Bestselling mystery author Kate Valentine is off to a remote island for the wedding of her editor, who also happens to be her ex-fiancé. It sounds like it will be an absolute nightmare, but with the help of some free champagne she figures she can put a smile on her face and hope that the setting gives her inspiration for her newest Loretta Starling mystery. She gets a little more than she bargains for when someone tries to poison a guest and pen the murder on her! Channeling her fictional character and with the help of her friend, fellow author Jake Hawkins, they investigate the scene and uncover bitter resentments and long-held grudges that give them more suspects than answers. She does however, get a fabulous plot for a new book.

As I was reading this novel I definitely was getting Clue vibes, “It was Professor Peacock in the library with the brass candlestick!” There were so many crazy family members and wedding party guests that it felt kind of comical, but slowly the plot tightened up and became a little easier to follow. Kate was a bit of a mess, but when she channeled her fictional character Loretta Starling she had moments of lucidity, but too much champagne, always running into someone who had nefarious intentions, and fighting her mixed feelings about her ex getting married and her attraction to Jake gave the book a rather hectic feel that both made me eager to turn the page and find what happened AND turn the page so that I’d be closer to the end of the book. I had mixed feelings while reading this and I think it may have been the rather hectic nature of the pace that gave me a few misgivings.

Despite that hectic pace and Kate’s flighty nature, there was still something to like about this story. The characters were eccentric and interesting, the gossip was fun and engaging, and Kate and Jake’s budding romance both fun and sizzling. The tension held up through the conclusion of the mystery and I found myself liking the book by the end of the last page, but whew, it was quite the journey! ❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

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