Title: Read It and Weep
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Series: Library Lover Mysteries
Genre: Cozy mystery (just a touch of romance)
Pages: 276
Format read: print (I know! Shocking.)
Rating: B+
This was a cute and cozy mystery, and quite a bit different from my usual read. I ended up really enjoying it, though, and probably will check out others in the series in the near future.
Things I liked:
-The main character is a librarian–awesomeness.
-She and her friends get together and talk books during “crafternoons” where they make crafts and eat snacks (loosely) based on the book they’ve read.
-Best. Titles. Ever. Seriously adorable.
-Really funny writing. For example–Lindsey has a brush with death (as she is rather a younger version of Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote, this is understandable–did I just totally date myself there?) and just at the crucial “will she die or won’t she?” moment, she overhears, “Oh, my god she’s going to die!” Her reaction?
Lindsey wasn’t positive but she thought that last voice was Ms. Cole and she didn’t sound nearly as upset as Lindsey thought she should.
Giggles. Mrs. Cole is the coworker the rest of them refer to as “the Lemon”.
-I didn’t know “whodunnit” until close to the end…and then it was from the same clue Lindsey used. Though I figured it out first, thankyouverymuch. Red herrings along the way were fairly clever.
-HUGE surprise toward the end, which I did not see coming AT ALL. Well done, Ms. McKinlay!
-Fantastic literary references–Shakespeare AND Austen. What more could one want?
Things I wasn’t so crazy about (though they weren’t deal breakers):
-Probable love triangle/love interest left hanging for entire book and into next one in the series. Definitely not my favorite plot device, either one of them.
-Lindsey came across as a bit wishy-washy in regards to her love life; I would have like to see her more firm and definite.
-Yep, that’s about it.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and the fun/quirky bits far outweighed the parts I was less crazy about. As long as Lindsey can make a choice in the near future, I plan to keep reading. If she decides to go all Stephanie Plum on us though, no promises….
B+ rating for a fun mystery with a touch of literary fun.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
View all my reviews on Goodreads
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