Happy Friday, book buddies! Today we have an old house romance (yay!), a cozy candle-making mystery, and a food lovers journey to postwar Paris. Let’s take a bite! ❤️
The Waratah Inn by Lily Mirren
Kate’s inherited an inn, but it’s holding onto secrets that could tear her family apart.
When Kate returns to sleepy Cabarita Beach for her grandmother’s funeral, she comes face to face with her two estranged sisters. After their parents died they each left home as soon as possible to pursue their careers, but now they’re drawn back to the only home they’ve ever known to mourn the woman who raised them.
At the reading of the will, they discover their grandmother has left them her rundown beachside inn, but there’s a catch — if they want to sell, all three of them have to agree. And they’ve never agreed on anything.
Kate’s determined to fix up the inn, sell it, and get back to her life in the city. But her plans are overturned when she loses her job and her fiancé in the space of a few short weeks.
An arrogant horse whisperer rubs her the wrong way. But she can’t get him out of her mind even as she fights her attraction to his bad boy persona.
And then there’s the small matter of the box of journals she finds beneath her grandmother’s bed — the diary entries make her question whether the man she knew as her grandfather was related to her at all, and whether he was her grandmother’s first love as they’d always been told.
As Kate and her sisters renovate the dilapidated building together, they’ll unravel long-buried family secrets…and Kate will discover the truth about herself along the way.
Misha’s note: An old inn, a romance, and a box of journals?! Hold me back, I’ve got to read this one! I definitely got mine, and you can find it here.
The Case for the Candle Maker by Candace Havens
Play with candles and you might get burned…
Ainsley McGregor has her hands full preparing for Sweet River’s Valentine’s Day celebration and her bestie’s wedding. So when a mysterious woman pitches selling her candles in Ainsley’s shop, Bless Your Art, Ainsley nearly blows her off. But the candle’s fragrance is evocative, and she can’t resist placing an order.
The candles are a hit, quickly selling out, but when Ainsley calls the woman to buy more, she’s unreachable. Hoping to connect, Ainsley and her Great Dane, George Clooney, stop by the local bed and breakfast. When George whines outside her room, Ainsley is afraid to look. She soon discovers that the candle maker is dead—in a room that was locked from the inside.
Although her brother, the town sheriff, is on the case, Ainsley believes the prime suspect is innocent. Intent to prove it, Ainsley once again drops into sleuth mode, discovering some surprising truths about the mystery woman. But has she just put herself in the killer’s crosshairs?
Misha’s note: This one looked way to charming to pass up. If you feel the same way, you can find your copy here.
Goodreads Giveaway – print copy: A Murder Most French by Colleen Cambridge
Postwar Paris is surging back to life, and its citizens are seizing every opportunity to raise a glass or share a delicious meal. But as American ex-pat Tabitha Knight and chef-in-training Julia Child discover, celebrations can quickly go awry when someone has murder in mind . . .
The graceful domes of Sacré Coeur, the imposing cathedral of Notre Dame, the breathtaking Tour Eiffel . . . Paris is overflowing with stunning architecture. Yet for Tabitha Knight, the humble building that houses the Cordon Bleu cooking school, where her friend Julia studies, is just as notable. Tabitha is always happy to sample Julia’s latest creation and try to recreate dishes for her Grand-père and Oncle Rafe.
The legendary school also holds open demonstrations, where the public can see its master chefs at work. It’s a treat for any aspiring cook—until one of the chefs pours himself a glass of wine from a rare vintage bottle—and promptly drops dead in front of Julia, Tabitha, and other assembled guests. It’s the first in a frightening string of poisonings that turns grimly personal when cyanide-laced wine is sent to someone very close to Tabitha.
What kind of killer chooses such a means of murder, and why? Tabitha and Julia hope to find answers in order to save innocent lives—not to mention a few exquisite vintages—even as their investigation takes them through some of the darkest corners of France’s wartime past . . .
Misha’s note: A delicious journey into another time, and another place. I can’t wait! The giveaway ends on April 20. Enter here to win a print copy of this book on Goodreads. You can also preorder it on Amazon here; it will be released on April 23.
Did any of these whet your appetite? Let us know in the comments! ❤️
Hugs and Happy Reading,
Misha