perished from a typhoid outbreak. He is large, scarred, uncouth and speaks with not just an Irish accent, but he also has a speech impediment, which makes him very self-conscious and something of a joke to his peers. He desperately wants to pass laws in parliament to help his people in Ireland, but no one takes him seriously. He needs help, he needs Mina! But as his friend Viscount Hartwell, points out he has no child in need of a governess, and he doubts the academy would allow her to work for him. So, when he catches a young boy trying to pick his pocket, he sees a way to hire Mina and help a young boy at the same time. What could go wrong?

I think I actually liked this story better than the first book, which is saying a lot because I LOVED the first book. Mina and Phinn are both wonderful characters and their story is filled with witty banter, flawed yet lovable characters, a cursed ring, wonderful secondary characters, an irascible pug, cameos from Emma and Xaiver, lots of magic, secrets, snarky servants, opposing Fae Queens, slow-burn romance, and finally a happy ending with the promise of more magic to come! This is the second book in the series, but it could be read as a standalone title without any problem. I am happy to recommend both titles in this fun, magical, Victorian-era series!

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher/author. All opinions in this review are my own. *